Dunn nearly burst out laughing at the strange, sly looks on everyone's faces.
In this little circle, every single person was a sharp operator. They could all guess that Michael Eisner showing up today wasn't for the same reason as them—it couldn't possibly be just about the co-financing deal!
The room was packed with Hollywood heavyweights, including a few studio chairmen, but when it came to status and clout, none of them could hold a candle to Michael Eisner!
Take Tom Rothman, the chairman of 20th Century Fox's board. In Eisner's eyes, he was just a small-time schemer from humble roots, scrambling for power.
The only ones on Eisner's level were titans like Rupert Murdoch, the big boss of News Corp, or Sumner Redstone, the head honcho of Viacom, Paramount's parent company!
People like Tom Rothman or Sherry Lansing might be on par with the chairman of Disney's film division, but they were nowhere near the top dog of a media empire like Disney.
Co-financing was a game-changer for Hollywood's movie industry, a revolutionary move that had everyone buzzing and bending over backward to court Dunn.
But the film division was just a tiny slice of Disney's pie—not nearly enough to drag Michael Eisner himself out here.
So the question was: why would Michael Eisner lower himself to show up at the *Saw* celebration party?
All eyes turned to Dunn.
This had to be another one of that kid's tricks!
Everyone in the room knew about the personal beef between Dunn and Michael Eisner. Heck, Dunn Films still hadn't lifted its ban on Disney—easily the juiciest gossip in Hollywood circles.
To recklessly plot against Disney's chairman like that? Across all of Hollywood, Dunn was probably the only one with the guts!
These were all big shots, but if they were honest with themselves, not a single one had the nerve or the backbone to go toe-to-toe with Michael Eisner and burn that bridge.
The funny thing? Dunn was doing just fine—thriving, even, as Hollywood's golden boy.
Meanwhile, Michael Eisner… had to come knocking on *his* door!
Aside from a few clueless small fry on the fringes, anyone with a shred of insider knowledge or connections could see it plain as day: in this personal showdown, Dunn had come out on top!
Dunn scanned the room and noticed that, except for Michael Ovitz, Bill Mechanic, and a couple others, everyone's eyes were a mix of suspicion and awe. Feeling pretty good, he smiled and said, "Mr. Eisner's here, huh? Well, that's the king of Disney for you!"
His words dripped with sarcasm.
King of Disney? So what? Still had to come groveling at my feet, didn't he?
Michael Eisner's domineering reputation wasn't exactly a secret, and it didn't win him many fans. Soon, quiet chuckles rippled through the crowd.
"Mind joining me to go greet him?" Dunn asked, blinking innocently. "He's a big deal, after all. Gotta make the welcome grand, or he might think I'm snubbing him on purpose."
With something like this, if one person went, the rest had to follow. No one wanted to risk looking like they were disrespecting Michael Eisner.
That Disney chairman wasn't exactly known for his big heart.
Dunn led the way, flanked by his right-hand men, Bill Mechanic and West Cotton, with practically the most powerful crew in Hollywood trailing behind.
It was quite the sight!
Some of the lesser-known folks, like Rose Byrne, didn't know what was going on. Seeing this "storm brewing" moment, they were so nervous they forgot to breathe.
These were the kind of people who could shake Hollywood with a stomp of their foot. Hitching your wagon to just one of them would guarantee a solid foothold in the industry.
And Dunn, young as he was… was clearly the center of it all!
Mind-blowing!
…
Michael Eisner was definitely not thrilled—hundreds of times over. If he could, he'd send Dunn straight to the depths of hell!
But here he was, forced to show up at the *Saw* party to prop up his archenemy. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
Still, since he'd come, he had to keep up appearances. He'd already heard this party was crawling with industry bigwigs.
Taking a deep breath, Michael Eisner tried to wipe the scowl off his face, forcing a smile and puffing up his chest with that lofty air of his as he stepped into the auditorium.
Right away, he saw Dunn approaching with a dozen Hollywood power players, all smiles.
There was Bill Mechanic, George Lucas, Tom Rothman, Terry Meisel, Sherry Lansing, Martin Scorsese, Amy Pascal, Michael Ovitz…
Talk about a warm welcome!
