Dunn's tone was firm. "Mr. Horn, I've said it before—I need the full copyright to the entire series before I can even think about starting this movie project! When J.K. Rowling was at her lowest, I stepped in to help her. And what did she do? Climbed up the ladder and kicked Dunn Studios into the gutter. I don't trust a partner like that."
"We'll get to work on solving this!" Alan Horn promised right away.
Dunn shook his head. "Sorry, Mr. Horn, but I'm not in the habit of handing over control. Rowling's behavior has been a total letdown. I just want the rights, then we follow the contract to the letter. I'm done dealing with people like her."
David Heyman shifted awkwardly. As a Brit, he'd used his connections back in the day to pressure J.K. Rowling into working with Dunn Studios.
But he never expected young Dunn Walker to be *this* tough.
"Mr. Walker, your request… it's a tough one," David Heyman said, looking pained.
Dunn shrugged. "I know it's tough, but it's the foundation of any deal. Sorry, Mr. Heyman, I'm a straight shooter. With Sheng Ri Studios' resources, if you can't bring something special to the table, why should I team up with you?"
David Heyman gave a quiet, bitter chuckle.
Yeah, fair point. No rights, no money, no distribution channels—just a British guy with a fancy accent. What made him think he could waltz into a big project like this?
Sheng Ri Studios wasn't Warner Bros, after all!
David sighed. "Alright, Mr. Walker, I'll do my best to convince J.K. Rowling to sell you the film rights to the whole series."
"Not 'do your best'—you *will*," Dunn said, locking eyes with him. "That's the condition for Dunn Studios to work with Sheng Ri or Warner!"
"Fine, I'll make it happen!" David replied firmly, feeling the weight of Alan Horn's stare.
Dunn flashed a grin and turned to Alan Horn. "Mr. Horn, with that settled, I think we've got the first stepping stone for our talks."
"And the second?" Alan asked.
Alan Horn was starting to get it. Dunn wasn't chasing capital perks—he cared about external conditions. That made things easier for Warner. As long as it wasn't some brutal copyright or profit-sharing deal, it was just a matter of pulling some strings.
The board only cared about money, not intangible stuff.
Dunn didn't beat around the bush. "I'm sure with your connections, Mr. Horn, you've heard I'm eyeing a Marvel Entertainment acquisition."
Alan Horn's brow furrowed instantly.
Marvel… he knew it well.
They'd been struggling for years—went public, crashed, got bought out privately. Rough times.
Alan had once pitched the idea of Warner acquiring Marvel to the board.
But after flops like *Batman Forever* and *Batman & Robin*, superhero movies were a no-go at Warner. Who'd dare touch Marvel's mess now? Even DC Comics was barely hanging on!
Hearing Dunn confirm his plans to buy Marvel, Alan's expression grew complicated.
What was this kid thinking?
Marvel's market value wasn't huge—Dunn could swing it. But… buying that dumpster fire? Did he think he could turn trash into gold?
Alan kept those thoughts to himself. His job here was to seal the *Harry Potter* deal with Dunn Studios, not play savior.
In fact, if Dunn bought Marvel and stretched his cash thin, he'd need Warner's help even more for *Harry Potter*!
That little idea perked Alan up. He grinned. "Didn't you already snag AA's support?"
Dunn spread his hands with a laugh. "Hey, the more allies, the better the odds, right?"
Alan chuckled heartily. "Sure thing. Warner will back your acquisition and make sure Hollywood rivals don't jack up the price."
"I hear New Line Cinema's tight with Marvel—they're working on a superhero flick, *Blade*. They could smooth things over," Dunn said with a sly smile.
Alan's face flushed a bit.
*Blade* had hit theaters a day after *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*—a direct challenge. And the result?
Total wipeout!
*Greek Wedding* was a juggernaut, nearing $2.5 billion worldwide.
*Blade*? Breaking $100 million globally would be a miracle!
It was a guaranteed loss.
"Ahem…" Alan coughed to cover his embarrassment. "We'll handle Marvel. With AA's help and Time Warner's muscle, as long as your funding's solid, Marvel's yours in six months."
