Wherever Dunn goes, the spotlight follows. Word's been buzzing around Hollywood: after directing a new movie every year for the past few, Dunn's sitting this one out as director. Instead, he's stepping up as producer for a retro musical flick, codenamed A Glamorous City. Industry insiders have already pieced it together—it's gotta be the iconic Broadway hit Chicago.
Today, Dunn Films is hosting a casting call at the Hilton in Beverly Hills. Dunn's the hottest name in Hollywood right now, and an event this big? Even without an official announcement, it's impossible to keep it under wraps from the sharp-eared crowd. By early morning, the hotel's surrounded by a swarm of reporters.
This audition's exclusive—only big-name actors need apply. Producer Dunn Walker and director Rob Marshall will personally pick the two female leads. Rumor has it, stars like Madonna Ciccone, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Winona Ryder, and Goldie Hawn are all showing up to try out. A newbie director like Rob Marshall could never pull that kind of lineup on his own—small-time actors for bit parts, maybe, but A-listers? No way they'd let him call the shots. Add Dunn to the mix, though, and it's a different story.
Sure, Dunn's known for blockbuster commercial hits, but his arthouse projects as a producer? Absolute gold. Last year's Traffic and Girl, Interrupted lit up the Oscars. A musical might seem out of left field for a guy his age, but Hollywood's figured it out by now: Dunn's a filmmaking genius. Normal rules don't apply.
This summer, his produced flicks Unsinkable and Mr. & Mrs. Smith are still tearing up the box office. With that kind of magic touch, this casting call's got everyone's attention.
The auditions kick off at 9 a.m., but by 8, Dunn rolls into the Hilton's underground parking with second producer Kathleen Kennedy, casting director Glenn Fiero, and assistant Isla Fisher in tow. He didn't expect the ambush—over twenty media outlets waiting, not just one or two. Bodyguards clear a path, but the reporters' enthusiasm wins out, especially since some of their questions pique his interest.
"Alright, one question each," Dunn says, flashing his signature sunny smile. "Time's tight, so let's keep it quick and smooth."
He's got that easy charm—makes you feel good. People are people, after all. A little mutual understanding goes a long way, and the crowd plays along.
Ladies first. A reporter from The Hollywood Reporter jumps in: "Mr. Walker, is this movie really the musical Chicago, like the rumors say?"
Dunn grins. "Sounds like you've got good sources."
The reporters' eyes light up. With Unsinkable and Mr. & Mrs. Smith raking it in, and Six Feet Under climbing the ratings, Dunn's clearly in a good mood. Maybe they'll snag some juicy scoops today.
"Dunn, word is Nicole Kidman's already locked in as the lead. Is that true?" asks a guy from Film Review.
"Nope!" Dunn shakes his head. "Nicole's a close friend, sure, but she's busy shooting another Dunn Films project, The Hours. She's not on the Chicago shortlist."
"Mr. Walker, the golden age of musicals is long gone. What made you pick a project like this? Is it an Oscar play?" The Entertainment Weekly reporter's tone is sharp, almost accusatory.
"If you make a movie with some ulterior motive, it's doomed to flop—blockbusters or arthouse, doesn't matter," Dunn replies, measured. "A film's the fruit of a crew's passion and hard work. Whether it blooms red or blue, nobody knows. Why a musical? Because it's a piece of Hollywood's golden era! I don't want people forgetting that history."
He's polished now—no more wild rants for headlines. He doesn't need to chase attention; his name is the draw.
"Mr. Walker, did you really drop $80 million to snag the North American TV rights for Band of Brothers?"
"Yep, true."
"Oh my God! How's that possible? It's just a TV show—$80 million could fund a whole blockbuster!"
"Sorry, that's your next question. You're up, ma'am."
A pretty New Yorker reporter flashes a sweet smile. "Director Walker—sorry, I mean, Chicago's director—is a total newbie. Can he really meet your standards and deliver stunning shots?"
Dunn chuckles. "Rob's a big deal on Broadway—a top-notch choreographer and a damn good director. His musical comedy Annie left a mark. With a solid crew backing him, I'm confident he'll nail Chicago."
Next, a couple of tabloid hacks dig into Dunn's personal life.
"Dunn, people say you're shacking up with Charlize Theron. True?"
"Total nonsense!"
"So, have you ever dated Ms. Theron?"
"Ridiculous. We're just friends."
A Los Angeles Times reporter frowns, cutting in to steer things back on track. Tabloid fluff's a waste of time—those rags are bottom-tier, and their reporters show it. "Mr. Walker, there's been buzz lately about you shorting stocks and losing nearly a billion dollars. Care to comment?"
Dunn gives him a long look, pausing. "Not much to explain. As of today, I'm sticking to my guns. There's this thing in economics called the 'lipstick effect.' When the economy tanks, sales of small stuff like lipstick skyrocket, and people spend more on entertainment."
"The past couple years, the movie market's been hot. Last year's Spider-Man cleared $1.2 billion—second only to Titanic. Was it just that good? Not entirely. The Nasdaq bubble burst set off a chain reaction. People cut back on pricey fun, and movies became the cheapest, most enjoyable escape."
"This year's Unsinkable and Mr. & Mrs. Smith? Same deal. Two summer hits like that? Hard to imagine. Flip the 'lipstick effect' around, and it's clear: despite a trillion-dollar tax cut, the economy's still sluggish."
"I'm no finance whiz, but movies? I'm an expert. I trust my gut, my craft. Movies gave me everything, and I buy into the big-picture view they've shown me. Right now, I see the U.S. economy in a bearish phase."
The reporters, mostly finance rookies themselves, nod along. It sounds legit, but they catch a deeper vibe. One perks up, gasping, "Mr. Walker, are you saying you're still shorting the market?"
Dunn smirks. "Why not?"
"You've already lost a billion! Aren't you scared of going broke?"
Dunn shakes his head, earnest. "Movies gave me everything, and I'd give it all up for them. It's the call movies have given me—I'm sticking with it!"
The reporters exchange glances, jaws dropping. This Dunn Walker? He's nuts!
In Hollywood, tons of big names hit up Las Vegas for a few hands—stories of so-and-so dropping a couple million pop up all the time. Dunn, though? Never a whisper about him gambling. By that metric, he's a saint.
But turns out, he's not anti-gambling. Vegas just isn't his scene—it's too small-time. Dunn's splashing cash in the big leagues: Nasdaq, NYSE. He's playing with hundreds of millions in market moves.
Badass!