In its third week of release, theaters across the U.S. collectively ramped up screenings of The Unsinking, jumping from 3,075 locations to 3,645!
That kind of scale even outstripped Universal Pictures' The Mummy Returns at 3,553 theaters, though it still fell just shy of DreamWorks Animation's Shrek, which hit an unprecedented 3,715 screens at once!
Of course, this also tied into the past couple of years—economic downturns had sparked a boom in entertainment, adding 700 new theaters to the mix.
Meanwhile, May's other big commercial flick, Pearl Harbor, saw its theater count shrink dramatically—from 3,214 down to 1,589. Cut in half, just like that.
The box office feedback was a total one-sided slaughter.
In its third week, The Unsinking raked in $90.35 million, steamrolling its way to the top of the weekly charts!
Forget Pearl Harbor, which had long been drowned in backlash. Even Sony's new release Heartbreakers and MGM's What's the Worst That Could Happen? couldn't find room to breathe under The Unsinking's crushing dominance.
By June, the movie market felt like a solo stage for The Unsinking!
As of June 11, its North American box office had soared to $213.5 million!
It blew past The Mummy Returns' $180 million haul, making it the top-grossing film in North America for the year so far!
And the ride wasn't over yet.
The Unsinking officially hit theaters in the UK, kicking off its overseas journey with a bang.
The summer movie season these past few years had been stacked with blockbusters.
No doubt about it—The Unsinking was the most explosive hit of this summer!
Week four rolled in, and The Unsinking kept tearing up the North American box office.
Monday: $5.82 million. Tuesday: $4.76 million. Wednesday: $4.38 million. Thursday: $4.51 million. Just four weekdays, and it had already pocketed $19.53 million!
By June 15, with the weekend kicking off, The Unsinking's North American total was on track to smash through the $300 million mark!
That kind of news could set Hollywood on fire.
If The Unsinking really did break $300 million in North America, it'd mean the film could join the ranks of Titanic, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and Spider-Man—a bona fide box office legend!
Pearl Harbor's boasts of a $1 billion haul? A joke.
But The Unsinking? It actually had a shot!
That day, though, the Hollywood bombshell wasn't about The Unsinking's box office streak. It was Disney dropping a massive announcement…
Disney revealed they'd snagged Fox Family Worldwide—a joint venture owned by News Corp and Saban Entertainment—for $5.3 billion, including $3 billion in cash plus taking on a chunk of debt!
Fox Family's "Fox Family Channel" had been running for 20 years, mostly kids' programming. Now folded into Disney, it'd be rebranded as the "AB Family Channel," with some assets merging into the "Disney Kids Channel."
Overnight, Disney would gain Fox Family's 81 million U.S. subscribers, 10 million in Latin America, and 24 million households in Europe—building a massive family cable network. Paired with AB Broadcasting's TV assets, they'd cover 97% of the U.S. TV market.
News Corp and Saban Entertainment both confirmed the deal.
This was straight-up good news!
By the end of the trading day, Disney's stock shot up 8%!
Michael Eisner was back—bold, brash, and ready to roll!
…
"Boss, this really isn't my fault. Pearl Harbor was greenlit back when Joe Roth was still in charge. I took over, didn't know the ropes, and yeah, I got swayed by Jerry Bruckheimer's bad calls."
Richard Cook, head of Disney's film division, stood there with a mopey look, groveling to Michael Eisner.
With one slick deal, Michael Eisner had steadied Disney's stock and proved to the world he was still the king of Hollywood, calling the shots at Disney like it was nothing!
But internally, he knew big changes were overdue. If Disney's movies didn't get a serious overhaul, all this was just slapping a Band-Aid on a broken leg.
Staring at Richard Cook, who stood respectfully by the desk, Michael Eisner snorted. "One movie? How much could that really shake the stock? It's the 'fraud scandal'! That marketing plan you signed off on was a complete disaster!"
Richard Cook whined, "Boss, I swear it's not on me—it's all Jerry Bruckheimer! You know how it is with our big commercial films—he's the go-to guy. He's got a lot of sway, and the past few years, his track record was solid. People listened to him."