Dunn clapped his hands with a grin. "Thanks a ton! 🙌"
Inside, he was smug as could be. Don't forget—he had Endeavor, another major agency, and PR kingpin Ari Emanuel in his corner. With those three powerhouses, Marvel was as good as his!
---
Three days later, the strategic partnership agreement between Dunn Studios and Warner Bros was just about "priority cooperation rights" for the *Harry Potter* films.
Beyond the nitty-gritty of copyrights, profits, and investments, the contract hinged on "priority rights."
If Dunn Studios moved forward with *Harry Potter*, Warner got first dibs. And Dunn had to kick off the project within two years of securing the full series rights.
Alan Horn's plan was simple: Dunn Studios couldn't possibly scrape together enough cash fast enough to go it alone. They'd *have* to team up with Warner per the deal.
Andrew O'Hare, a veteran at Dunn Studios and a '97 market analyst, was dead certain *Harry Potter* would be a hit on screen.
But Dunn's moves left him scratching his head.
"Boss, are we really partnering with Warner?"
Dunn smiled. "What's wrong with that?"
Andrew frowned slightly. "Boss, *Harry Potter* is a guaranteed win. Teaming up with Warner's like tossing our cash into their lap!"
"Oh?" Dunn raised an eyebrow. "What's your take?"
Andrew shook his head. "Boss, with your clout, if you wanted to make a movie, tons of foundations—even hot money from Asia or the Middle East—would back you. We don't need cash! More importantly, using their funds keeps the rights in *our* hands."
Dunn Studios was Andrew's home. Watching Dunn make what seemed like a "mistake" and hand over their profits hurt.
Dunn stayed calm. "True. If we control everything, the first film's profits could fund the rest solo—no need to split the pie."
"Boss, then why are you…?"
Andrew looked shocked.
Dunn smirked coldly. "Andrew, you think Warner's sending a whole crew to negotiate just for the *Harry Potter* series?"
Andrew's eyes widened. "Isn't it?"
"*Harry Potter*'s just some British teen book—not even that famous. Warner's betting it'll be a hit?" Dunn snorted. "They're rolling out a bigwig like Alan Horn to lock in a strategic partnership with us, that's all."
"Boss…"
Andrew was lost now.
"Andrew, Hollywood's ruled by the Big Six studios. You get that, right?"
"Yeah," Andrew sighed heavily. "Everyone thought DreamWorks had a shot, but… ugh. Even they're leaning on Paramount now. Indie studios have it rough."
Dunn nodded. "So, what's DreamWorks' future look like?"
"Future?" Andrew's eyes narrowed as he thought it over. "Maybe… Paramount buys them out."
"Exactly!" Dunn snapped, then smirked. "Now do you see what Warner's up to?"
It hit Andrew like a ton of bricks, cold sweat breaking out. "You mean… Warner's aiming to *acquire* Dunn Studios?"
Dunn's lips curled. "First, a little collab on a project. Then some shares, deeper ties, and finally, they swallow us whole. They want to pull a New Line Cinema on us."
"This… this…"
Andrew knew Dunn's ambition—buying Marvel proved it.
But Time Warner was a titan!
Seeing Andrew's stunned face, Dunn patted his shoulder with a smile. "Relax. The Big Six monopoly? DreamWorks couldn't crack it, but that doesn't mean I can't! "
Andrew trusted Dunn completely—he wasn't just his boss but his savior. "But Warner… we signed a contract."
Dunn laughed loud. "What contract? Just some 'priority rights' nonsense!"
Andrew blinked. "Huh?"
Dunn leaned in, grinning mysteriously. "For that contract to kick in, Dunn Studios has to *want* a partner first."
"You mean… we go solo on *Harry Potter*?"
Andrew finally got it. Dunn never planned to team up with Warner—he'd used the talks to snag two big wins, playing Warner like a fiddle!
"But… do we have the cash?"
"Money?" Dunn's grin widened. "Funds are never the problem! "
---
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