271-273

Chapter 271: A New Round of War 

After leaving Slywood Animation, Dunn’s mood stayed unsettled for a while. 

He’d checked out some of the Fantastic Four footage they’d produced, and honestly, it was impressive—polished and mature. With a bit more refinement, it could totally hold its own on the big screen! Hard to believe this was just a team Tosca Musk had thrown together in three months. Even the director was a fresh grad from NYU’s art school—a woman, no less. 

Sure, for animated films, technical hurdles are the easy part to clear. The real challenge is finding a story and concept strong enough to carry it. Could Bone Treasure Adventures really cut it? 

Dunn had no clue. In his past life, there’d been no animated movie of that name, and he’d never even seen the original comic. But according to his team, it was a hit with kids, which seemed legit. With the rise of IPs, that could be the foundation for success. 

Maybe… 

Maybe Slywood Animation—something he’d quietly looked down on and never took too seriously—actually had a shot at making a decent animated film. Dunn realized he might’ve been boxed in by his old-world thinking. 

His presence had already flipped Hollywood upside down. What if… he could nurture a fourth animation titan alongside the big three? In his past life, Tosca Musk was just a run-of-the-mill live-action producer. Thanks to him, her path had taken a wild turn. 

“Maybe I should give her another chance,” Dunn muttered, half-closing his eyes as he sank into thought in the back of his bulletproof Rolls-Royce. 

Hollywood’s landscape was already so different from what he’d known… 

While Dunn quietly weighed his own impact, his private phone rang. The caller? A big name—Michael Eisner! 

Dunn chuckled to himself. This time, he didn’t play dumb, letting some warmth slip into his tone. “Hey there, Mr. Eisner!” 

He could already guess why Michael Eisner was calling. Half a month ago, Disney had quietly lifted their ban on Dunn Films. Per their original deal, the deadline had hit, and Dunn Films was supposed to make a move. 

The past two weeks had been rough on Disney. Industry heavyweights had started throwing subtle shade at Eisner, their words laced with disdain. Even Disney’s board—led by Roy Disney himself—had voiced their displeasure. Of course, only Roy, the last Disney family member with a stake in the company, had the guts to challenge the Disney king. 

Now, Eisner was itching to put this mess behind him and climb out of the “ban” quagmire. “Dunn, the half-month mark’s here!” 

Dunn paused, then said calmly, “Mr. Eisner, that wasn’t exactly my condition, was it?” 

Back then, Dunn had agreed to delay lifting the ban for half a month, sure—but only if Disney offered an apology and an explanation. 

Eisner’s brow furrowed, his tone souring. “Anne Hathaway already apologized to you.” 

Dunn laughed. “Mr. Eisner, don’t take me for a kid. Hathaway’s apology was personal, between us. It’s got nothing to do with Disney.” 

Since nothing real had happened between him and Anne Hathaway, Dunn had the confidence to say it. 

Eisner’s voice deepened. “Dunn, this needs to end!” 

“I know. Truth is, I wanted to wrap up this nonsense back in early August,” Dunn said with a grin, his tone firm despite the casual vibe. 

He wasn’t backing down—not an inch—against Michael Eisner! 

“It’s almost November now. No point in digging up the past.” 

“I get that. That’s why I haven’t said anything harsh about Disney in my recent interviews. You’ve probably noticed,” Dunn replied evenly. “Mr. Eisner, I don’t like starting fights, but if someone comes at me, I’m not stepping back either.” 

Eisner took a deep breath, reining in his temper. “Dunn, just tell me—what’s your angle here?” 

Dunn grinned, feeling a rush of pride. Going toe-to-toe with a titan like this and coming out on top? That was something to brag about. “Mr. Eisner, I’m not the type to push my luck, heh. I just can’t stand seeing certain lowlifes jumping around like they own the place.” 

“Are you hinting at me?” Eisner’s voice turned icy, his chill practically seeping through the phone. 

Dunn jumped in quick. “No, no, Mr. Eisner, you’ve been misled by some snake. There’s never been bad blood between us.” 

“A snake?” Eisner’s eyes twitched as a name clicked. “You mean… Joe Roth?” 

Dunn burst out laughing. “Great minds think alike!” 

Eisner’s tone hardened. “No dice. He’s the head of Disney’s production department!” 

Dunn scoffed. “Head of production? So what? Under him, Disney’s movies are on a fast track to the grave! Look, Mr. Eisner, I’ll be straight—I’ve got a score to settle with this guy. If he’s out, the ban’s done. End of story.” 

