Nicolas Cage and Dunn weren't exactly buddies.
He still remembered the first time they met—at his uncle Francis Coppola's house. Back then, Dunn didn't have the clout he wielded now. Sure, he'd made Titanic, but his reputation wasn't great—more like a lucky upstart. So, over that dinner, Nicolas didn't say a word to him.
Nicolas Cage had a proud streak, even a touch of arrogance. Why else would he ditch a name like "Coppola"?
But who could've guessed that in just a few short years, Dunn would rise to become a heavyweight in Hollywood?
This time, squeezing out Tom Cruise to snag the male lead in Minority Report was the ultimate proof!
Nicolas was sharp—he knew Dunn wasn't helping him out of the goodness of his heart. It was about paying back a favor to the Coppola family. That much had to be clear.
After getting the heads-up from his agent, Nicolas didn't rush to call Dunn with thanks. Instead, he mulled it over briefly and dialed his uncle Francis Coppola.
He laid out the situation, and Francis couldn't believe it. "You're saying… Dunn convinced 20th Century Fox and Steven to drop Tom Cruise and hand the lead role to you?"
Nicolas laughed, still buzzing. "Yeah! I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Didn't think it'd actually happen!"
Francis sucked in a breath, muttering to himself, "Unreal… in just a few years, he's built up this kind of power in Hollywood."
"Uncle, how should I thank him?" Nicolas asked, excitement mixing with nerves. "Last month, I dropped 1.2 million at an auction on a complete ancient Egyptian skull. What if I gave that to him as a gift?"
Francis nearly blew a gasket. "How many times have I told you to stop wasting money on weird crap like that? You'll go broke!"
Nicolas shrugged it off. "Uncle, you don't get it—it's an investment! In this economic mess, antiques are the safest bet!"
"Dunn's only 30-something, and you want to give him a skull? Trying to scare him to death, you clueless idiot?" Francis roared, furious at his nephew's nonsense.
Italian blood ran hot—yelling and cursing were just part of the family routine.
Nicolas rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. How about a car instead? I just got it last month—a 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III. Only 27 left-hand-drive convertibles exist worldwide. Super rare!"
That calmed Francis down a bit.
Good thing his nephew wasn't a total moron!
For Dunn to pull strings at his age, getting 20th Century Fox and Spielberg to ditch Tom Cruise—that was some serious juice.
Francis knew his limits. He couldn't pull that off.
"Yeah, rare vintage cars are a dime a dozen, but there's only one Dunn. Nick, this is your shot—don't blow it! The Coppola family doesn't get favors like this every day."
Nicolas felt a pang at that.
Sure, he'd changed his name, acting like he didn't need the Coppola shadow. But deep down, he knew it was the family name that had helped him thrive in Hollywood.
Back when he was just 32, he'd won an Oscar for Best Actor, beating out Sean Penn, Anthony Hopkins, and Massimo Troisi in a major upset. A big part of that was Francis cashing in every favor he had.
And now, Dunn stepping in to land him Minority Report? That was the Coppola connection again, wasn't it?
Nicolas took a deep breath. "Uncle, I get it."
Francis grunted faintly. "Oh, and ease up on Jerry Bruckheimer. I saw Pearl Harbor—complete garbage."
"Uh…"
"Nick?"
"Alright, I'll listen to you!"
Nicolas nodded firmly.
Obviously, between Dunn and Jerry Bruckheimer, anyone with a brain would pick Dunn—especially after Pearl Harbor tanked hard.
---
Rose Byrne might come off as sweet and friendly to everyone, but inside, she was stressing out!
She'd been by Dunn's side for over six months and only scored a tiny role in Juno.
Meanwhile, Penelope Cruz had already done two Warner films and just landed the female lead in Marvel's big-budget Daredevil as Elektra!
And Charlize Theron? No need to even mention her. The Unsinking was killing it in theaters, and her role as a female oil worker was getting praised left and right by feminist groups, hailed as a symbol of the modern woman.
Penelope and Charlize were a duo that knew how to play the game—and Dunn adored them for it.
Rose, on the other hand, felt like the odd one out, left in the cold.
She needed an ally!
She'd had someone in mind for a while: her Aussie pal Abbie Cornish.
Problem was, Abbie hadn't graduated yet—she'd still been studying in Australia.
Now she was done, and Natalie was on break too.
But Rose couldn't exactly bring her bestie in to compete for attention right in front of Natalie, could she?
Still, dragging this out… when would her chance come?
Dunn Pictures had just greenlit two new films, and she still hadn't snagged a role.
Opportunities don't just fall in your lap—you've got to fight for them!
Rose wasn't giving up. She'd been working hard to get on Natalie's good side, hoping for a chance to bring Abbie over.
And now, that chance was here!
The two were hanging out in Palm Springs, just outside LA, when Natalie got a call from her agent. She was over the moon.
Rose knew Dunn had pulled it off—he'd gotten Natalie's lost role back.
She'd never seen Natalie this happy.
With her in such a great mood, maybe she'd say yes…
"Natalie, I… I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Go ahead!" Natalie chirped, still basking in her bliss.
"Well… I'd like to invite a good friend of mine to come stay with me for a bit."
"Oh."
Natalie barely reacted, still lost in her bubble.
Rose pressed on, a little anxious. "Natalie, she… she's an actress. An Aussie actress."
"Hm?" Natalie finally caught on, turning to face her. The smile faded, her gaze sharpening. "Pretty?"
"Yeah!"
Natalie's eyes turned icy. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Rose scrambled. "Natalie, don't get me wrong—you're my friend! I'd never think anything shady. It's just… Charlie and Penny are always sharing a room, you know? I'm kinda stuck here."
Natalie's expression softened a bit, but the beaming smile was gone. Her tone carried a sarcastic edge. "Guess the more people around, the easier it is to win his favor, huh?"
Rose treaded carefully. "It's not like that. We… we're just his sidekicks. More people just means we can take better care of him. You're different—you're his girlfriend. You've got all his love."
Natalie's lips twitched into a faint smirk before she shook her head. "What's her name?"
"Abbie Cornish."
"How old?"
"19."
Natalie's brow furrowed.
All of Dunn's current companions were older than her. Bringing in someone younger could shake things up. "She's so young… is that a good idea?"
Rose sighed. "It's the entertainment biz—youth is the game."
Natalie waved her off. "I mean she's so young, she might not get how things work."
Rose jumped in. "I can explain it to her! I know there are tons of rules at the Hillside Manor—I'll make sure she follows them."
Natalie shook her head. "You're talking about Dunn's rules. I'm talking about my rules."
"Your rules?"
Rose blinked, puzzled, mulling it over but still not getting it.
Natalie sighed and spelled it out. "Look, I'm Dunn's girlfriend. He's a successful guy, brilliant, and I don't want to stifle his creativity or imagination. So, I give him his space. But I don't want that space turning into a powder keg that blows up our relationship."
Rose finally clicked, straightening up. "Don't worry—I'll talk to Abbie, make sure she knows her place and stays in line. I'll keep an eye on her!"
Natalie nodded.
She wasn't worried about Dunn hanging out with seasoned players like Nicole Kidman or Charlize Theron—they knew the score.
What scared her were newbies like Rose and Abbie—girls fresh to the industry who overthought everything and couldn't separate physical stuff from feelings.
Natalie couldn't control Dunn's private life, but she sure as hell could plan ahead and protect what mattered.