Dunn knew Jeffrey Katzenberg was riding his coattails to get back at Michael Eisner.
But he didn't care. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Plus, he'd been eyeing DreamWorks Animation, which Katzenberg controlled, for a while now.
The ban? That had to be the biggest humiliation Michael Eisner had ever faced in his career!
It all started with him, but who'd have thought he'd end up hoisting himself by his own petard?
It'd become the biggest joke in Hollywood!
Could you blame him?
If it were anyone else—even Jeffrey Katzenberg—they'd have been crushed to dust, not a bone left.
But Dunn… it was like he had some divine blessing, pure magic!
Michael Eisner, mocked to his face in front of so many industry peers, felt humiliation wash over him. If he had a gun, he'd have shot Katzenberg dead on the spot!
Dunn saw everyone's weird expressions, barely holding back laughter, and felt downright giddy. Still, this was Saw's celebration party—making too big a scene would just turn it into a farce.
"Mr. Katzenberg, about the ban—you've got it wrong. I've already hashed it out with Mr. Eisner, and we've come up with a solid solution."
Dunn's words were a lifeline for Michael Eisner, who grabbed it fast. "Exactly! The ban was just a misunderstanding. We sorted it out ages ago. All that noise out there? Pure rumors!"
Ron Meyer, Barry Meyer, and the others let out quiet sighs of relief. Good—Dunn was backing off, not escalating things.
There were plenty of small-time actors and even Hollywood's deputy mayor in the room. Letting them see a rift at the industry's core wouldn't look good.
Bill Mechanic, who knew Dunn better, just gave a wry smile.
Dunn, backing off?
Yeah, right. This was probably a tactical retreat!
Sure enough, Dunn chuckled and said, "The ban? Mr. Eisner and I talked it over a bunch. He apologized, even fired Joe Roth, the head of the production department. So… it's water under the bridge. On behalf of Dunn Films, I'm calling it done. Tomorrow, we'll put out an official notice lifting the ban on Disney."
"Michael Eisner apologized? That's a stretch, right?" Ron Meyer, Sherry Lansing, Tom Rothman, and the rest widened their eyes in disbelief.
This was scarier than Saw!
Even Michael Eisner froze, dazed. What was Dunn blabbering about? When did I apologize?
He'd only come to this Saw party—meeting Dunn's demands—to get the ban lifted because he wouldn't apologize.
The kicker? Dunn was saying this to bail him out, so he couldn't even argue back.
He just had to eat it!
Eisner's face turned green!
This Dunn kid was too much!
After a brief silence, Sherry Lansing jumped in with a laugh. "That's the way to go! The ban was never proper anyway. Good thing it didn't blow up and spread outside, or who knows what people would've thought of Hollywood."
Tom Rothman chimed in, "Right? It's the 21st century—those old-school rules don't cut it anymore. Even financing's gone co-op now. Time to ditch the outdated ban tactics."
Michael Ovitz, stifling a laugh, put on a serious face. "Disney lifted their ban on Dunn Films ages ago. Since Michael Eisner apologized to Dunn, showed up twice to make amends, and owned up to it, Dunn should be the bigger man and let Disney off the hook."
That nearly made Eisner spit blood!
Ron Meyer, worried the tension might flare up again, quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, since they've got a solution, the ban's history. Ha, the last few months have been rough for Hollywood—let's hope this kind of thing doesn't happen again."
Dunn grinned. "No worries there—I'm not some petty grudge-holder! Ha, just not sure if Mr. Eisner's still hung up on the past."
Eisner gritted his teeth and snorted, "I don't have time to fuss over petty stuff like this!"
He was fuming.
Twice now, he'd attended Dunn Films' parties, and twice he'd been made a laughingstock, his dignity trashed.
This second time especially—he had to swallow his pride and let the "apology" story stick.
He knew Dunn had always wanted Dunn Films to climb over Disney's shoulders and stand tall atop Hollywood.
Dunn Films hadn't quite made it there yet, but Dunn himself sure had. Using Michael Eisner as a stepping stone, he'd earned the clout to lord over the pack!
Being someone else's stepping stone? That was the ultimate disgrace!
Tom Rothman laughed it off, clapping his hands. "Since the misunderstanding's cleared up, all's good. Let's raise a glass—to Hollywood's bright future, led by co-financing!"
"Great idea!"
"Yeah, Hollywood should be all smiles!"
"Cheers!"
…
Now that was a real celebration. This crew of Hollywood bigwigs clinked glasses with grins all around—a rare, joyful scene.
Michael Eisner, though, wasn't in the mood to chat and laugh with the crowd. Making some excuse, he bolted.
He swore he'd never set foot in another Dunn Films party.
It was a nightmare!
His reputation's Waterloo in Hollywood!
Meanwhile, Dunn had truly stepped into Hollywood's decision-making elite, becoming a bona fide mogul—the youngest one ever!
The way people talked to him shifted. That old "little Dunn" nickname? Gone for good.
This was real, equal footing.
After a few rounds of drinks, Tom Rothman strolled over to Dunn with a glass of strong brandy, all smiles.
He was clearly in high spirits—probably picked up some hints from Dunn and Ovitz's chatter. A few extra drinks had his cheeks flushed, and he looked downright chipper.
"Dunn, come on, a toast!"
Dunn waved him off with a laugh. "Tom, you're too kind. I should be toasting you."
Tom Rothman shook his head, dead serious. "Some things I won't bring up—who hasn't screwed up a time or two? But the future, ha, that's what we're looking at!"
Dunn got the subtext and raised his glass with a smile, clinking it sharply against Tom's and downing it in one go.
They looked like old pals bonding over shared respect.
Hard to believe that just months ago, they'd been slugging it out in the box office trenches, blood pumping.
Legendary Pictures' second deal was pretty much locked in—with 20th Century Fox as the partner!
For the bigger picture, Dunn had to let go of that rocky past.
Tom Rothman even more so. If he nailed this co-financing deal, his spot at Fox would be rock-solid!
"Dunn, you know Roy?" Tom Rothman lowered his voice, his expression… a little sneaky, like he was hinting at something shady.
Support me by leaving a comment, voting, and visiting myPatr-eon at belamy20
Check out another story in my profile original works