The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) came out swinging.
At their press conference, the spokesperson declared, "Dunn Walker's words are pure fiction—whiny, baseless complaints!" They accused him of smearing the Golden Globes with rumors, not out of some noble pursuit of fairness, but petty revenge.
Why? Because his girlfriend, Natalie Portman, didn't snag a Best Actress (Drama) nomination, and Dunn Walker wasn't happy about it.
They went on: "Natalie Portman's performance in Juno was solid, sure, but the Golden Globes have their own traditions and artistic standards. Her missing out on a nomination is just a matter of differing tastes—no backroom deals, no shady business. Dunn Walker's claims? Slander! Defamation! Stirring up trouble for no reason!"
They painted Dunn as a guy stirring the pot for selfish reasons, dragging the 60-year legacy of the Golden Globes through the mud.
The HFPA had already lawyered up, filing a lawsuit in L.A. court over parts of Dunn's speech from last night, demanding compensation for reputational damage.
The presser was short—barely 20 minutes. They fielded three softball questions and called it a day.
Bottom line: the HFPA wasn't backing down. They were ready to arm-wrestle Dunn!
"Suing me?" Dunn smirked, a cold laugh escaping him. "Talk about turning the tables. Let's see what they've got! Everything I said was true—stuff that's been out in the open for decades. What, are the Golden Globes gonna try to override the First Amendment now?"
Bill Mechanic waved a hand, signaling Isla Fisher to turn off the TV. He spoke slowly, "The lawsuit? That's just their side of the story. Let's break down the key points from that press conference."
Isla gasped. "It's Natalie!"
Bill nodded. "Exactly. Natalie. The HFPA's sticking to their guns—her not getting nominated was fair and square, no suppression, no dirty tricks. So next, they'll probably double down on that angle. Like, say…"
"Making sure Natalie doesn't get an Oscar nod either!"
"Spot on!"
"Using the Oscars to prop up the Globes' fairness and clout? Dream on! Look at the critics—Natalie's practically the top pick for Best Actress! If she doesn't even get nominated, that's the real injustice!"
Isla, tight with Natalie, was fuming.
Bill wasn't so sure about Natalie's Oscar chances. He mulled it over. "Our PR team needs to hammer 'fairness, justice, transparency'—keep Natalie out of the crossfire. Dunn exposing the Globes' dirt has nothing to do with her!"
"No!"
Dunn cut him off with a sharp gesture, frowning. "Bill, doesn't that make us look weak?"
"Huh?"
Bill blinked, caught off guard.
Isla's eyes sparkled, gazing at Dunn with awe. A guy with guts and vision? Always a charmer.
Dunn paced to the window, hands behind his back. After a moment, he turned, his face stern. "Pulling Nat out of this might lower our risk and keep her out of the media storm. But then this fight with the Globes turns into an endless tug-of-war."
Bill's expression shifted. "You want to end it fast?"
Dunn's tone was icy. "A measly foreign press group isn't worth my time! To a lot of folks, the Golden Globes might shine bright, but to me? It's a mall hawking knockoffs! This needs to be a clean, quick cut. We've got a packed year ahead—no time to mess around with the Globes!"
Bill couldn't believe it. "What's your plan?"
"Tell the world I called out the Globes because I'm pissed Nat got snubbed! They want to lean on the Oscars to save face? Fine—we'll play too. Let's use the Oscars to prove Nat deserves it!"
Dunn stood tall, radiating resolve.
Isla's lightbulb went off, and she murmured, "I get it. You're saying… since the Globes put the spotlight on Natalie, we roll with it—use their momentum against them. If she gets an Oscar nod, it'll show the Globes were playing favorites and rigging the game!"
Right now, the HFPA was publicly claiming Dunn's outburst was just sour grapes over Natalie's snub—a hot topic. If Dunn backed off, the feud between Dunn Pictures and the HFPA would drag on forever, bruising both sides' reps.
To hold the moral high ground, sway public opinion, and crush the Globes, Dunn had to ride the wave.
