Hollywood: titanic director

Nina Jacobson knows all about Rampage Films. 

It's a little studio under Dunn Films, set up to crank out low-budget B-movies—horror, thrillers, that kind of thing. Registered with just $5 million in capital. 

Sure, Rampage Films recently wrapped a movie—Saw, produced and written by Dunn himself. 

But a cheap horror flick with a budget under $1.5 million going toe-to-toe with Unbreakable, a $75 million blockbuster with big stars? 

Nina Jacobson isn't buying it—not in a million years! 

Dunn cracks up. "Nina, I can tell what you're thinking. Yep, it's Saw!" 

Nina sucks in a sharp breath, her gaze turning weird as she looks at him. 

Boss, are you getting cocky? 

Sure, every movie you've produced or directed has been a smash hit. Even romantic comedies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Wedding Crashers raked in over $200 million in North America—crazy impressive stuff. 

But… 

That doesn't mean slapping your name on something guarantees a box office bonanza! 

Take Christopher Nolan's debut, Following. Lucasfilm handled distribution, and "Dunn Walker" was listed as producer. Box office? Barely $2 million. 

Okay, $2 million is still a huge return—hundreds of times the profit—since Following cost just $6,000 to make, and Dunn Films scooped up the rights for $50,000. 

But that just proves "Dunn Walker" can draw fans and keep a movie from tanking. 

Big box office—$100 million, $200 million in North America? That takes a polished mid-budget film, like Greek Wedding or Crashers. 

Saw cost less than $1.5 million. Say it pulls $10 million—everyone'd believe it. Dunn's name alone could drag in a loyal fanbase. 

But pitting Saw against Unbreakable? That's nuts. 

How many die-hard Dunn fans are out there? A couple million, tops. 

A blockbuster's audience? Tens of millions. 

They're not even in the same league! 

Nina gives him a skeptical look. "You're banking on a newbie director who's only shot music videos to take on Unbreakable?" 

She's clearly not sold! 

Dunn meets her eyes, dead serious. "Nina, don't underestimate him just because he's done ads and videos. Remember his name—Zack Snyder. Give it a few years, and he'll be a cornerstone director for Marvel Studios!" 

Nina's face shifts, surprised. "You're saying… he'll direct superhero movies someday?" 

"Guaranteed!" 

Dunn pauses, then buzzes his secretary through the intercom to summon Glenn Morgan, Rampage Films' president, for a meeting. 

Nina's still struggling to wrap her head around it. 

Unbreakable—$75 million budget, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis in the cast, directed by M. Night Shyamalan riding the Sixth Sense wave. It could hold its own against summer heavyweights. 

And a B-grade horror flick like Saw is supposed to challenge it? 

Dunn's her boss—she wants Saw to win. But is that even possible? If it flops in this showdown, Dunn's golden reputation takes a hit. 

Right now, Dunn's untouchable—unbeatable! 

No need to risk that for a $1.5 million gamble. 

Saw's credits scream "Dunn Walker" as producer and writer. If it goes head-to-head with Unbreakable, Disney won't miss the chance to crow about "beating" Dunn. 

But Nina's worries? Wasted breath. Dunn's stubborn as a rock. 

Soon, Glenn Morgan shows up. When he hears Dunn's plan, his jaw drops—same shocked look Nina had! 

"Boss, this… this…" 

Glenn's eyes bug out like he's seen a ghost in broad daylight. 

Dunn grins. "What, scared?" 

"N-no… it's not that… I'm worried it'll mess up the company's big picture." 

Glenn's being real. If Saw tanks against Unbreakable, losing money's the least of it—losing face is the real blow. 

Everyone in Hollywood knows Dunn Films has been steamrolling, shrugging off Fox and Disney's combined chokehold. 

But throwing Saw into the ring? It's like escaping a tiger only to jump back into its jaws! 

