Dunn had planned to stick around the The Abyss of No Return set for a few days—partly to nudge James Cameron's progress along, partly to flex his newfound expertise.
Now that he'd "mirrored" Oliver Stone's directing chops, his skills were top-notch. No more dodging tough questions like before—he could finally go toe-to-toe with Cameron and strut his stuff.
But Disney threw a wrench in that plan, slapping Dunn Films with the harshest ban in Hollywood history. It flipped his schedule upside down, and the next day, he was on a plane back to L.A.
On the rented private jet, Dunn called up Glenn Fiero, the production assistant prepping A Beautiful Mind, to check on the crew's status.
Michael Eisner's power move was something else—even as a rival, Dunn had to tip his hat. It was bold as hell!
Compared to the summer skirmish where Tom Rothman teamed up with Disney's production head Joe Roth to kneecap Spider-Man at the box office—a petty little jab—Eisner's play was the real heavyweight swing.
He didn't mess around, but when he did, the industry felt the quake!
Dunn might've looked calm on the outside, but no tension, no pressure? That'd be a lie.
This time, he wasn't just fighting for ticket sales—it was a battle of connections and clout!
And in that arena, Dunn Films was at a natural disadvantage.
Sure, Spider-Man raked in cash, and yeah, Dunn had helmed Titanic and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. But stacked against Disney's empire, Dunn Films' turf was tiny.
A Beautiful Mind was Dunn's baby—he was directing it himself—and everyone at Dunn Films was all in. So Bill Mechanic had already briefed Glenn Fiero on the mess they were in.
"There's been a hiccup, but it's not a big deal," Glenn said, lowering his voice. "Disney's ban only targets A-list stars, big directors, and producers—not regular actors."
Dunn nodded. That tracked.
Disney's ban was a blatant bully move, meant to strangle Dunn Films. It was dirty, non-market competition—go too loud with it, and the backlash would be brutal.
So this ban had to be hush-hush, whispered only among a tight circle. It'd still hit hard without spilling into the public eye.
No surprise—Disney's memo banning Dunn Films would only reach top-tier Hollywood producers, directors, and stars. The rank-and-file wouldn't even feel the ripple.
Michael Eisner's strike was vicious, but he knew exactly where the line was and wouldn't cross it.
Dunn asked, "What's the hiccup?"
Glenn sighed. "Ed Harris's agent just demanded $10 million!"
"Huh?" Dunn's face darkened. "$2 million was locked in! He's a supporting role—does he think he's worth more than the lead?"
"It's Disney's fingerprints all over it," Glenn muttered.
Dunn let out a cold snort.
Ed Harris was a name in Hollywood—not a lead, but a gold-standard supporting actor, on par with Morgan Freeman.
He wasn't A-list, but as a prized character actor, he still got solid treatment.
Dunn couldn't tell if Harris was jacking up his price to scare off Dunn Films and play nice with Disney's ban, or if he was just exploiting the chaos to cash in big.
Either way, Dunn wasn't about to play nice with opportunists jumping on his misfortune!
"If he won't do it, tell him to get lost! Actors dying to work on my films? There's not 100,000 out there, but 80,000 easy! One less Ed Harris won't stop the world from spinning!"
Dunn's voice rang out, firm as steel, brimming with unshakable resolve.
By the next day, word of Disney's ban on Dunn Films started trickling out.
Dunn's phone blew up—texts and calls from industry pals poured in. George Lucas, Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks—all checking in, showing concern.
Especially Jeffrey Katzenberg and Tim Burton—two big shots Disney had axed back in the day. Their messages were heartfelt and sharp, pledging to stand by Dunn no matter what.
If he needed help, they'd go all in.
There were tons more messages, but Dunn didn't have the energy to sift through them. He sent a mass reply: "No worries, I'm good. The lighthouse is ahead, and we're sailing strong!"
Back at Dunn Films, it was just like Bill Mechanic had said—the staff were the same as ever, working steadily, cracking laughs in their downtime.
Dunn didn't waste a beat, calling Bill Mechanic and Weston Cotton straight to his office.
