Kirk Douglas was in a fantastic mood!
The past six months had been a rollercoaster, but this moment? Hands down, the best he'd felt in ages.
Watching Dunn on the TV screen, holding court with that confident swagger, Kirk couldn't contain his excitement. Breaking his usual habits, he poured himself a stiff shot of whiskey.
"Ha! God almighty!"
He downed a big gulp, the burn hitting hard. He coughed a few times, face flushing red, but it couldn't dampen the thrill bubbling inside him.
Dunn Walker—this hotheaded kid—had just made a colossal misstep!
To Kirk, Dunn's public takedown of the Golden Globes committee at the ceremony, calling out their shady voting practices, was like signing his own death warrant.
Sure, the Golden Globes weren't on the Oscars' level, and yeah, they were run by a bunch of foreign journalists who didn't seem all that powerful. But toppling them? Not that easy!
The Globes had been around for decades, a staple of Hollywood's awards season. You think they'd just roll over and call it quits?
And Dunn demanding an apology and reform? Pure nonsense.
Scandals like this? If the Golden Globes committee had even half a brain, they'd never admit a thing—they'd dig in and fight!
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association versus Dunn Walker. A showdown was coming!
"This is gonna be good!"
Kirk leaned back, smug as can be, reveling in his awards-season scheming.
On the TV, after Dunn wrapped up his speech, the room gave him a third standing ovation—the highest honor of the night.
Kirk found it hilarious, scoffing under his breath. "Bunch of idiots! Once you cool off, you'll see—this kid's stunt just cut off your lifeline!"
Dunn exposing the Golden Globes' dirty secrets and pushing for fairness and transparency sounded noble—like he was fighting for all of Hollywood's filmmakers.
But was it really?
The Globes had been tangled in scandals for decades, yet they still stood strong, second only to the Oscars.
Plenty of filmmakers knew about the backroom deals, but they still propped the Globes up high.
Why?
Because even a rigged Golden Globe was better than nothing!
Hollywood only had one Oscars. With hundreds of movies a year, only a dozen or so got nominations or wins. The competition was brutal.
Especially for big awards like Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress—those were rare as hell.
Lots of filmmakers slaved away their whole careers without even sniffing a nomination.
So having the Golden Globes as a backup? It filled the gaps, gave people a taste of glory, boosted their rep and value. Wasn't that a win?
Look at Europe's top three film festivals—total jokes, yet filmmakers still flocked to them.
Why?
Exposure!
Fairness? Justice? Who cared?
Get your name out there first!
Sure, "quality over quantity" sounds nice, but the odds of success are slim—most end up with nothing.
Young folks might not get it right away, but Kirk saw through it in a heartbeat. Dunn's reckless move? A disaster waiting to happen!
…
"Golden Globes Under Fire: Foreign Press Caught in Bribery Storm!"
"Dunn: We Need a Fair, Open Film Award!"
"Famed Director Dunn Walker Exposes Golden Globes' Backroom Deals."
" Sweeps Globes, But Dunn Won't Bow to Corruption."
"Golden Globes Rocked Again: Dunn Slams Organizers for Rigging!"
"Sin Beneath the Glamour: What's Next for the Golden Globes?"
Dunn rubbed his tired eyes, staring at the stack of newspapers on his desk.
He hadn't slept much last night.
Not because he was up all night with a woman, but because his phone wouldn't stop ringing.
Big names like George Lucas, Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, Tom Hanks, Geoffrey Rush, and James Cameron all called, saying he'd been too rash. Even if he had a beef, they argued, it should've stayed behind closed doors—not blown up in public.
Inside Dunn Films, though, things were oddly calm. Especially with CEO Bill Mechanic—usually a cautious guy—but he'd been strangely quiet about Dunn's outburst.
Ten minutes later, Bill strolled into Dunn's office right on time. "Just got word—filming for the second phase of Harry Potter wrapped up."
The Harry Potter cast was mostly kids who had school, so shooting schedules were weird—summer breaks and year-end holidays.