Since the Globes—and the public—were fixated on whether Natalie's exclusion was fair, Dunn figured he'd fan the flames!
For one, it'd plaster Natalie Portman's name—and her Juno role—across North America's entertainment headlines.
If it worked, the fame she'd gain could catapult her from a B-lister to a red-hot A-lister!
On the flip side, the Globes brought up Natalie for a reason: if she didn't get an Oscar nod either, Dunn couldn't exactly call the Oscars unfair, right?
Classic borrowing-the-tiger's-clout move.
Dunn would turn it back on them. If Natalie shone at the Oscars, it'd shred the Globes' scheme. Then what? The HFPA couldn't slap their own face, could they?
The Oscars greenlighting Natalie while the Globes didn't? Either the Globes' taste was whack, or they were neck-deep in shady deals!
Bill sat quietly for a bit, then—woman present or not—lit a cigar, taking a few deep drags before speaking slowly. "This might not be that simple. Dunn, even if Natalie gets an Oscar nod, it's just a nomination. That alone doesn't prove the Globes were crooked."
Dunn laughed twice. "A nod's not enough? How about… winning?"
Bill's eyes widened. "Winning? Dunn, are you kidding me?"
Natalie landing an Oscar nomination was already a long shot. Winning? That was pie-in-the-sky!
We're talking Best Actress at the Oscars!
Natalie Portman wasn't even 21 yet—two years younger than Kate Winslet when she won. At that age, bagging an Oscar was near impossible.
Worse, the Oscars loved their political correctness. In a war year like this, they'd push racial unity hard.
That gave Black actors an edge.
Natalie? She didn't stand a chance!
Dunn's lips curled slightly. "Just a hypothetical—what if Nat did win?"
Bill jumped on it. "Then it's a slam dunk! Oscar Best Actress means the world's top actress! If the world's best can't even get a nod from some award, that award's got a serious problem."
"Perfect!"
Dunn snapped his fingers, fired up.
"You…"
Bill raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
Dunn grinned. "Bill, it's settled—this is the play! We need allies pronto and two priorities: first, get Nat that Oscar nod; second, squash any blowback on Dunn Pictures in the industry, fast!"
---
Dunn Pictures kicked into high gear like a well-oiled machine.
The production team was prepping National Treasure, Gone Girl, Lost in Tokyo, Ant-Man, Ghost Rider, and Harry Potter 2.
Finance was hustling to seal the Dolby Laboratories acquisition.
Legal was gearing up for the HFPA's defamation suit—and ready to countersue at a moment's notice.
PR set up a press conference.
Dunn Walker took the stage himself!
"About what the HFPA's been saying—I won't deny it. Natalie Portman's my girlfriend, and I love her. Her performance in Juno was incredible—everyone saw it. The film's success? She's a huge part of that. When I heard she didn't get a Golden Globes nod, I was disappointed—shocked, even!"
"Nat's a great girl. She told me to let it go, but as a man, if I can't protect the woman I love and her rightful dues, what kind of guy am I? So I'm fighting back! This isn't just for Nat—it's for the thousands of filmmakers in Hollywood who pour their lives into this industry and don't get a fair shake. That's a disgrace."
"I know the Globes have decades of history, and the HFPA's got clout. But I'm asking them to fight like honorable duelists. This is between us—leave the women out of it. That's low. And honestly? Nat's performance was so stellar, forget the Globes—she's got what it takes for an Oscar nod!"
The reporters below lit up like they'd been shot with adrenaline, zeroing in: "Director Walker, are you saying… Natalie's getting an Oscar nomination?"
Dunn shrugged. "I didn't say that. But I think her work's more than good enough!"
---
As if fate had a hand in it, the Academy dropped an announcement soon after: this year's Oscars were on schedule!
Here's the rundown—
January 25: Nomination voting starts.
February 2: Nomination voting ends.
February 13: Nominees announced.
February 26: Nominees luncheon.
March 1: Sci-Tech Awards.
March 11: Final voting begins.
March 18: Final voting ends.
March 19: Oscars concert.
March 24: 74th Academy Awards.
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