Over the past week in the North American film market, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring continued to dominate the box office, raking in $32.7 million and holding the top spot.
In second place was the much-talked-about Juno. Now showing in 2,476 theaters, it pulled in $21.6 million.
Third place went to Warner Bros.' Ocean's Eleven, which, in its fifth week, earned $14 million.
Meanwhile, Dunn Pictures' Resident Evil saw a 45% drop in its second week, bringing in $10.67 million. Projections suggest its North American total will hover around $70 million.
Columbia Pictures' big-budget Black Hawk Down took a steep dive, dropping over 60% in its second week to just $6 million—failing to even crack the top ten. Its North American haul is capped at around $50 million, spelling a major loss.
This news put Dunn Tanaka's mind at ease.
Disney's probably going to cut ties with Jerry Bruckheimer now, right?
After all, he's flopped on two major commercial projects in a row. And if you look back further, his produced film Gone in 60 Seconds didn't exactly shine at the box office either.
The numbers don't lie—he's past his prime!
As for Sony Pictures… they're probably not going to tap Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay for Bad Boys II, are they?
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The new year kicked off with Dunn Pictures gearing up for another round of film preparations.
Currently in the works are National Treasure and Gone Girl. For National Treasure, the core creative team is pretty much locked in. As long as they can align with Ron Howard, filming can start right after the Oscars in early April, with a planned release in August next year.
For Gone Girl, Dunn has already lined up the leads: Mel Gibson as the male star and Nicole Kidman as the female lead, with another Aussie actor, Abbie Cornish, snagging a smaller role. The production duo of Kathryn Kennedy and Frank Marshall—husband and wife—are on board, and Reese Witherspoon will also pitch in on producing. As for the director? No debate needed—David Fincher's the obvious choice.
Another big project, Ghost Rider, got the green light from Dunn to Marvel Studios to start prepping. Resident Evil turned out great—box office and reviews crushed the original, showcasing Zack Snyder's talent. Sure, he might still need to sharpen his leadership and management skills with more experience, but his directing chops? They've already met the high standards of folks like Bill Mechanic and Nina Jacobson. Pair him with a seasoned, steady-handed executive producer to handle the crew logistics, and he'll be set.
That one's slated for a summer 2004 release—plenty of time. But another Marvel adaptation, Ant-Man, needs to pick up the pace. It's set for October next year, just 21 months away, and they've only got a few script drafts done—no director or leads confirmed yet.
Here's Marvel Studios' current roadmap: Spider-Man 2 hits in May 2002; Daredevil drops in May 2003, followed by Ant-Man in October; Ghost Rider takes the spotlight in May 2004, with Spider-Man 3 closing out the year in December; then 2005 brings Iron Man and Ant-Man 2: The Wasp Emerges…
Dunn's workload keeps piling up. With so many big decisions on his plate, he's stepped back from the nitty-gritty of film prep. He just signs off on projects now and lets his team handle the rest. If he weren't so swamped, he'd probably direct Gone Girl himself—but this year's already too packed.
Especially with all those old Hollywood sharks circling behind the scenes.
Awards season is here!
And Kirk Douglas's influence is in full swing.
The U.S. has a well-oiled film industry, and awards season brings dozens of accolades—think guild awards, Phoenix Critics Circle, Sound Editors Society, Visual Effects Union, Critics' Choice, North American Film Critics, Producers Guild, African-American Film Critics… the list goes on.
Too many to count!
Beyond the Golden Globes and Oscars, the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, and Los Angeles Film Critics Awards carry serious weight too.
But then, a curveball hit.
In the Best Actress nominations from the National Board of Review and the Los Angeles Film Critics, Natalie Portman—who gave a standout, widely praised performance in Juno—was nowhere to be found!
The New York Film Critics did nominate her, but she didn't win.
This flew in the face of the overwhelming buzz from critics calling Natalie the frontrunner for Best Actress! Her role in Juno captured the spirit of American youth—an icon of the era. Some even thought she could snag the Oscar this year.
But reality? She's struggling to even get nominated.
With the Afghanistan War in the background, it's still unclear if the Oscars will go ahead as planned—the Academy hasn't said anything official yet.