Summer was the big chunk, the main filming window. The year-end break—Christmas and New Year's combined—was shorter, less than 20 days, mostly for reshoots.
Dunn grinned. "So Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is officially done?"
Bill nodded. "Yup, it'll hit theaters by year's end, no problem. This summer, we'll kick off Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
Dunn gave a small nod. He was listed as a producer on Sorcerer's Stone, but he didn't have time to babysit a bunch of kids on set. David Heyman handled the heavy lifting.
"Let's talk Golden Globes. What's your take?"
Last night, practically every industry friend he had called, voicing concern. It left him a little uneasy.
Bill shrugged casually. "I'm with you."
"Huh?" Dunn blinked, confused. "With me? I didn't say anything."
Bill looked even more puzzled. "Wait—this wasn't all part of your plan?"
Dunn gave a wry smile. "Plan what? How was I supposed to know the Globes wouldn't nominate Natalie?"
"What?" Bill gasped, incredulous. "No way. You bought Dick Clark Productions last year, and now this huge mess happens—you're telling me it wasn't intentional?"
"Cough…"
Dunn shifted awkwardly. Truth was, it was a fluke.
But what's done was done. No point in regrets or backing down now—he had to push forward!
After a pause, he said slowly, "I talked to a bunch of people last night. Calling out the Globes like that… it's not sitting well in the industry. We've got two problems to tackle."
Bill had seen too much with Dunn to be fazed.
Bashing the Golden Globes? Heck, he could see Dunn taking on the Oscars!
Marlon Brando mocked the Oscars back in the day. Dunn's temper was hotter, and his clout was bigger—he had the chops for it.
For now, Bill just listened quietly, ready to follow his young boss's lead.
Ever since Dunn Films switched its mission to "New Order, New Model, New Power, New Hollywood," the company had a fresh vibe.
Especially with Dunn pulling off miracle after miracle.
Not just the rank-and-file—even Bill was convinced that under Dunn's leadership, they could rewrite Hollywood's rules and forge a new legend!
"First, Natalie Portman's name has to be on the Oscars' Best Actress shortlist…"
"The Oscars?" Bill cut in. "Dunn, the Academy hasn't even confirmed if this year's ceremony's happening on schedule."
Dunn waved it off. "It will! But even if it doesn't, that's not the point—I want the rep. I need the industry to see I didn't pick this fight with the Globes—they targeted me first! Natalie's performance in Juno? Forget nomination—she deserves the win. The Oscars are the ultimate proof!"
Bill's tone grew heavy. "Right now, getting Natalie an Oscar nod looks tough. That guy's influence is massive—he even meddled with the Globes' picks. The Academy? That's his playground. His connections there run deep."
Dunn brushed it aside. "For the nomination, we'll rally some friends—CAA, Michael Ovitz—figure out a plan together. Second thing—we need to deal with the fallout from trashing the Globes. The industry's not happy. A lot of filmmakers think smearing the Globes and denting its cred means less value in future wins. It could hurt their careers."
Bill nodded. "True. Top-tier stars don't care—they're all about the Oscars. But the next tier down? They lean on the Globes for validation and a career boost."
"What do you think we should do?"
"Well…"
Bill hesitated.
This was a big deal—needed careful thought, not a snap decision.
Just then, assistant Isla Fisher burst in, breathless. "The Hollywood Foreign Press is holding a press conference—Channel 3's airing it live!"
"Oh?"
Dunn and Bill shot to their feet at the same time.
"Let's go see!"
The Globes' response was crucial!
Everything Dunn said was true. If they factored in his track record and backed off—admitted some flaws in their process and promised fixes—it'd be a happy ending for everyone.
For Dunn, the threat would vanish.
But if the Globes doubled down, called him a liar? Things would get ugly.
Dunn versus the Golden Globes—a full-on war!
Right now, Kirk Douglas was hitting Dunn from every angle. This awards season had been brutal, and the Oscars would likely be worse.
If he got tangled up with the Globes too, it'd be piling trouble on trouble. The situation could spiral out of control fast.