Sitting in the car, Dunn watched Natalie happily fiddling with her Golden Globe trophy, unable to put it down. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Is it that big a deal? It's not like you've never seen one before."
"How could it be the same?" Natalie shot him a look and huffed. "The one at home is yours. This one's mine!"
Dunn snatched the trophy from her hands, a little annoyed. "What's this 'yours' and 'mine' nonsense? Even you're mine!"
Natalie's cheeks flushed. She glanced nervously at the driver up front and gave Dunn a playful shove. "Stop talking nonsense!"
Still, there was something about his bold, commanding vibe that secretly thrilled her. Her body softened, and she leaned into his arms.
Dunn wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Juno's about to start filming, right?"
"Yeah, the 27th. It's coming up fast," Natalie replied, her eyes half-closed, her voice lazy and relaxed. "Oh, by the way, Kate's joining the cast too!"
"Kate?" Dunn paused, surprised. "Not Cate Blanchett, right?"
"Yep, that's her! Didn't Rose mention it to you?"
Dunn was genuinely shocked. "She did, but… it's just a small supporting role. I didn't think she'd take it."
Natalie pursed her lips and said softly, "What's so surprising about that? It's a project you're personally involved in. I bet she'd do it for free if you asked."
"Well, I guess my influence is pretty impressive," Dunn sighed, sounding a bit helpless.
But it wasn't that simple.
Juno, starring Natalie Portman, had a modest budget of just $8 million. It lacked big-name stars and tackled a feminist theme, which didn't scream box-office gold. For Cate Blanchett to join the cast, she was clearly doing it as a favor to Dunn—playing a supporting role to boost Natalie's spotlight.
Favors like that come with a debt to repay!
Of course, Dunn was already deeply tied to the Australian film scene, so a small favor like this could just be considered interest on that connection.
Natalie suddenly thought of something and asked, "Hey, didn't you say Charlize Theron and Penélope Cruz were moving in with us?"
"I pushed it back. Once you head off to shoot, I'll have them come over. For now… my main job is keeping you company."
"Oh, please!" Natalie let out a playful scoff. "You're just sweet-talking me. Don't think I don't know—sure, you're with me at night, but the second you're off work in the afternoon, you're sneaking into Rose Byrne's room!"
Dunn grinned mischievously and lowered his voice. "Well, you didn't agree to join in. How about… tonight, I bring Rose over, and the three of us—"
"Get lost!" Natalie cut him off flat-out.
Dunn tried to coax her gently. "Come on, this is your first Golden Globe! Shouldn't we celebrate?"
Natalie huffed, "Celebrate for me? Please, this sounds more like your kind of celebration."
Dunn's eyes lit up. "So you're okay with that kind of celebration? Then when I win an award next time—"
"No way!" Natalie pinched his waist hard, her voice teasing but firm. "Don't try to trick me into saying yes. That's not happening! You need to respect me—I'm not like those other girls!"
"Alright, alright, you're different!" Dunn quickly pulled her close, kissing her hair softly.
Man, he thought, this is going to be a long road!
---
The hottest commercial film of 2000 was, without a doubt, Spider-Man, raking in over $1.26 billion worldwide. Coming in second was Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 2, with a global box office of $540 million.
Now that Mission: Impossible 2 had wrapped its theatrical run, a report from The Hollywood Reporter about the film sent shockwaves through the industry.
Tom Cruise's paycheck for the movie included a $20 million base salary plus a 10% cut of the global box office. That meant he pocketed a whopping $74 million from this one film alone!
That figure blew past Keanu Reeves' $56 million from The Matrix, Jack Nicholson's $60 million as the Joker in Batman, Bruce Willis' $65 million from The Sixth Sense, and Tom Hanks' $71 million from Forrest Gump. Cruise was now, hands down, Hollywood's number one earner!
But Mission: Impossible 2 meant even more to actors in Hollywood.
In the past, films like Batman, Forrest Gump, or The Sixth Sense had relied on lower upfront salaries paired with box-office profit shares because of tight budgets. Mission: Impossible 2, though, had a solid budget. Cruise's 10% cut wasn't just because he held the rights—it was a testament to his star power.
Times were changing.
Before, only big producers and famous directors could negotiate hard with studios. But Mission: Impossible 2 marked a shift: Hollywood's top stars were now on the same level.
Actors' paychecks were climbing, and there was no stopping it!
The trend started with A-listers and was trickling down to first-tier actors, even spreading from male stars to female ones.
As the underdogs rose, the grip of the big bosses and industry giants on Hollywood was weakening.
For Dunn, this was good news!
Chaos breeds heroes!
If Hollywood were just a stagnant pond, how could a newcomer like Dunn rise up and take over? Stirring the waters, fishing in the murk—that's where the real opportunities lay!
With feminism as a politically correct ace up his sleeve, Dunn could still navigate the world of actresses with ease.
"Boss, here's the report you asked for!"
Isla Fisher handed over the financials for Never Sinking, her voice sweet and syrupy.
Dunn glanced at her with a smile. "Something up?"
"Look at the files first—I'll tell you after," she said. Today, Isla was wearing a chiffon dress with a low neckline, showing off her fair, full curves. Her red lips were striking, tempting his imagination.
"You little tease. Wait a sec… nah, tonight. Natalie's off filming, so I'll deal with you properly then!"
"Hmph, don't forget Rose is Australian too. We'll team up against you!" Isla smirked playfully.
Dunn laughed heartily and skimmed the report.
Lately, Never Sinking had been burning through cash. After reading, he realized the bulk of the spending was overtime pay for the crew.
The schedule was brutal. Key team members, including James Cameron, were surviving on four or five hours of sleep, eating fast food, and pouring everything into post-production.
Hollywood's films ruled the world, and its work ethic was just as legendary.
Setting the report down, Dunn let out a long sigh. If Never Sinking flopped, fine. But if it hit big at the box office… James Cameron would definitely need a few years off.
The pressure he'd been under was insane—rivaling even Titanic. A long break would be well-earned.
"Alright, spill it. What's up?" Dunn stretched and beckoned her over.
Isla stood in front of him, speaking slowly. "Gone Girl is selling like crazy, right? And it's got that feminist, crime vibe. I've been getting tons of invites to book clubs and discussion groups, even some talk shows."
"You met some big-shot writer?" Dunn looked at her curiously.
"I did meet someone, but not a big writer—a journalist," Isla said softly.
Dunn frowned. "A journalist?"
Isla nodded seriously. "He's a crime reporter named David Simon. He mostly writes crime stories for The Baltimore Sun. To gather material, he often rides along with Baltimore PD's homicide unit. He's got a treasure trove of crime cases and details."
Dunn's gaze shifted, now tinged with surprise and admiration.
When did this girl get so savvy?
With Gone Girl blowing up, Isla had become a minor celebrity in literary circles. Had her whole perspective leveled up too?
Crime case files were pure gold for film and TV adaptations!
Movies were tricky—too dark, and they'd clash with political correctness, leaving many stories untouchable. But TV was different. Dunn knew the game: in the American TV market, crime dramas were king!
And this David Simon she mentioned, writing crime pieces for The Baltimore Sun? His storytelling chops were probably solid. Calling him a crime writer wouldn't be a stretch.
Maybe…
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