The Golden Globes, though, aren't waiting. On January 20th, they'll hand out awards at the Beverly Hills Hilton!
The pre-announced nominations crowned Dunn's A Beautiful Mind the big winner, scoring six nods: Best Picture (Drama), Best Director, Best Actor (Drama), Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Score.
The equally hyped Juno grabbed three: Best Picture (Drama), Best Director, and Best Screenplay—but no Best Actress nod!
The Golden Globes are voted on by 96 journalists, mostly entertainment reporters. These folks rely on Hollywood connections for scoops, and they've racked up plenty of favors along the way. That makes the Globes ripe for manipulation.
History's full of bribery scandals—like that time a tycoon bought his mistress a Best Supporting Actress win, making national headlines. The Golden Globes committee swore they'd clean things up, but with the voting system unchanged, it's all hot air.
Natalie missing out on a nomination left Dunn in a foul mood!
"I thought you might skip it altogether!"
On the evening of January 20th, Dunn showed up as promised at the Beverly Hills Hilton with the A Beautiful Mind crew. Nicole Kidman, clearly in the loop about some rumors, leaned in and whispered to him.
Dunn shot her a glance and said coolly, "Skip it? That'd be admitting defeat, wouldn't it?"
"Huh?"
Nicole blinked, caught off guard.
Dunn smirked, a cold edge to it. "If I don't show up, it'd look like I'm throwing a tantrum—playing right into their hands. No, I'm not just attending—I'm making an entrance. You're with me. We're walking in together."
Nicole, in a sleek black gown with a high slit flashing glimpses of her pale legs, was already a head-turner. Her arm linked with Dunn's as they stepped out sparked instant buzz that night.
"Didn't think they'd target Natalie as the weak spot," Nicole sighed softly. "Poor Nat—dragged into this because of you. She was amazing in Juno."
Dunn's expression stayed calm. "What's coming will come. It's fine."
Nicole gave him a curious look, sensing he was up to something. This guy wasn't one to take a hit lying down.
"No big deal. Let's go—we're here now."
Inside the hotel, Dunn slid an arm around Nicole's slim waist, ignoring the mix of envy and resentment in the eyes of passing guys. At nearly 35, her beauty was still unreal—arguably the best in Hollywood.
Along the way, they ran into Steven Spielberg, nominated for Best Director for A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Dunn, still brooding, wasn't in the mood to chat, but Spielberg hesitated, then approached, lowering his voice. "Dunn, I'm on your side here."
Dunn's tone dripped with sarcasm. "Oh? If I recall, you're all part of the same crowd, aren't you?"
Spielberg's face stiffened, glancing at Nicole awkwardly.
"Dunn, I'll go take my seat over there. Director Spielberg, that's a sharp bow tie tonight," Nicole said smoothly, flashing a gracious smile.
Spielberg nodded back. "Thanks—my wife picked it out herself."
Once she stepped away, he leaned in closer. "The Jewish bloc is the biggest force, no question—Hollywood was built by Jews. But that doesn't mean we're all the same."
"Oh?"
"The old guard, the retirees—they cling to tradition and their own interests, ranking everything by seniority. But the active directors, actors, and execs? We see how those old ways choke out new markets."
Spielberg was laying it all out for Dunn, no holding back.
Dunn chuckled. "Sounds like you've got beef with Kirk Douglas too?"
Spielberg shook his head. "Not quite beef—but we're not on the same side. His interests clash with mine."
Back in '98, Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan was a lock for Best Picture—until Harvey Weinstein and Kirk Douglas teamed up to push Shakespeare in Love to the top. That stung Spielberg deep. He hadn't dealt with either of them since.
Same crowd? Sure. But profits trump all.
Take Michael Eisner—Jewish too, but he's still allied with Dunn.
Dunn mulled it over. "Steven, do you think Nat's got a shot at an Oscar nod?"
The Globes were one thing, but the Oscars mattered. Every nomination was a lifelong badge of honor. Scarlett Johansson's been grinding out arthouse films her whole career and still hasn't nabbed one.
Spielberg's face turned grim. "Tough call. Like I said, the retirees stick together for their own gain. And who ends up working at the Academy, judging the Oscars? The retirees."
The veins in Dunn's neck bulged instantly.