With the Golden Globes handed out, the 1999 awards season is officially in full swing!
*Saving Private Ryan*, which had dropped to just 5 theaters, suddenly exploded back onto the scene thanks to overwhelming Oscar buzz for Best Picture. The number of theaters jumped to 1,027! Meanwhile, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, which had a pretty quiet awards season, only went from one theater to 196—not a huge boost for its overall box office.
To put things in perspective, before this, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* had already smashed expectations in North America, raking in a jaw-dropping $252 million! *Saving Private Ryan*, on the other hand, was sitting at $199 million in North America.
Some big-shot analysts are predicting that during awards season, *Saving Private Ryan* could add another $16-17 million to its haul, easily crossing the $200 million mark and overtaking *Armageddon* to become the #2 movie of 1998 in North America.
But honestly? Dunn doesn't care about these little details.
*The Phantom Menace*, aka *Star Wars: Episode I*, has wrapped up post-production. Dunn's finished the rough cut and handed it over to George Lucas for the final review. Oh, and *The Wedding Crashers*, a flick backed by Dunn Films, finally wrapped its three-month shoot too! It's back in LA now for post-production.
Brits might be more reliable than Americans, but man, their efficiency? Not great.
Reese Witherspoon strolled back into Dunn Films, lugging a bag of candy and passing it out to everyone with a big grin. Partly, she's thrilled to finally land a leading role and wants to share the joy. Partly, she's making up for missing the company's Christmas party since she was busy filming.
Dunn gave her a once-over and chuckled, "You don't look tired at all—full of energy!"
Reese plopped down next to him, stretching lazily. "The director stuck to an 8-hour workday like clockwork. No chance to get worn out! Oh, by the way… I heard you've got a new lady friend?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
Dunn's forehead creased with imaginary stress lines. "Who'd you hear that from?"
Reese smirked, tossing her head smugly. "Just a little trick! Hehe, didn't expect you to spill the beans so fast!"
"Naomi Watts—an Aussie actress," Dunn admitted, unfazed. "She's been struggling, barely scraping by on rent, so I let her crash at my place. Oh, and Nicole's there too. You know, post-divorce, she's staying with me to recover from the heartbreak." He laid it all out, no secrets.
Reese blinked. "Nicole Kidman? You two…?"
"Nope! At least not yet!" Dunn laughed.
"Ohhh, okay. What about me? Am I still crashing at your place?"
Dunn shrugged. "Up to you! Come by if you want, just… no fighting."
Reese scrunched her nose. "Nah, forget it. If I move in, those two Aussie gals would totally gang up on me. If you miss me, we can just hit up a hotel." She winked.
Dunn waved her off, looking a little drained. "Alright, enough of that for now. Go sort some files—we've got our fourth round of talks with Marvel this afternoon. This one's a big deal!"
Reese threw her fists up in mock outrage. "I'm about to be a huge star, and you're still treating me like a secretary?!"
Dunn grinned. "What's wrong with being a secretary? Amy Pascal started as one, and now she's the head of Columbia Pictures!"
Speaking of Amy Pascal, her rise from secretary to Columbia Pictures' chairwoman—and co-CEO—was one of the biggest Hollywood shake-ups of early 1999. She's sharp, and her first move? Going after the *Spider-Man* rights.
In the future, she'd climb even higher, becoming Sony Entertainment's #2.
That's why Dunn's gotta move fast and snag Marvel before she does. Those Marvel superheroes can't keep wandering in limbo!
…
Dunn Films has been negotiating with Marvel for ages now. For a company worth just a few tens of millions, these talks have dragged on way too long.
Marvel's majority shareholders and management are at each other's throats, locked in a nasty, irreconcilable feud.
Even if Dunn pulls off the acquisition, it's pretty clear Avi Arad and Ike Perlmutter won't stick around. Kind of a shame—they're both visionary, ambitious execs.
But compared to the grand Marvel plan? That's small potatoes.
After rounds of talks, Avi Arad and Ike Perlmutter finally laid out their bottom line: they want 5% of the shares and to stay in charge of Marvel Entertainment.
In short, they're cool with giving up some stock but refuse to let go of the reins. Price? Negotiable. Power? Non-negotiable.
Dunn's fed up with their stance. He's made it crystal clear more than once: he's only interested in a full buyout!
"Alright, let me break it down," Dunn said, clearing his throat and locking eyes with Marvel's old guard, led by Allen Vaughn.
"If I successfully acquire Marvel—and I mean 100% ownership—here's what I'll do:
First, I'll beef up Marvel Studios' structure. Right now, it's an empty shell—no ability to produce films, no talent, nothing. It's not just a money issue; it's a connections issue too. This is step one for Marvel's future, and it's gotta happen fast.
Second, the debt. I'm making you all a promise—heck, I'll put it in writing! Starting the day I buy Marvel, I'll clear all its debts within three years, wiping out a decade-plus of financial baggage. If I fail, I'll hand over my shares to you guys for free!"
Dunn's bold words hit hard, and the Marvel vets' eyes lit up.
Since the '80s, Marvel's been scraping by, selling off hero rights just to survive. The old-timers even slashed their own salaries and kissed dividends goodbye to keep the ship afloat.
Dunn's promise? It's like music to their ears. A debt-free Marvel? Dreamy!
"Third, your jobs. Everyone here's a Marvel veteran who's poured their heart into this company. I respect that—I'm impressed, honestly. So here's my guarantee: no one's getting shuffled around, and every employee gets a 20% pay bump!"
A straight-up cash bribe, delivered with swagger. The management team was eating it up.
"And fourth? The movies."
Dunn paused for effect—*this* was the big one. Everyone perked up, leaning in close.
"You've all seen what Dunn Films can do. *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* cost $15 million and pulled in $420 million worldwide. I directed *Titanic*—nearly $1.9 billion globally! And *The Phantom Menace* hits theaters in mid-May.
Why am I bragging? Because I've got the eye for killer investments and the skills to make blockbuster hits! Marvel's old strategy of teaming up with random studios to churn out hero flicks? Total nonsense. With the rights in *our* hands, we can go solo!
Funding? I've got it covered. If I take over Marvel, I promise you: by the end of this year, we'll kick off a massive superhero movie—$150 million budget, the real deal. Not some half-baked *Blade* mess!"
Dunn's blunt jab didn't faze Marvel's team. Instead, they flushed with excitement, eyes gleaming.
Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada couldn't hold back. "Mr. Walker, are you planning to shoot *Spider-Man*?"
With that kind of cash and scale, it's gotta be Marvel's top dog—Spider-Man—to play it safe!
Dunn smiled coolly. "Of course. I've got a huge plan to take Marvel to Hollywood's peak! It's not just Spider-Man—think Iron Man, Hulk, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel—all hitting the big screen! Trust me, with me in charge, the days of Marvel getting crushed are *over*."
Stan Lee piped up cautiously, "Mr. Walker… would you direct it yourself?"
Dunn grinned. "James Cameron once told me he's keen to tackle *Spider-Man*. If that falls through, I'll step up and direct it myself."
James Cameron? Dunn Walker? These are Hollywood's heavyweight champs—leagues above *Blade*'s rookie director Stephen Norrington!
A $150 million budget, Marvel's ace Spider-Man, and a top-tier director? How could that flop?
Dunn's pitch was like a magic wand, painting a dazzling, star-studded future for everyone in the room.
Allen Vaughn, Stan Lee, Brian Bendis, Joe Quesada, Dan Buckley—all the Marvel bigwigs exchanged looks and nods.
No doubt about it: Dunn's the perfect guy to take the helm of Marvel! 🙌
---