Penelope Cruz, Rose Byrne, and Abbie Cornish were all freaked out by Dunn's behavior—especially his muttering to himself. It was downright chilling!
Redstone.
Was he planning to go after Sumner Redstone?
That seemed way too over-the-top!
Penelope Cruz, being the oldest and most level-headed, spoke up first. "Dunn, are you in some kind of trouble? Should we tell Natalie?"
She was genuinely worried.
When Dunn's temper flared, no one could rein him in except Natalie Portman.
Penelope was seriously afraid that if Dunn's stubborn streak kicked in, he'd roll up his sleeves and take on Redstone head-on.
Sure, she wasn't a businesswoman, but even she knew Redstone's name carried weight—he was the king of the Viacom media empire!
Meanwhile, Rose Byrne and Abbie Cornish, the two younger girls, just stood there, clueless and adorable, totally lost.
Dunn cracked a small smile and opened his arms to Penelope.
Her heart instantly settled. With a sweet smile, she nestled into his embrace, pouting softly. "I was really worried about you just now!"
Dunn gave her red lips a quick peck and chuckled. "Relax, I'm not that reckless! Redstone, hmph, he's just earned a spot on my blacklist for now!"
Dunn's blacklist was a long one: Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, Michael Bay, Jerry Bruckheimer, Harvey Weinstein, Michael Eisner…
And now, Sumner Redstone had joined the ranks!
He wasn't about to let any of them off the hook!
Of course, these were all big names—not the kind you could take down with a casual flick of the wrist. That'd be wishful thinking.
Dunn needed time. For now, it looked like Jerry Bruckheimer might be the first to fall!
Penelope rolled her eyes at him. "You're just talking nonsense."
Then she turned to Rose and Abbie. "Don't breathe a word of this to anyone—not even your best friends!"
The two Aussie girls nodded dumbly.
Dunn couldn't help but laugh quietly, though his opinion of Penelope shot up quite a bit.
Lately, Charlize Theron had gone back to South Africa for a vacation, and she'd soon be starting her next movie.
Without her partner-in-crime, Penelope had been sidelined a bit. After Rose dragged in her fellow Aussie Abbie Cornish, Dunn had been spending most of his time soaking up the youthful energy and soft charm of the two younger women.
But judging by her actions just now, Penelope clearly had a caring side.
Relationships between men and women are funny like that. If it's just physical, it's fragile. A deeper, emotional connection is what makes things solid.
Dunn had "dated" plenty of women, but most of those stayed purely physical—Katherine Heigl, Naomi Watts, Jessica Alba, Sophie Marceau, and others. Once the fling ended, they couldn't even call themselves friends.
So far, he had three truly close female friends: Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, and Sofia Coppola—all of whom had evolved from "flings" into confidantes.
Emotional fulfillment? Way more satisfying than anything physical.
Dunn gave Penelope an affectionate squeeze and grinned. "Alright, come on, help me find some clothes. Let's not mess up the important stuff!"
Rose and Abbie scrambled into action, fumbling around in a flurry.
Penelope, clearly feeling the warmth from Dunn, blushed a little, her face glowing. She bit her lip and whispered in his ear, "Can I come with you?"
Dunn was headed to a small family gathering at Zack Snyder's place.
It wouldn't be a big crowd—just Dunn, the Nolans, and a few key people from Resident Evil.
That included the leading lady, Milla Jovovich, and the second lead, Michelle Rodriguez.
"There'll be other women there."
"That's fine, I don't mind," Penelope said with a sly wink, her breath warm against his ear. "The more, the merrier, right? Don't you like that?"
Dunn pinched her cheek lightly. "You little vixen!"
Her eyes lit up with delight. "So, you're saying yes?"
"Yep, you're in!"
He gave her nose a playful nip, half-exasperated, half-amused.
All together?
Not a bad idea. Milla Jovovich would probably be game, but Michelle Rodriguez might be trickier—she had a weird temper.
Saw only had a budget of about $1.5 million, with simple sets and a flat pace. Strictly speaking, Resident Evil, which had already wrapped, was Zack Snyder's real Hollywood debut!
So, he was thrilled and hosting this private get-together at his place, inviting only his closest friends.