“Dunn, are you threatening me?” Eisner’s voice dropped, cold and sharp. 

“Nah, just a trade,” Dunn said, pausing for effect. “This summer, Joe Roth caused me a ton of headaches—spread a bunch of crap that trashed my rep. How’s a sleaze like that still working at Disney?” 

Back in the summer, Joe Roth had teamed up with 20th Century Fox’s Tom Rothman to stir the pot, hitting Dunn Films from both sides, trying to tank Spider-Man and bankrupt him. Lucky for Dunn, Spider-Man came out swinging, crushing all the haters. 

But that grudge? Dunn wasn’t letting it go. 

Plus, Joe Roth was the big backer for Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay at Disney. If Dunn could knock him out now, he’d have free rein to bury Bruckheimer and Bay when Pearl Harbor dropped next year. And one more thing—The Sixth Sense director M. Night Shyamalan had been signed thanks to Roth. If Roth left Disney, it’d open the door for Shyamalan to jump ship. 

All that added up to one thing: Joe Roth had to go! 

Eisner’s voice boomed with authority. “Joe’s the top dog in Disney’s film division. Right now, we need stability in management.” 

Dunn replied coolly, “Oh? That so? Well, too bad then. Sorry, Mr. Eisner—Halloween’s coming up.” 

Eisner’s pulse jumped. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Nothing much,” Dunn said, all nonchalant. “Just a heads-up. Disney’s Unbreakable premieres November 22nd. Meanwhile, Dunn Films’ Saw hits theaters November 1st.” 

Eisner knew Saw—a B-movie. He’d even ordered roadblocks for Dunn Films during its rating process. He sneered, “Dunn, you’re saying a little B-movie’s gonna take down a mainstream Disney blockbuster after 20 days?” 

“Sounds weird?” 

“Heh, you’re pretty cocky!” 

“Guess we’ll see?” 

“Kid, too much confidence can trip you up!” 

Eisner snorted, realizing Dunn wasn’t budging. With no chance to sway him, he hung up. Maybe a small loss would teach the guy to back off. 

Saw versus Unbreakable? Dunn must’ve lost his mind from all the wins—talking nonsense now. Saw cost a measly $1.5 million—barely a Hollywood flick—while Unbreakable had a $75 million budget. They weren’t even in the same league! 

Plus, Unbreakable was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, practically a Sixth Sense redo, and it was hitting theaters 20 days after Saw. No way it could flop! 

… 

Back at Dunn Films, a message was waiting for him. 

Martin Richards, a big-name Hollywood producer, had dropped by, looking to buy the film adaptation rights to the musical Chicago from Dunn Films. Earlier this year, Dunn had planned to shoot Chicago and had his production team secure the rights. But after 9/11, he’d pivoted to A Beautiful Mind. 

Hearing this, Dunn’s eyebrow twitched, a smirk curling his lips. 

He remembered it crystal clear—in his past life, Chicago was a Miramax production. It killed it at the Oscars and raked in $300 million at the box office—a massive win for a musical. Now, with Miramax and Dunn Films on the outs, and Harvey Weinstein blacklisted by Dunn, there was zero chance of a collab. 

But Harvey wasn’t giving up. Sending an old-school producer like Martin Richards to swoop in? Cute move—too bad it was naive. You might fool others, but not Dunn Walker, the guy who saw it all coming! 

“Tell that old geezer to stay out of things that don’t concern him—unless he wants to get burned!” Dunn shot down the offer without hesitation. 

Erin Kelly from the production department hesitated. “Boss, isn’t that a bit rude? Mr. Richards has a lot of clout in the industry.” 

“Clout?” Dunn sneered. “He’s playing lapdog for someone else and still thinks he’s got face? Hmph. Tell him the rights aren’t for sale. If he keeps pushing, kick him out! Anyone tied to Harvey Weinstein’s gotta be trash.” 

Dunn didn’t give a damn about Miramax anymore—they were small fry. His sights were on their parent company, Disney! 

A new month was rolling in. 

Saw versus Unbreakable. A fresh war was brewing—no guns, just glory… 

Chapter 272: Leverage 

Ever since Spider-Man dominated the summer box office, Tom Rothman, the big boss at Twentieth Century Fox, had been a lot quieter. He’d even started cozying up to Dunn a bit. 

Business is business—there are no permanent enemies, just permanent interests. 

