Back in the '80s, Michael Eisner was Barry Diller's little sidekick. He helped Diller cook up and roll out the "High Concept" movie theory, blowing Hollywood's mind and officially kicking off the era of blockbuster cinema with a slick, formulaic approach.
But these past few years? His knack for picking films has gone downhill—fast.
Thanks to him, Disney's missed out on some goldmines—most famously, The Lord of the Rings!
A while back, Harvey Weinstein came begging with that project, practically on his knees for investment. Eisner shot him down cold.
Then New Line Cinema swooped in, and Harvey, as executive producer, snagged a 5% cut of the global box office. Technically, that cash should've gone to Miramax, not his personal pocket.
But Eisner? He didn't believe in The Lord of the Rings one bit. With a wave of his hand, he agreed to split the profits with Harvey—2.5% for Disney, 2.5% for the Weinstein brothers.
Now, The Fellowship of the Ring is a box office beast, raking in cash and spurring a merchandising boom that rivals Star Wars: The Phantom Menace from a couple years ago and last year's Spider-Man!
Just that one film's set to net New Line at least a billion bucks in profit.
Eisner's kicking himself so hard his guts are probably green.
And now, Disney's got a shot at The Chronicles of Narnia—a franchise on par with Lord of the Rings. How could he not be pumped?
Even better, Narnia brings a fresh magical world that's perfect for kids—straight out of their fairy-tale dreams. Go to a magic land, become a savior-hero, then rule as king of a storybook kingdom.
No doubt about it, that's Disney's vibe through and through!
Dunn catches the flicker of excitement on Eisner's face and smirks just a little.
Is he about to hand Disney a golden goose?
Dream on!
Sure, The Chronicles of Narnia is up there with Lord of the Rings in name, but adapting it? Nightmare fuel. All that deep philosophy and religious subtext—it's a beast to translate into a story that works on screen.
Beyond The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the sequels tanked hard, turning into CGI trash heaps.
Dunn Pictures will cash in on the first film's glory, then let Disney pick up the scraps!
"This… I'll need to take back to the board for discussion."
The copyrights to that batch of classic animated films are a tangled mess of interests. Even someone like Michael Eisner can't call the shots solo on this one.
Dunn's in no rush, giving him a half-smile. "Mr. Eisner, I'm even willing to let go of Narnia's sequel rights. You've gotta see how serious I am about working together, right?"
"Of course!"
Eisner nods eagerly, practically beaming.
"And you?" Dunn leans in. "I need to see Disney's sincerity."
"I told you, it's a big deal—I need…"
Dunn cuts him off with a wave, locking eyes. "I'm not talking about that. I've got two enemies—both Disney partners."
Eisner gets it instantly: Jerry Bruckheimer and Harvey Weinstein!
Dunn says, "Jerry Bruckheimer's Black Hawk Down—you've seen the box office. Forget comparing it to Lord of the Rings—it can't even touch Resident Evil, a $35 million flick! I'm not kidding—he's not the Hollywood golden boy producer anymore. He's washed up!"
Resident Evil pulled $19.8 million its opening week; Black Hawk Down limped in at $14.8 million.
After Pearl Harbor, Jerry's whiffed on another big-budget swing!
Eisner nods. "True. We've talked it over internally. If Black Hawk Down doesn't crack $100 million in North America, we're scrapping Disney's first-look deal with Jerry Bruckheimer Films."
Dunn nods, satisfied, then smiles. "And the other one?"
"That's trickier!" Eisner glances at him, puzzled. "From what I know, you and Harvey… there's no real beef. Whatever tension there was came from Disney and Dunn Pictures butting heads. Now that we've patched things up, do you really need to…"
Dunn's face hardens. "It's not about beef—it's about principle!"
"Principle?"
"Mr. Eisner, don't tell me you don't know. Harvey Weinstein's Hollywood's biggest casting couch creep!"
Eisner almost cracks up awkwardly.
Harvey Weinstein, the biggest casting couch guy?
Give me a break!
Everyone in Hollywood knows Dunn Walker is the real king of cashing in on unspoken rules!
Harvey's old, ugly, fat, and a total schlub—which actress would even go near him willingly?
Dunn's a different story—young, loaded, still single. Actresses throw themselves at him left and right!