Dunn showed up fashionably late in an artsy Armani suit, holding Penelope's hand.
Zack Snyder and Deborah Johnson, the hosts, greeted them warmly.
"Hey, Zack, should I start calling her Mrs. Snyder now?" Dunn teased the couple right off the bat.
Deborah glanced at Zack and smirked. "Not married yet!"
Dunn chuckled. "Two months away—it's practically tomorrow!"
Zack looked downright blissful.
Penelope jumped in with a sugary smile. "Wow, congrats, you two! A director and a producer—you're the perfect power couple."
Zack's brain seemed to short-circuit for a second. "Dunn's not bad either—he's a director, and Natalie's an actress."
That left Penelope a little awkward.
Deborah tugged Zack's arm and laughed it off. "Come on in! Penny—can I call you Penny? Heh, Chris is inside. He's directing Daredevil. Weren't you up for Elektra? You should chat with him and his wife."
Penelope glanced at Dunn. He nodded, and she flashed a charming smile, linking arms with Deborah and heading into the party with a grin.
Dunn, meanwhile, clapped Zack on the shoulder like an old pro. "You look wiped, man. Take it easy—Resident Evil's not out till January. You've got time."
Zack grinned sheepishly. "I'm just… heh, a little hyped up."
Dunn gave him a knowing look, catching a weird vibe in his smile. "Is it because of Michael Bay?"
Zack's lips curled into a smirk. "I didn't even tell you this, but last month, he reached out to me. Wanted me to pull some strings with you to let him off the hook."
"What?" Dunn blinked. "Seriously?"
Zack snorted. "For seven or eight years, I kissed his ass, hoping he'd use his connections to get me a shot at directing. He always brushed me off. Now he's in a bind and wants my help? Fat chance."
Yeah, anyone with a shred of pride wouldn't go for that.
Dunn frowned, glancing at him. "Still, shouldn't you have checked with me first?"
"Huh?" Zack froze, looking a bit dumbstruck. "You're not thinking of helping him, are you?"
Dunn paused, then burst out laughing. "No way! Michael Bay's been trashing me in the press for two years. You think I'd let that slide?"
Zack let out a relieved breath. "Knew it! That guy deserves a lesson—a hard one!"
Dunn nodded, narrowing his eyes. "Michael Bay's Hollywood career is already half-dead. Once Resident Evil hits and shakes things up, you'll step into his shoes and become the ArtCenter College of Design's golden boy!"
Making your alma mater proud is a universal obsession, and Zack was no exception. His face lit up with longing, though his words stayed humble. "There's still a gap. Bay's been doing $100-200 million blockbusters. I'm just getting started."
Dunn pointed at him, laughing. "Zack, what's with that tone? You've got something up your sleeve, don't you?"
Zack chuckled slyly.
They were close enough now that there was no need to hide certain things.
Dunn got serious. "I told you I'd give you the chances you need to become a top-tier Hollywood blockbuster director. This is just the beginning. Michael Bay's not even in your league!"
"Is it Marvel?"
"Yep."
Dunn didn't hold back. "Marvel's got a ton of projects lined up. It depends on how Resident Evil turns out. If it's solid, your next gig could be Ghost Rider. If it's shaky, you might need another mid-budget film to sharpen up."
It was both a promise and a favor.
Zack sighed, a mix of gratitude and emotion in his voice. "Dunn, no matter what, I owe you. Without you, I'd still be waiting years to chase this dream—maybe stuck shooting commercials forever."
Dunn slung an arm around his shoulders, all big-brother-like. "Don't get all mushy on me. We're brothers, right? If I don't help you, who will? Besides—"
He dropped his voice. "Those two girls—you seal the deal yet?"
Zack's face turned red. He wasn't exactly smooth with stuff like that. "Deborah's handling it."
"Deborah?"
Dunn glanced around and spotted her in a corner on the right.
She was holding Penelope's hand, chatting with Resident Evil's two leading ladies, Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez, all smiles and friendly vibes.
Looked like things were going smoothly.
Dunn grinned, satisfied. "Having a female producer sure comes in handy!"
Zack's forehead creased with mock frustration. "Chris and Emma are a team too, you know!"
"Ha!"