Michael Eisner wasn't buying it, but Jerry Bruckheimer—that Hollywood heavyweight producer—had been rubbing him the wrong way too. "Jerry Bruckheimer… how good is he, really?"
"Uh…"
Richard Cook shot him a cautious glance, eyes darting. "Last year, his Gone in 60 Seconds hit theaters the same time as Spider-Man. Box office wasn't great, but it did okay in DVD sales—no loss there. Then his next two, Coyote Ugly and Pearl Harbor? Total flops."
Michael Eisner's eyes narrowed. "Two flops in a row?"
In Hollywood, the rule's simple: two straight failures, and even top-tier producers, directors, or actors tumble off their pedestal. Lesser names? They might just get forgotten entirely.
Even a legend like Francis Coppola had slipped to the sidelines after a string of lukewarm box office results in the early '90s.
Richard Cook hesitated. "Coyote Ugly wasn't really a big commercial play—more of a female-led thing. One flop with Pearl Harbor doesn't totally trash his cred."
Right now, Disney had a "first-look" deal with Jerry Bruckheimer's production company.
Disney's big-budget films went to Bruckheimer first; if he had a hot idea or project, Disney got dibs.
It was a double-edged sword.
If Bruckheimer stayed the unstoppable force he'd been in commercial cinema, Disney could rest easy. But if he was washed up—if Hollywood moved on—that deal would turn into a shackle.
It'd have to go. Cut ties completely.
Michael Eisner wasn't a movie expert. He frowned. "What's your take?"
Richard Cook said, "Right now, Jerry's working with Columbia Pictures on another war flick based on real events—Black Hawk Down. Word is, it's got a $100 million budget."
"Another war movie?" Michael Eisner's lip curled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Richard Cook jumped in quick. "It's slated for January next year. We could use its box office to reassess what he's got left in the tank."
Michael Eisner gave a faint "hmm," never once mentioning director Michael Bay.
To the public, Michael Bay was the big-shot commercial director—way more famous than Bruckheimer!
But insiders knew the truth: Bay's '90s action flicks—and even Pearl Harbor—were pure Bruckheimer style. Bay was just the hired gun.
"What about that animated one?"
"Atlantis: The Lost Empire?" Richard Cook paused, lowering his voice. "Boss, Mr. Disney's side…"
"Damn it!"
Michael Eisner snapped, eyes blazing as he let out a full-on rant.
He got what Richard Cook was hinting at. Roy Disney had been stirring the pot lately, challenging him in board meetings.
Roy ran Disney Animation. If Atlantis tanked, it'd dent his clout for sure.
On the surface, it'd look like Roy screwed up—less ammo to come after Michael Eisner.
But was it that simple?
Roy was just a semi-retired old-timer. Michael Eisner was the CEO!
A retired guy could mess up. The guy in charge? He wasn't allowed to.
It wasn't even a fair fight.
Plus, back in the day, Roy had brought in Jeffrey Katzenberg to revive Disney Animation. It worked—until Eisner's personal beef got Katzenberg booted out.
That was his biggest weak spot.
Michael Eisner's gaze on Richard Cook turned icy. This guy's vision was too small— not cut out to be a trusted top exec. He waved him off. "Pearl Harbor flopped. The next one better win it back!"
Richard Cook nodded fast, looking guilty.
Michael Eisner snorted, a bitter pang hitting him. How had Disney's movies fallen this far?
Ugh.
He shook his head, switching topics. "You hear about Dunn?"
"Yeah!" Richard Cook grinned wide, perking up. "Heh, that kid really thought he was some finance whiz. Made a bundle last year, didn't know when to quit—now look! Word is he's down at least a billion!"
Michael Eisner waved a hand. "I've already tipped off the TV side—they'll pump up the coverage. You handle the PR push too. If our movies can't compete, we'll hit him where it hurts!"
"Got it! Got it! Heh!"
Richard Cook rubbed his hands together, smirking sleazily.
…
That night, Dunn caught AB Television looping the story of his stock market losses. The finance reports that followed went all in, hyping it up.
Dunn watched, nearly cracking up.
Well played, Michael Eisner!
A divine assist!