"The news hasn't gone wide yet—just circulating in a small circle. It's so serious that major agencies and studios slapped gag orders on it. No leaks allowed," Bill said, jumping in before Dunn could ask.
Dunn fired off a quick question. "What's CAA saying?"
Bill's tone grew heavy. "CAA got a letter from Disney, aimed straight at Bryan Lourd! They're demanding CAA cut ties with Dunn Films ASAP—or Disney's future films won't sign any package deals with them."
Dunn blinked, caught off guard. "For real? Disney's got the guts to threaten CAA?"
Bill explained, "Back in the day, Disney poached CAA's top dog, Michael Ovitz, and nearly tanked the agency. Bryan Lourd clawed it back from the brink, but CAA and Disney have been at odds ever since. That threat letter? It's more posturing than substance—Disney and CAA haven't had real ties in years."
"Michael Ovitz?"
Dunn's eyebrow twitched, his heart thudding as a sharp thought hit him.
But Bill didn't give him time to dwell, pressing on urgently. "Bryan's stance is clear—if it's down to picking sides, he's with Dunn Films! But he asked me to warn you: Disney's reach is insane. The crazier it gets, the calmer you've gotta stay!"
Weston Cotton, looking jittery, chimed in, "Yeah, boss, I think Lourd's got a point! Over the decades, Hollywood's thrown out bans left and right—mostly at actors. But Disney slamming a ban on a whole film company? That's a first in history!"
Dunn glanced at Bill, then at Weston, before bursting into laughter, shaking his head. "Bill, Weston—do you guys really think I'm some reckless hothead who doesn't know his limits?"
Truth was, he'd already pieced it together on the plane.
Disney had gone rogue, breaking all the rules with this ban on Dunn Films. It screamed Michael Eisner—stubborn, iron-fisted, and in-your-face.
From the outside, Dunn's vibe matched that—bold, proud, never backing down!
Eisner swinging hard? Dunn would swing harder!
So what's the move?
The obvious play seemed clear—go public!
Disney was in the wrong here, stomping on fair market rules, using its giant status to crush a scrappy upstart. That'd catch flak in any industry.
If Dunn blasted the ban to the world, the public would rally behind Dunn Films and boycott Disney.
Sounded pretty sweet, right?
But then came the snag—
This wasn't just any foe. This was Michael Eisner, the most powerful, most revered titan in Hollywood over the past 20 years!
Would a guy like that roll out a plan with such an obvious hole?
No way—not even on his worst day!
That left one option: the "hole" was a setup—a baited trap Eisner had laid out for Dunn to "find"!
In reality, it was the kill shot to bury Dunn for good!
It took Dunn a long stretch of brooding on the plane to unravel the twisted logic and spot Eisner's scheme. When it clicked, he'd even shivered a few times.
On the surface, Disney's ban was about scaring off actors and directors from working with Dunn Films. But the real game—the one Disney cared about—was the conspiracy underneath!
If it worked, even with all his allies, Dunn would be toast—done in Hollywood forever!
Flash back to 2017: Hollywood's biggest bombshell was Harvey Weinstein's sex scandal.
Overnight, that "God of Hollywood" turned into a pariah everyone wanted to slug.
The courts hadn't even ruled, but stars were already sentencing him on social media—treating him like a convicted crook. Even grabbing a bite at a restaurant got him cussed out or jumped.
Sure, Weinstein was a creep with a rap sheet a mile long—no debate there.
But Hollywood's full of creeps!
Woody Allen, Roman Polanski—still worshipped as master directors worldwide. Kirk Douglas? An Oscar-respected legend. Even Marlon Brando, the ultimate "Godfather," pulled some nasty stuff with butter on set…
So why the double standard?
Or take three years back, when Dunn clashed hard with Jon Landau.
Landau was a pro—shouldn't Disney have kept him around despite the beef? So why'd he vanish from Hollywood completely?
Fact is, Michael Eisner had cooked up a similar trap for Dunn this time.
A conspiracy to make sure he'd never stand in Hollywood again!