If his friendliness had been fake a moment ago, now Eisner was genuinely pleased.
This Dunn kid knew how to play the game!
He liked this kind of reception!
Quickening his pace, Michael Eisner shook hands with everyone, grinning. "Well, look at this—tons of old friends here!"
When he got to Dunn, the handshake came with a smirk. "Mr. Eisner, no date this time?"
"Huh?"
Michael Eisner froze for a second.
Ron Meyer, Bill Mechanic, and a few others felt their hearts skip a beat. This didn't feel right.
Dunn, looking totally harmless, didn't hold back. "Last time, didn't you bring little miss Britney Spears to introduce to me? Ha, I'm not into those ditzy types. What, no new gift this time?"
Eisner's gut twisted. Was Dunn deliberately digging up old dirt to embarrass him?
The mighty head of Disney, playing matchmaker for some young upstart—and a rival, no less? It was downright humiliating!
"Gift? Ha, Dunn, you're a riot! Objectifying women's not cool, though, right, Sherry?" Eisner recovered fast, roping Sherry Lansing in for backup.
Sherry Lansing was inwardly groaning. She was a polished professional, not some raging feminist.
Sure, "gift" could imply objectification, but this was Hollywood! Treating pretty girls as presents was standard practice!
Even as a woman, Sherry had played that game plenty of times on her climb to the top at Paramount.
It was just how Hollywood worked!
Otherwise, Dunn wouldn't dare say something so outrageous in front of all these people.
Caught between two sides she couldn't afford to cross, Sherry squirmed.
But Amy Pascal, the other powerhouse woman in the room, didn't mince words. "Objectification? Come on, this is Hollywood. Dunn's a feminist—I'm sure he doesn't discriminate against women."
Amy was bold and brash. Starting as a secretary, she'd clawed her way up to running Columbia Pictures by 35, a testament to her savvy and grit.
Back when she was after the *Fantastic Four* rights, she'd hinted to Dunn more than once that she could send *Charlie's Angels* stars Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz to his bed.
Forget other women—even she'd been through that kind of deal countless times on her rise. She'd long since stopped caring.
Michael Eisner took the hit, and he wasn't happy.
Amy Pascal didn't care. She had Sony Pictures—and the Sony empire—behind her!
In this era, Sony was untouchable, a juggernaut crushing all in its path!
Disney might be big, but next to Sony, it was a joke.
Eisner forced a tight smile, not backing down. He glanced at Bill Mechanic standing quietly behind Dunn, clearly not planning to smooth things over, and got the picture.
This was Dunn's power move!
You've got your tricks, but I've got my counters!
"Ha, so everyone's here for the co-financing deal, right? No way a little B-movie could pull in this many Hollywood elites," Eisner said lightly, brushing off Dunn's jab and firing back.
Michael Ovitz, who had a deep grudge against him, kept his face cold. "No need to hide it—it's just business. Unlike some people who love their dirty little schemes."
Eisner sneered, not giving an inch to his old rival. "Too bad Legendary Pictures' cash can only cover one deal. You're flitting between studios, but you can only pick one partner. What are the rest supposed to be? Clowns?"
Sharp and cutting, he hit the nail on the head!
The room was full of Hollywood bosses, many of them studio heads, and they weren't thrilled about Michael Ovitz cozying up to everyone.
Especially since all that schmoozing might end up being for nothing—talk about annoying!
Eisner's words ripped the bandage right off!
Sure enough, the blunt and fiery Amy Pascal jumped in first, her voice low. "I agree! Mr. Ovitz, and Dunn, since we're all here, why not just lay it out? Who's your second pick for the co-financing deal?"
The other moguls weren't as direct, but they nodded along, their eyes bouncing between Ovitz and Dunn, waiting for a straight answer.
They were busy people—no time to dance around Legendary Pictures!
Ovitz's vagueness and Dunn's dodging were getting old. It felt like they were toying with everyone.
Nobody liked that!
Eisner's lips curled slightly. "Legendary Pictures' strength… well, we all know what it is. Without the co-financing hook, no one would waste their time on a newbie outfit like that!"
In just a few words, the guest, Michael Eisner, seemed to seize control.
Clearly, this time, he came prepared!