That afternoon, George Paxton came back to report on his work, looking all worried and stressed. 😟 *
When Dunn saw how serious George looked, he sighed inwardly. "Oh no… don't tell me that book still hasn't hit the shelves?"
He wasn't totally sure, so he asked, "You didn't find it?"
George shook his head. "I checked out the three biggest bookstores in London. For fantasy stuff, Tolkien's works are still the hottest, followed by Lewis's *The Chronicles of Narnia*."
Dunn frowned and shook his head. "I'm looking for something aimed at teens!"
George let out a sigh. "There's really nothing in the teen section for fantasy. It's mostly just fables and moral tales—nothing you could turn into a movie."
"Not a single one?" Dunn pressed.
"Well… uh, nothing suitable, I mean," George hesitated for a sec.
"Hmm?" Dunn's eyes widened, curious now. 👀
George scratched his head. "Okay, so I *did* come across one teen fantasy book. But it's only been out for a week—no sales, no buzz, and honestly, it's pretty basic. The language is weak, and the structure's simple. It's not great."
Dunn's breathing picked up, his eyes practically popping out. "What's it called?"
"Uh, I think…" George paused to think. "Something like *Harra-Kate and the Magic Stone*?"
Dunn burst out laughing. *Harra-Kate*? Come on, it's *Harry Potter*! 😂
But deep down, he was thrilled. He'd gotten ahead of the game and found this gem before it blew up!
With Dunn's current resources, if he acted too late, he'd never stand a chance against Warner Bros. But right now, *Harry Potter* was fresh on the market—no fame, no sales, no clout. It was the perfect time for him to swoop in and snag it. 😎
"Alright, that's the one!" Dunn said, hiding his excitement. "George, get on it—contact the bookseller and the author ASAP. Over the next few days, make sure you build a good rapport with them!"
George looked shocked. "Dunn, you… you're seriously buying the rights to *this* book?"
"Absolutely!"
Dunn patted his chest confidently, his gaze distant and dreamy. "George, trust my instincts and my vision!"
---
Half a month later, the *Titanic* crew was hopping between European countries for promo stuff—something Dunn had insisted on. Really, it was his way of giving Kate Winslet a break to unwind, while also sneaking in a little vacation vibe. 🌍✨
When they got back to London after those two weeks, George Paxton had already set up a meeting with the author of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Joanne Rowling—pen name J.K. Rowling.
Dunn knew he didn't have enough pull on his own yet, so he brought along Britain's hottest star, Kate Winslet, to help seal the deal. 💃
His goal? Snag the movie rights to this thing in one swift move.
With his current clout, Dunn couldn't produce the *Harry Potter* series himself—not yet. But by striking first, he could at least keep Warner Bros from getting their hands on it. Even if the rights just sat there gathering dust in his possession, he'd rather let them rot than let Warner rake in the cash. 😤
Dunn had big dreams. He could already picture it: in the near future, all six major film studios would be his rivals! If he couldn't have something, he'd make damn sure to ruin it so his enemies couldn't profit either.
"Hey, Dunn, you're here!" George greeted him. "Let me introduce you—this is Joanne Rowling, the author of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, and this is her agent, Ledley."
Joanne stood up nervously to shake Dunn's hand. When she saw Kate Winslet flashing her gorgeous smile, she nearly fainted from happiness. 😍
It hit her hard in that moment: the negotiations over the past few days were real. Her book was actually heading to Hollywood!
Kate Winslet—the star of *Titanic*, the biggest movie in the world right now, and a British icon. Who *didn't* know her?
"Lovely to meet you, Joanne," Kate said warmly. She knew her role here: be friendly, genuine, and charming to put Joanne at ease.
"Hi, Miss Winslet! Sorry, I… I'm just so excited!" Joanne stammered, practically tripping over her words as tears welled up in her eyes.
Was her dream really coming true?
She could hardly believe it.
The manuscript for *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* had been finished back in 1995, but no one would publish it. Joanne had been scraping by with odd jobs, raising her kid, and even had to apply for an £8,000 grant from the Scottish Arts Council just to get by.
And now? Here she was, face-to-face with hotshot young director Dunn Walker and Britain's darling, Kate Winslet. It felt like a fairy tale! ✨
"Joanne, no need to be nervous," Dunn said. "I'm sure you've figured out why I'm here. Yup, I want to buy the film rights to the *Harry Potter* series."
His words were like a shot of pure relief for Joanne.
But her agent wasn't so easy to win over. "Mr. Walker, I've already laid out my basic terms to George to protect Ms. Rowling's interests. Full series rights? That's off the table."
