In the future, Disney's live-action films would hold three trump cards: the Avengers series, the Star Wars saga, and remakes of their animated classics.
Pirates of the Caribbean used to be a box office juggernaut too, but with Jerry Bruckheimer fading from the spotlight and flaws in the original premise, that franchise has slowly fizzled out.
Reborn into this world, Dunn's been tearing through Hollywood, clashing with plenty of rivals. Even DreamWorks has had its share of friction with him.
That's all par for the course.
But Disney? They've gone beyond fair competition, using cutthroat tactics to try and crush Dunn Films completely!
Sure, Dunn Films is riding high now, thriving off the "pooled investment" buzz, with Unsinkable and Mr. & Mrs. Smith dominating the box office.
But just last year, Disney's irrational, domineering pressure nearly drove Dunn Films into bankruptcy!
Dunn will never forget the hopeless looks in his employees' eyes back then!
So yeah, he can bury the hatchet with 20th Century Fox, but Disney? Never getting a pass!
Of course, he knows full well that snagging the rights to Disney's decades-old animated catalog is a pipe dream.
Live-action adaptation rights, though… that's a different story. There's some room to maneuver there.
Disney's classic animated films are mostly princess stories, and at this stage, putting a woman front and center to carry a big-budget blockbuster? No chance.
Even Hollywood's top leading ladies right now—Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz—can only headline smaller or mid-budget flicks. In a big commercial production, they're relegated to supporting roles, propping up the male stars.
With Disney execs' current grasp of the movie market, they'd never dream that animated films could be spun into live-action goldmines.
Roy Disney's face darkened, his tone firm. "Even adaptation rights? Out of the question! Disney's classic animations are my uncle's and father's life's work. I'd never let them leave the Disney family!"
Dunn sighed, playing it cool. "Mr. Disney, I'm not asking them to run away from home. I just want to invite them over to Dunn Films for a little visit—and I'll play the good host, toss in some gifts!"
"Gifts?"
"Yeah! I only want the live-action adaptation rights. If the movies take off down the line, they'll reignite interest in Disney's animated characters. More buzz means more visitors to Disneyland, right?"
Roy Disney sneered. "Don't try to fool me. I'm old, not stupid! You get those rights, you'll overhaul the stories and characters. How much of the original animated versions will even carry over? With your influence, kids worldwide will only know Dunn Films' movies and forget Disney's cartoons!"
Caught red-handed, Dunn didn't flinch—just flashed a small smile. "Mr. Disney, that's not fair. I'm making this request out of respect for you as an industry vet. You know I could just take another route."
Roy Disney's eyes sharpened. "You'd dare infringe?"
"Infringe?" Dunn chuckled, shaking his head. "I wouldn't dare—those punitive fines would bankrupt even Bill Gates! But I seem to recall the Grimm fairy tales and Andersen's stories are public domain, yeah?"
Under U.S. copyright law, works enter the public domain 70 years after the author's death, becoming humanity's shared treasure, free for all. Overseas, it's even shorter—just 50 years.
Disney's classic animations are mostly adapted from the Grimm and Andersen tales—both firmly in the public domain.
Dunn's point was crystal clear: if Disney won't play ball, he'll adapt the originals himself!
A little "tribute" to Disney's classics from a different angle.
Roy Disney smirked, tapping his chest. "Kid, don't forget—I ran Disney back in the day, leaning hard on the Grimm tales. You really think the original stories are fit for movies?"
These days, the U.S. is slowly pulling Grimm fairy tales off kids' shelves. Those stories are packed with sex, violence, murder, destruction, cannibalism, infanticide, and worse.
Turn that into a video game, and it'd get banned.
Take Snow White: the queen demands the princess's lungs and kidneys while she's just seven, then a brutal hunter drags her into the woods. In the end, the wicked queen's forced to dance herself to death in red-hot shoes.
