Dunn said casually, "*Coyote Ugly* comes out on August 4th, right? Heh, no way our film's shifting its slot. But don't forget, that same day, Sony's got *Hollow Man* and Warner's got *Space Cowboys* hitting theaters too!"
"Our film?"
Hearing that phrase, Natalie's head spun a little. She felt a mix of shyness and sweetness bubbling up.
"What's on your mind? You zoning out?" Dunn gave her a nudge.
Natalie swatted his arm in annoyance. "You're the one zoning out! I was just… wait, are you saying you want to boost *Hollow Man* and *Space Cowboys* to gang up on *Coyote Ugly*?"
Dunn nodded. "That's the plan. Dunn Films doesn't have any beef with Sony, but we're not exactly buddies either. Helping them out here could earn us some goodwill. Plus, *Hollow Man* cost a hefty $95 million, and they've done a solid job with the early buzz—it's got some pull."
Natalie nodded thoughtfully. "And *Space Cowboys*… that's got even more draw. Clint Eastwood directing and starring, with Tommy Lee Jones in the mix—those are heavy hitters."
"Exactly. The fight for this release window's just as brutal as June's was." Dunn stretched lazily and flopped onto the bed. "Clint Eastwood's a lone wolf, but that old guy's a real cowboy—tough and loyal. Hey, if I do him a favor, what do you think he'll do?"
Natalie smirked. "You want him to join Dunn Films? Dream on. He's tight with Warner. Save your little favors."
Dunn pulled a mock-wounded face. "Ouch, babe, that stings. You think I'm doing this for Dunn Films?"
"Isn't it?"
"Dunn Films might not be on Warner's level, but we've already got Tim Burton, James Cameron, Ang Lee, Sam Mendes, Luc Besson—big-name directors in the bag. Clint Eastwood's great, sure, but we don't *need* him!"
"Huh?" Natalie blinked rapidly, caught off guard.
Dunn shot her a look, then reached out, pulling her into his arms. He planted a kiss on her soft cheek. "It's for you, you little goof!"
Natalie stared at him, stunned. "Me?"
"Yeah, you! Don't you love working with big directors? Eastwood's one of the biggest. I do him this solid, and who knows—maybe you'll get a chance to collab with him down the line."
Natalie's heart melted, but she wasn't about to let him off easy. She huffed, "Oh, sure, buttering me up. You're just using this to take a swing at Disney's movie and acting like it's all for me."
Dunn stifled a laugh, feigning helplessness. "Fine, if you don't want this chance… I'll just pass it along to Nicole, or maybe Kate or Charlize…"
"Don't you dare!"
Natalie flipped over, straddling him. Seeing his teasing grin, she flushed with embarrassment and started tickling him, gritting her teeth. "You jerk! Out there flirting with everyone, then coming home to mess with me—I'm gonna take you down!"
"Haha!"
Dunn wasn't about to back down. He fought back instantly.
The bed creaked and swayed as laughter filled the room.
Before long, that cheerful noise mixed with other, less describable sounds of delight…
---
"What'd you say? Weston's gone to Dunn Films?"
Tom Rothman's face darkened the second he heard the news from his secretary. His calm demeanor shattered, replaced by a roar.
The secretary shrank back, replying timidly, "Yes, Mr. Weston Cotton's been named VP at Dunn Films. He's handling strategic development, film marketing, brand promotion, stuff like that. And…"
"And what?"
"And he's also doubling as the CEO's assistant."
*Crash!*
The pen in Tom Rothman's hand clattered onto the desk, startling the young secretary pale.
The last time Tom lost it like this was when *X-Men* got obliterated at the box office by *Spider-Man*.
"Step out for a bit," Tom said, waving her off weakly as he let out a long sigh.
He got up slowly and trudged to the window, his expression heavy.
*X-Men* tanked, and Weston Cotton took the fall, getting axed from 20th Century Fox.
But the board wasn't dumb. They probably saw through Tom's little games. They just went with the "sacrifice a pawn to save the king" move for the sake of stability.
Tom had even caught wind that News Corp's higher-ups weren't happy with his recent moves. If he kept screwing up, they'd likely force him out as the majority shareholder.
Dunn Walker's name popped into his head out of nowhere.
Why did it always come back to him?
Thinking it over, it hit him—Tom was usually the one throwing punches, while Dunn just played defense.
And the kicker? Dunn's defense was airtight, turning every move into a counterattack.
Recalling their smooth collaboration on *Wedding Crashers* last spring and summer, Tom felt a pang of unease.
"Maybe… I've been underestimating him?"
Tom narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance.
Lately, he'd been fed up with Disney's responses—especially his old pal Joe Roth pulling the rug out from under him.
Back then, scared of the board's backlash and desperate for an ally, Tom hadn't dared push back against Joe. But now? The *X-Men* fiasco had blown over. He could hit back with confidence.
Still…
Was it worth it over someone like Dunn Walker?
Tom was sharp—especially with people. His knack for subtle maneuvers and behind-the-scenes plays had carried him up the ranks at 20th Century Fox to CEO.
To him, profit trumped friendship, and friendship trumped pride.
So, in his mind, patching things up with Dunn wasn't about ego. The real trick was figuring out how to handle Disney.
Dunn's star was rising fast these past few years, but he was still just a 22-year-old kid, four years into the game. Even if Disney stumbled ten or twenty times, it'd still be Disney—untouchable Disney!
Tom sank into the sofa, lit a cigar, and took slow drags, lost in thought.
"No matter what, I can't piss off Disney!"
That was his first call.
Dunn Films was growing quick, but even at this pace, catching up to Disney's scale and clout would take a decade or two of groundwork.
"But Dunn… he's a dark horse. Going head-to-head with him isn't smart."
Tom shook his head, thinking of the resources and connections he'd thrown at Dunn over the past three months—total waste.
So what if Dunn Films poached Bill Mechanic and a handful of Fox vets? Big deal.
In business, it's all about the bottom line.
No room for loyalty or grudges—that's how a real businessman rolls!
Tom racked his brain but couldn't pin down what deep beef he even had with Dunn. Was this cutthroat rivalry really necessary?
He thought back to late June, when *Spider-Man*, *Gone in 60 Seconds*, and *X-Men* duked it out in a brutal box office showdown. It wasn't worth it. Three Hollywood giants slugging it out made them a laughingstock and let someone else cash in.
Aardman Animations' *Chicken Run* slipped through the cracks and thrived. So far, it'd raked in $67.8 million in North America and over $73 million overseas.
A global haul topping $140 million—more than *Gone in 60 Seconds* and *X-Men* combined!
And that flick only cost $45 million to make!
While Dunn Films, Fox, and Disney tore each other apart, *Chicken Run* quietly made bank. Maybe *Spider-Man*, nearing $1.1 billion worldwide, didn't care—but Tom sure did.
Those damn Brits had made a fool of them!
"Hey, someone get in here!"
Tom slammed the sofa and bellowed. His secretary scurried back in. He barked, "In my name, send Weston Cotton an email—no, scratch that, send a greeting card. Tell him I'm congratulating him on the new gig!"
---