Before jetting out of Los Angeles, Dunn met up with Tom Rothman at a coffee shop near Fox’s headquarters. They covered three main topics: portfolio investments, reality TV, and X-Men. 

The first two were still a ways off. Reality TV, in particular, was a tough sell—Fox’s TV network was clearly outmatched by the big three: NBC, ABC, and CBS. Unless they could offer some killer terms, Dunn wasn’t about to hand American Idol over to them. 

The real focus was on X-Men—its release and promotion. 

In his past life, X-Men hit theaters in July. But in this timeline, Dunn’s Spider-Man shoot delayed things. Fox sent a team to study the Spider-Man set for six months before even starting X-Men. That pushed its release from summer to the Christmas season. 

For Dunn, that was good news. 

No matter what, X-Men was a Marvel baby, and it dodged a head-on clash with Spider-Man. If it took off, it’d reignite the Marvel superhero craze in the market—a huge boost for Marvel Studios’ upcoming projects. 

Plus, there was an even bigger perk. 

Dunn wanted this Christmas season to be a total bloodbath at the box office! 

Saw was a classic B-movie—some might even call it the king of horror—but could a low-budget flick like that really stand up to Unbreakable? 

Not necessarily! 

Dunn’s confidence in pitting Saw against Unbreakable came from how stacked this Christmas lineup was. With so many heavy hitters, Saw—with its niche appeal, bold flavor, and dedicated fanbase—could slip through the cracks of mainstream competition unscathed. 

Here’s the lineup: November 17th—Universal’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Sony’s The 6th Day, and Paramount’s Rugrats in Paris; November 22nd—Disney’s Unbreakable and Fox’s X-Men; December 8th—Sony Classics’ Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; December 15th—Paramount’s What Women Want and Disney’s animated The Emperor’s New Groove; December 22nd—Fox’s Cast Away and Warner’s Miss Congeniality… 

Maybe to dodge Spider-Man’s summer reign, a slew of great films—some not even family-friendly—got crammed into this Christmas window. 

In that brutal mainstream showdown, could Unbreakable, starring a scandal-plagued Bruce Willis, really break out? 

That was just Disney’s wishful thinking. 

In the original timeline, with no Willis scandal and no X-Men to compete, Unbreakable did decently—over $90 million in North America. But with Dunn shaking things up in this life, everything had changed! 

Especially with Saw—produced by Madhouse Films and distributed by Focus Features—going toe-to-toe with Unbreakable in the thriller-suspense-horror lane. 

Same genre—could Unbreakable hold its own against Saw? 

That was Dunn’s ace in the hole! 

His chat with Tom Rothman had two goals: explore potential partnerships and nudge Fox to pump up X-Men’s marketing. It was dropping the same day as Unbreakable, after all! 

Insiders could see it plain as day—Tom Rothman was using this scheduling to stick it to Disney for their summer betrayal. Dunn was all for it. 

Before they parted, Tom offered a cryptic bit of advice: “Dunn, some things are best left alone.” 

Dunn just smiled. “Thanks, I get it.” 

… 

At Disney’s executive meeting, Michael Eisner was laying out his grand plan to expand the company’s empire. 

Right now, Disney’s core strategy was growing its cable TV business. Eisner had his sights set on acquiring the Fox Family Channel. 

A deal that big? Twentieth Century Fox and Tom Rothman didn’t even get a say—Disney was negotiating straight with News Corp’s headquarters. 

Early talks weren’t promising. Murdoch threw out an $8 billion price tag—pure fantasy. 

But Eisner had a trick up his sleeve. News Corp was still registered in Australia, though Murdoch had long since become a U.S. citizen, itching to relocate the company stateside and restructure it for a U.S. listing. That process, tangled up in sensitive sectors like newspapers and TV, would face heavy government scrutiny—exactly where Disney had connections. 

One of Disney’s board members, George Mitchell—Eisner’s old pal—was a political heavyweight. He was serving in the Clinton administration as a presidential advisor and doubling as a diplomatic envoy to Northern Ireland. 

“Keep negotiating,” Eisner ordered. “If News Corp agrees to a stock swap, we can stretch to $60 billion. If they insist on cash, $50 billion tops! Bob, you’re on this personally!” 

Cash deals cost way less than ones padded with debt or stock. With that, Eisner set the tone for the big agenda item, flipping through his papers at a leisurely pace. “I heard there was an accident at the new California park?” 