Or Cinderella: her nasty stepsisters meet gruesome fates—having their toes chopped off!
There's the girl with no hands, and little girls getting their hands hacked off.
That's why, despite countless film companies worldwide adapting the Grimm tales, only Disney's versions took the globe by storm. Their writers scrubbed out the gore and creepiness, giving it a warm, family-friendly spin.
In that sense, animated and live-action films are no different.
If Dunn wants to adapt the Grimm tales, he'd have to tangle with Disney's adaptation framework.
Intellectual property lawsuits are a mess—long, drawn-out, and tricky. If Disney sued Dunn Films for infringement, it'd spark a PR nightmare for his movies.
Worse, under U.S. law, works tied up in copyright disputes can't be released publicly!
A 10-year lawsuit means a 10-year shelved film.
That's a death sentence for any movie!
Back in the day, a screenwriter penned a script with a time-traveling robot. When James Cameron made The Terminator, the guy sued for plagiarism!
The result? Cameron paid $200,000 for the rights and slapped the writer's name in the credits—all to settle fast, dodge the mess, and get the film out.
Avoiding copyright battles is exactly why Dunn needs a deal with Disney for those adaptation rights!
Seeing this old guy's mind was still razor-sharp, Dunn just gave a helpless laugh. "Fine, I've laid out my terms. Whether we work together is up to you."
"No chance on the rights!"
Roy Disney's refusal was loud and final.
Dunn shrugged, all casual. "No biggie—I'm not in a rush. But Michael Eisner? Sorry, I can't help you there."
Roy Disney gritted his teeth, mulling it over for a long beat. "Dunn, name something else!"
Dunn cracked up. "Another condition? Sure—how about selling me ESPN? Don't worry, I may have taken a hit in the stock market, but I'll offer a fair price!"
ESPN, the sports channel, is America's cash cow of cable networks right now.
Most cable stations are cheap—20-cent subscriptions. ESPN? $79!
Same as TA Network's fee!
Better yet, ESPN boasts over 70 million subscribers in North America and nearly 90 million worldwide!
Last year, it accounted for 25% of Disney's profit haul.
It's so popular, Disney even forces a "bundle deal"—want ESPN? You've got to take a package with a hundred other Disney channels, most of which subscribers might never watch in their lives.
Talk about ruthless!
By comparison, Dunn's TA Network looks tiny and fragile.
Roy Disney's face turned steely with anger. "Dunn, this is serious—I'm not here to joke around!"
Dunn sighed, slowing it down. "Mr. Disney, let's cut the crap. Michael Eisner's a cancer on Disney right now! The shareholders can't see it—they're investment firms, businessmen, outsiders. But you? You've weathered storms—you know the score."
Roy Disney didn't hide it, nodding slightly.
Dunn pressed on. "Exactly. Here's the deal: you desperately need my help to oust Michael Eisner. Supply and demand set the price—rare goods come at a premium! If you want me in, you've got to offer something that makes it worth my while."
"The two things you mentioned? No room to work with," Roy Disney said, shaking his head.
Dunn grinned. "No worries—I'm just throwing out ideas. Only something on that level meets my needs! Not to brag, but I've got some pull in Hollywood these days. Small-time perks? I'm not interested."
Roy Disney's expression was downright grim.
He got it now: Dunn's a tough nut. No payoff, no play.
"How can I be sure you can take down Michael Eisner?"
Dunn laughed heartily. "Mr. Disney, no need to fish for hints. Figure out my terms first—when you've got it sorted, come talk. As for Michael Eisner, I'll let you in on this: I've got a secret weapon up my sleeve!"
"A secret weapon?"
"Yep! Pull the trigger, with your help, and I guarantee—no matter how big Eisner is at Disney, he's toast!"
Roy Disney shook his head faintly. "Kid, you're too cocky."
"I've always been this cocky!"
Dunn picked up his coffee, sipping leisurely. The rich aroma hit his throat, lingering long after.