Dunn catches Eisner's teasing look and flushes, coughing to cover it. "I'm not talking about mutual deals—every industry's got that kind of under-the-table stuff; you can't stop it. I mean Harvey Weinstein using his power and position to force himself on people!"
Eisner's face turns serious. "Dunn, you can't toss around claims like that without proof."
Dunn sneers. "Proof? Dig around—you'll see! Forget actresses—even Miramax's own female staff, I'd bet plenty have been his victims!"
Eisner's heard whispers about this before. With Harvey's talent, he'd have climbed higher internally ages ago if not for this baggage. They've kept him boxed in at Miramax to protect Disney's image.
"This needs to be handled carefully!"
Eisner's expression darkens. Disney's in rough waters right now—he's terrified Dunn's hotheadedness will spark a full-on war with Harvey.
Dunn smirks dismissively. "I know how to play it. If I didn't, I'd have already leaked it to the press! Internal scandals stay internal—I get it."
Eisner exhales, relieved. "Good."
"But this guy? I'm taking him down no matter what!" Dunn snorts. "A scumbag like him poisons Hollywood's whole ecosystem! With feminist vibes on the rise, if this blows up, it'll spiral out of control."
In his past life, actresses banded together and torched Harvey Weinstein's rep—but it also trashed Hollywood's existing power structure, hitting movie companies' bottom lines hard.
Now that Dunn's in charge—and a big winner of the "unspoken rules" game—he's not about to let some wild feminist wave crash over Hollywood!
He set up Rose Pictures, sure, playing to the feminist crowd on the surface.
But really? He's aiming to control Hollywood's feminist tide—keep it in his grip and stop it from going off the rails!
If something like the "Me Too" or "Time's Up" movements from his past life erupted here, that kind of indiscriminate fallout could easily drag someone with Dunn's personal life down too.
The only way he stays on top? Become the big brother leading Hollywood's feminist charge—holding the moral high ground forever.
Eisner, no clairvoyant, can't read Dunn's mind. He just thinks the kid's all over the place—reckless!
Scared of feminism rising, yet starting Rose Pictures?
Isn't that asking for trouble?
"Two years—no moves against him!"
Eisner mulls it over and sets a boundary.
In his mind, two years is enough to steady Disney's internal chaos.
Plus, by then, The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be done, Disney will have cashed out, and Harvey won't matter as much.
He's always been wary of a guy like Harvey.
Why'd he refuse to fund Lord of the Rings? If it'd come from Disney's production team, he might've said yes—but Harvey Weinstein? No way!
The guy's rep is toxic!
He's fine slumming it in the indie film world—that scene's already deep and dirty. But mainstream blockbusters? That's a different game—everything's out in the open, and brand rep is king.
If Harvey stuck his paws into big commercial films and a scandal broke, Disney wouldn't survive the hit to its image.
Dunn raises an eyebrow. "And after two years?"
Eisner says coolly, "If he hasn't cleaned up his act in two years, Disney won't keep shielding him with our brand at risk."
"Two years…" Dunn narrows his eyes, thinking it over. He remembers George Paxton's team digging into sports scandals—progress is solid. He smiles. "Two years! Deal!"
Negotiation's all about give and take.
Both step back, both get something—Eisner's pleased with Dunn's vibe. Half-joking, he adds, "Oh, Natalie's been hitting some bumps lately. Need a hand? Honestly, I think her Juno performance could make waves in awards season."
Dunn scoffs, "Not yet! Just some has-been rounding up other has-beens—small-time noise."
"That's Kirk Douglas we're talking about!"
"Doesn't matter!"
Dunn's brimming with confidence. "Oscar votes come down to who's got more friends, who's got more sway. Let's see what he's got!"
Eisner's so stunned he's speechless.
This Dunn guy—way too cocky, right?
When it comes to Oscar clout, even Eisner wouldn't claim to outmatch Kirk Douglas. Where's Dunn getting this swagger?
He doesn't know Dunn's ace in the hole.
In 2001, the year's box office champ was Dunn's Never Sinking, raking in $1.01 billion worldwide.
Thanks to the shades system's bonus trigger, Dunn's earned a one-time "Award Swap" skill!
Talk about overpowered!