Dunn smiled. "Of course! This is a partnership—I wouldn't dream of cutting Joanne out of her fair share. I hear you've already got a draft contract worked out?"
Joanne nodded anxiously. "Yes, but… Mr. Walker, can *Harry Potter* really be a movie?"
"Of course! Why else would I want the rights?" Dunn grinned.
George jumped in. "Joanne, don't worry. The contract says if we don't start filming within ten years, you can take the rights back."
Ledley, the agent, pulled out the draft contract, frowning slightly. "Mr. Walker, George and I had a smooth and pleasant chat, but there are a few details I'd like to tweak."
Dunn kept his warm smile on and looked at Joanne. "Is that what you want too?"
Joanne nodded, tense but hopeful.
Dunn waved it off with a chuckle. "Joanne, I know things have been tough for you, so I'm happy to give up some of my cut for you."
"Really?" she gasped.
"Totally!"
Ledley jumped in, all excited. "Mr. Walker, for the annual licensing fee, I'd like to bump it from $30,000 to £50,000!"
Dunn grinned at Joanne and said without hesitation, "Done!"
"And for the profit share from future movie rights," Ledley pressed, "I'd like a fair adjustment—up from 1% to 2%!"
"No way!" George cut in, shutting it down fast. "I looked into *The Lord of the Rings* deal—New Line Cinema only gave 7.5% total profit share!"
Dunn's smile didn't budge. "No worries, I'll agree to 2%. Anything else?"
Ledley was beaming like he'd won the lottery, while Joanne peeked at Dunn cautiously. "Mr. Walker, um… could I make a few requests?"
"Of course!" Dunn said, gesturing with a friendly smile. 😊
"When the movie gets made, can I be a screenwriter?"
"Sure."
"And… uh, could my script be final? I don't want anyone changing my work willy-nilly."
"Yup, that's fine."
"*Harry Potter* is a British story," she went on. "I think a British director would be best. No offense, Mr. Walker, I didn't mean—"
"No problem, I'm cool with that," Dunn said, unfazed.
"Mr. Walker, you're so kind! Um… could all the actors be British too?"
That one made even Kate Winslet's face twitch—okay, that's a bit much! 😳
But Dunn? Cool as ever, still smiling. "Sure, why not?"
---
The contract signing went off without a hitch. Dunn agreed to basically everything they asked for.
But the second he stepped out of the lawyer's office, that warm smile vanished, replaced by a cold, steely look. 😑
"Hmph! Greedy as hell," he muttered.
Dunn was pissed.
He'd thought swooping in to help Joanne Rowling when she needed it most would earn him some gratitude and a solid connection. Turns out, she wasn't that type at all!
Then again, thinking it over, it made sense. Wasn't this exactly who Rowling was in his past life?
Warner Bros had poured buckets of cash into *Harry Potter*, hyped it up like crazy, and made it a global phenomenon through their movies. They were basically her saviors, right?
And how did she repay them?
With a laundry list of harsh demands. After the first three films, she flat-out refused to sell the rights to the last four, claiming the profit splits were "unfair." She demanded more compensation!
Warner had no choice but to cave, signing each of the last four films one by one and even handing her a producer gig.
It was almost laughable. Joanne Rowling, a movie expert? A producer? Really?
Thanks to *Harry Potter*—a story full of holes and simplicity—she'd skyrocketed to global fame and wealth, outshining the authors of true classics like *The Lord of the Rings*, *The Chronicles of Narnia*, and *A Song of Ice and Fire*. On what grounds?
Warner Bros' help, that's what. And yet, all she did was take, take, take.
Sure, that fit the Western capitalist playbook—profit above all. But Dunn wasn't like that. He cared about profit *and* loyalty. He wasn't about to prop up an ungrateful jerk.
George could tell Dunn was in a mood. "Dunn, are you really gonna make this movie?"
Dunn squinted. "Oh yeah. It's got serious potential."
"But Joanne…" George frowned, clearly annoyed too.
Dunn's lips curved into a sly smirk. "No rush. Without a massive push, *Harry Potter* won't take off in the U.S. even if it hits theaters."
"Oh? You mean…" George caught the hint.
Dunn's grin widened. "She said there's seven or eight books, right? We only signed for the first three."
George got it instantly.
Until Dunn had the full *Harry Potter* series rights in his pocket, he wasn't about to pour money into promoting it or filming anything.
If *Harry Potter* blew up, Joanne Rowling would just demand more.
She and her agent wouldn't get another chance to play hardball.
Dunn wasn't about to repeat Warner Bros' mistakes.
A top-tier media giant, toyed with by one woman? That was a joke waiting to happen.
Sure, Warner made bank.
But Dunn? He wanted to make *more*. 💰
---