Back in 1955, Disney opened the world’s first Disneyland in Los Angeles. But that park was ancient now—outdated rides, more of a sightseeing spot. So this year, they’d broken ground on a new adventure park in L.A. 

Rob Kanton, VP of Disney’s resort division, spoke up. “Yesterday, during construction, a wall collapsed. Three workers were killed.” 

Eisner’s brow furrowed. “What about insurance?” 

“They’re assessing it now. Should be covered, barring any surprises,” Rob said cautiously. 

“Lock it down—talk to the families, get NDAs signed,” Eisner snapped, glaring at Rob. “Tighten up construction oversight and media control. I don’t want a whiff of bad press!” 

“Should we… smooth things over with the government?” Rob asked. 

“What do you think?” Eisner shot him a icy look. 

Rob gave an awkward laugh. “Got it.” 

Eisner scanned the room, his voice firm. “The adventure park is California’s second resort and our biggest draw for tourists. It can be thrilling, it can be wild—just make damn sure it’s safe!” 

The execs nodded like bobbleheads. 

Eisner exhaled, giving a slight nod. Sure, Dunn had dented his authority lately, but he was still pretty pleased with how things looked here. 

The board might question him, but in this room? He was still Disney’s undisputed king. 

Then Joe Roth, head of the film division, piped up. “Barring any hiccups, the adventure park opens next year. And Dunn Films is gearing up for a pirate movie.” 

Eisner frowned, staring him down. 

Joe rubbed his nose, flustered. “I just mean… we could lean into the pirate adventure angle, ride the wave of Dunn’s movie.” 

Eisner gritted his teeth. “Does Disney need to stoop to cheap tricks like that?” 

Joe’s face went red, stammering into silence. 

Eisner was furious. Joe Roth—his own guy—had botched things so badly they’d ended up with Dunn as a thorn in their side. If his board clout wasn’t shaky right now, he’d fire Joe on the spot. 

Useless—couldn’t get anything right, just made messes! 

Firing him now, though, would only weaken Eisner further. Everyone knew Joe was his right-hand man. 

“You know Dunn Films has a new movie coming out, right?” Eisner’s tone was sharp, no mercy. 

Joe jumped in. “Yeah, Saw. A B-movie from Focus Features—niche audience. Previews start October 30th, full release November 1st. Probably won’t open in more than 50 theaters.” 

“Oh?” Eisner’s eyes lit up. 

That was promising. Fifty theaters couldn’t possibly challenge Unbreakable, right? 

President Robert Iger hesitated. “Once previews hit, if word of mouth takes off, it could actually hurt Unbreakable.” 

Joe thumped his chest. “Bob, don’t worry. I’ve got Unbreakable locked down—foolproof!” 

Eisner gave him a long, hard look, then nodded firmly. “Good!” 

Chapter 273: Test Screening 

By late October, the Mr. & Mrs. Smith crew wrapped up filming in France and headed to New York for the final stretch. Barring any surprises, the movie would be mostly done by mid-November. “Mostly” because Mel Gibson still had some scenes to reshoot, which would wait until The Unsinkable finished in mid-December, with filming resuming in January. 

Dunn’s own project, A Beautiful Mind, had been dragging along—he figured it wouldn’t wrap until early December. Right now, though, his main focus was on the test screening for Saw, handled by Focus Features. 

With the quality of this film, Dunn was dead certain that if Miramax were running the show, they wouldn’t even bother with a test run. They’d go straight to a nationwide release, easily hitting 2,500 theaters on opening weekend! But Focus Features, freshly acquired and still building its reach, didn’t have that kind of muscle yet. 

The good news? They’d skipped the usual preview rounds. 

In the U.S., movies follow a pretty polished release playbook. A test screening is basically a pre-release hype session in the country’s biggest cities, drumming up buzz before the official rollout. For Saw, they’d set up screenings in 20 theaters across 20 major cities—New York, Boston, L.A., Chicago, you name it—to gauge word-of-mouth. 

Dunn had greenlit a $1 million budget for early promotion. Director Zack Snyder cut a 20-second trailer that aired on Fox TV, but with its toned-down edge, it didn’t make much of a splash. Some second- and third-tier gossip rags ran stories too, but the attention was meh at best. 

A million bucks for marketing? Peanuts for a movie campaign. Honestly, it might not even pack the punch of a single word from Dunn himself. But he wasn’t about to trade on his own rep for this one. 

