"Hey, darling, you're up this early?"
Dunn was woken up by the sound of a door closing. Groggily, he saw Kate Winslet approaching in a rose-red, low-cut nightgown, holding a document in her hand.
Kate frowned. "Dunn, we're friends. Just call me Kate."
"Alright, Kate. What's that in your hand?" Dunn yawned and stretched. Last night had been a little wild.
Kate's lips curled into a smile. "A fax and some newspapers from the maid. Fox Studios sent them over early this morning."
"Oh?" Dunn perked up. "How did the early screenings do at the box office?"
"$6.15 million."
"Huh? That little?" Dunn was slightly taken aback. Compared to the tens of millions in advance ticket sales in later years, this seemed pretty low.
Kate huffed. "Little? It's just behind *Jurassic Park*—"
"Enough, Kate!" Dunn said, a little irritated. "I've told you before, *Jurassic Park* can't even be compared to my movie! Forget it, you wouldn't understand. Just wait and see how the box office plays out."
Kate pouted but wasn't upset. After all, the movie she starred in was on its way to success, and she was in a great mood. "Wanna read the reviews? Every single paper is giving it praise!"
Dunn chuckled. "Come on, Kate. You think Fox Studios would send over newspapers with bad reviews? Alright, go ahead, read them to me."
Kate rolled her eyes playfully. She loved the relaxed and comfortable vibe of being around Dunn. "Kenneth Turan from *The Los Angeles Times* wrote that this film is a romance ahead of its time."
"*Before this, whether it was *Lolita* or *Before Sunrise*, their love stories were subtle and poetic. But *Titanic*—this film lets its characters love boldly, chase after each other, kiss passionately, and express their love fearlessly.*
"*It portrays a love that transcends wealth and status—a romance that ignites in a single moment. This universal love story will likely change the direction of Hollywood romance films forever.*"
Dunn smirked. "Damn, this guy's got good instincts. He's right—Hollywood romance movies from now on will definitely follow my lead!"
"Shameless!"
Kate shot him a playful glare and continued reading. "Andrew O'Hehir from *The Washington Post* wrote:
'*Titanic* adheres to two principles—commerce on the left, love on the right. Love and disaster are the two core themes, but in the face of great love, even the cruelest tragedy feels insignificant. This is a fairy tale about love, courage, faith, and sacrifice—one that will surely move audiences around the world to tears.*"
"That's it?"
"There's more, but I just picked a short excerpt. You wanna keep listening?"
"Yeah, keep going!"
Kate pursed her lips in a smile and flipped through a few more pages. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with excitement and surprise. "Wow, even Joe Morgenstern wrote a review!"
"Joe Morgenstern? Who's that?" Dunn had never heard of him.
Kate gave him a look of mild disdain. "You seriously don't know? He was one of the greatest film critics from the '60s to the '80s! Back then, independent films could secure a theater release just from a single line of praise from him!"
"That influential?" Dunn knew that in past decades, film critics held enormous sway over Hollywood. "What did he say?"
Kate cleared her throat.
"*Hollywood's history is short, evolving from silent films to talkies, from black and white to color. This progress in cinematic art wasn't the work of just one or two individuals—it was driven by the collective effort of entrepreneurs, inventors, producers, directors, and actors alike.*"
Just from the opening lines, Dunn felt invigorated.
This guy's writing had *gravitas*.
"*Historically, films were either subtle and artistic or aggressively commercial. Striking the perfect balance between the two has always been difficult. This is why many critics scoff at modern Hollywood films.
*Since the '90s, Hollywood has leaned heavily into commercial blockbusters, producing hits like *The Rock* and *Independence Day*. While these films are thrilling, they often lack deeper reflection.*
*If Hollywood continues down this path, its status as the world's leading film industry will be nothing more than an empty title. But last night, as I watched *Titanic*, directed by Dunn Walker and produced by James Cameron, I had an epiphany.*
*Commerce and art do not have to exist separately. Visual effects and massive budgets cannot replace a film's soul. Advanced CGI has allowed us to create grand spectacles that were unimaginable decades ago, but Hollywood must not lose its diversity, its inclusivity, or its ability to seek harmony in differences.*
*Titanic is a milestone. I can't predict its final box office numbers, but one thing is certain—the era of big-budget, VFX-driven blockbusters has arrived. My only hope is that filmmakers remain clear-headed and don't let capital dictate creativity. They must continue making films that uphold the true spirit of Hollywood.*
*I am grateful to James Cameron and Dunn Walker, as well as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. They have ushered Hollywood into a new era. Though the past is behind us, the spirit of Hollywood must live on. The rise of VFX-heavy films is inevitable, but a masterpiece like *Titanic* reminds us that Hollywood should always be respected by those who love cinema.*"
Dunn remained silent, lost in thought.
Kate softly called out, "Dunn? You okay?"
Snapping out of it, Dunn let out a wry smile.
There was no doubt—this veteran critic had a deep love for cinema and Hollywood. He was terrified that Hollywood would become nothing more than a shallow, effects-driven industry.
But the future… wasn't it *already* destined to be dominated by blockbuster spectacle?
This trend was unstoppable. Or rather, the power of capital was simply too overwhelming.
"Capital, huh…"
Dunn narrowed his eyes. He had just realized something profound.
Everyone said Hollywood's power structure was unchangeable, that the six major studios ruled the industry. But was that really true?
If even Hollywood's *spirit* could be slowly devoured by capital, then what about the studios controlled by these financial giants?
Suddenly, Dunn burst into laughter. Maybe… maybe his dream wasn't as far-fetched as it seemed.
---
Meanwhile, over at Fox Studios, CEO Tom Rothman was in a foul mood. He had severely underestimated *Titanic*'s impact.
His assistant had just reported that in theaters across the U.S., *Titanic* was a *phenomenon*. Not only were tickets completely sold out, but pre-orders had already locked in sales for the next two to three days.
This kind of buzz had happened before.
With *Jurassic Park*.
Back then, Spielberg's film had taken the world by storm. And now, *Titanic* seemed to be repeating history.
"A long-winded, boring disaster movie—why the hell is it so popular?" Rothman slammed his desk in frustration, his eyes dark with scheming thoughts. "No way! I can't let Bill Mechan make a comeback!"
If *Titanic* succeeded, then Bill Mechan's keen eye for talent and sharp judgment would shine across Fox Studios, earning the favor of top executives. At that point, it would be nearly impossible to remove him.
But Spielberg's *The Lost World: Jurassic Park* was still a month away from release, and Luc Besson's *The Fifth Element* was nowhere near strong enough to challenge *Titanic*.
"Maybe… it's time for a scandal."
As one of Hollywood's top executives, Rothman couldn't directly sabotage a Fox film. But in an industry where everyone had connections…
"Henry, I need a favor…"
Rothman picked up his private phone and made a call.