Saw was intense—way too intense. Some viewers had legit passed out in theaters. Sure, that proved how scary it was, but it wasn’t a good look. Dunn wasn’t going to risk his name pushing a film with such a shaky moral vibe. Better to let Saw simmer, build its rep through word-of-mouth, and draw fans in slowly. 

October 30th, evening. 

Dunn roped Natalie into catching a screening at a theater in downtown Boston. They dressed down, blending in, flanked by two plainclothes bodyguards as they slipped inside unnoticed. Dunn scanned the poster-covered walls for ages before spotting Saw’s poster tucked in a corner. It was simple but brutal—a bloody, sawed-off hand. 

Natalie’s face went pale. “I… I’m kinda regretting this.” 

“Let’s give it a shot. If it’s too much, we’ll bail,” Dunn said, patting her waist and grabbing her hand. With tickets from the bodyguard, they quietly ducked into the screening room. 

It was a small theater, and barely anyone was there—less than ten people. 

“Not much buzz, huh?” Natalie frowned. As Dunn’s girlfriend, his wins were hers too. 

Dunn stayed chill. “It’s just a test screening. Takes time.” 

… 

Five minutes later, the movie kicked off. 

The opening shot hit hard with creepy vibes—dark, damp, claustrophobic; lonely, terrified, tied-up people. Natalie grabbed Dunn’s hand tight, her fingers cold. 

He grinned, leaned over, kissed her soft cheek, and whispered, “Don’t freak out. I’ll check the crowd’s vibe. If it’s too much, we’re out in half an hour.” 

Natalie bit her lip, saying nothing. 

After some cryptic, fast-paced dialogue, the screen flared up—the lights in the sealed room flicked on. That’s when the audience realized someone else was there. The camera panned, revealing a dead guy on the floor, head smashed, blood everywhere. 

“Ahh!” 

The first scream ripped through the theater. 

Dunn smirked. Just a splash of gore and they’re losing it? Wait till the plot kicks in—they’d be bawling. 

As the story unfolded, the pieces started falling into place. The tied-up guy, “Lawrence,” got a hint: kill the other dude, “Adam,” by 6 p.m., and he’d go free. It was a brutal test of humanity—save yourself by taking a life, or spare them and lose yours? Oh, and the kicker? Lawrence was a doctor. 

The grim choice was too much for Natalie. She yanked Dunn out of there, refusing to watch another second. 

“I’m never seeing a movie like this again!” she huffed as they stepped outside, venting her frustration. 

Dunn shrugged helplessly. “The rest of the crowd seemed into it.” 

“Into it?” Natalie scoffed. “They were too scared to breathe! People who like this stuff must be messed up in the head.” 

Dunn chuckled, shaking his head. “And you majored in psychology? It’s called thrill-seeking, not messed up. The real headcase is the guy in the movie, not the audience.” 

Natalie frowned. “What if—hypothetically—some nutjob watches this and copies it?” 

Dunn rolled his eyes. “What’s that got to do with me? Someone saw a movie and shot at the president—should Taxi Driver get banned? Nobody’s clipping Hollywood’s free speech!” 

“But Scorsese, De Niro, and Jodie Foster all took career hits for years because of that,” she pointed out, still frowning. 

Dunn grinned, all cocky. “My Nat, so smart!” 

She pouted, dead serious. “Look, I just think you should steer clear of projects like this going forward. You don’t need the pocket change, and it’s not worth denting your rep. Big directors tackle edgy stuff, sure, but they land on the right values. Saw… it’s too divisive.” 

Dunn went quiet for a sec, then smiled. “Alright, you win! Only one person in the world can rein me in—Natalie Portman!” 

She smirked, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please. I can’t control you.” 

He shook his head. “You’ve already got a big hold on me.” 

Natalie’s lips curved into a shy smile, her face glowing. 

… 

The next morning, while on the A Beautiful Mind set, Dunn got a fax from Focus Features. 

The test screening results were in. 

Across 20 cities, 20 theaters averaged 9 showings each. They sold 2,548 tickets at $5.40 a pop, pulling in $13,759 total. For Dunn, used to box office hauls in the tens or hundreds of millions, this was grim. 

But test screenings aren’t about ticket sales—they’re about audience reactions. 

Every ticket buyer got a survey to rate Saw. Out of 2,548 handed out, 1,789 came back. Of those, 478 gave it an A, and a whopping 1,047 gave it an A+. Less than 60 rated it B or lower. 

For a “cheap” $1.5 million B-movie, that kind of score was unreal—way beyond expectations. 

Word-of-mouth? It blew up overnight!