Dunn waves a hand, all swagger. "Enough—this is my call, and no one's questioning it! I've said it before: from now on, I'm targeting every Disney movie. Unbreakable? Big deal. Dunn Films doesn't back down. Even with a B-movie, we'll still take 'em on!" 

Glenn's face twists with unease. "Boss, this'll make our job a nightmare." 

"What's the issue? The movie itself?" 

"No, Zack's great—movie's in good hands. It's distribution I'm worried about." 

Dunn glances at him, staying quiet. 

Glenn's a content guy—solid on the creative side—but he's weak on management, networking, and connections. Niche films like Rampage's run on a totally different playbook from mainstream blockbusters, and they've got to handle distribution in-house. 

But from his tone, Glenn's out of his depth on the distribution front. 

He explains slowly, "B-movie distribution usually starts with a preview, then a test screening. After that, theaters decide if it's worth scaling up. The whole process takes about 15-20 days." 

Dunn nods, thinking it over. "No problem—we'll roll with it. Halloween's November 1, right? We'll drop it then. After two weeks of market testing, it'll hit Unbreakable's release day. Perfect timing." 

After Glenn leaves, Dunn lets out a long sigh. 

Dunn Films doesn't have a distribution arm—or even the talent for it. He'd figured he'd nab Universal Pictures down the line and just use their setup. 

But now? One distribution team won't cut it. 

Take Disney—they've got three: Buena Vista, Walt Disney Animation, and Miramax. 

Buena Vista and Disney Animation overlap a lot, so really, it's two models: one for slick commercial releases, one for indie films. 

But "indie" doesn't always mean small-scale test runs—it depends on the distributor's clout, channels, and the movie itself. 

Like Miramax's Harvey Weinstein—an indie film god. He's a shark among Hollywood studios and has deep ties with theater chains across the U.S. 

Take Scary Movie this summer. Total niche indie vibe, but Miramax played it like a pro commercial release—skipped previews, tests, and reviews, and launched in 2,912 theaters. 

Even wilder? It's R-rated. Saving Private Ryan topped out at 2,800 theaters. But Scary Movie? After a strong opening, it jumped to 3,301 theaters in week two! 

3,301 screens at once—what's that mean? 

In 2000, only three movies outdid Scary Movie's theater count: Mission: Impossible 2 ($130 million budget), Spider-Man ($150 million), and The Perfect Storm ($140 million). 

Scary Movie? Just $19 million to make! 

Last year's The Wedding Crashers was a hit too—PG-rated, family-friendly—but never broke 3,000 theaters. That gap shows Weinstein's pull and savvy. 

Dunn's not dreaming of landing a Weinstein-level powerhouse, but the idea of building his own distribution arm keeps nagging at him. 

Nina stands to leave, noticing Dunn lost in thought. She smiles. "Oh, by the way, I might need some time off soon." 

"Hm?" 

Dunn snaps back, grinning. "Sure thing. Spider-Man's box office is cruising—once this rush dies down, take a vacation. Chill out." 

Nina shakes her head, still smiling. "Not what I meant. I'm… well, I'm pregnant, Dunn!" 

"Pfft!" 

Dunn jumps up, laughing loud. "Nina, the way you said that, it's like you're carrying my kid!" 

Nina chuckles, then scolds playfully, "Don't be ridiculous! Watch it, or my husband'll deck you!" 

Dunn smirks, steps over, and gives her a light hug. "Congrats, Nina. I can tell you're over the moon. How far along?" 

"Over four months." 

Nina rubs her belly, glowing with that mom vibe. 

"Nice, awesome! I was wondering why you've been looking a little… curvier lately. This is great! When's the due date?" 

"January next year. I'm planning to take off from September—six months. Just not sure if it'll mess up Spider-Man's sequel prep." 

Dunn waves it off. "No worries—movie stuff's covered. New projects won't kick off 'til after the Oscars, right when you're back." 

Nina sighs in relief, smiling. "While I'm out, I can handle Marvel Studios' big stuff over the phone with Kevin. So no stress there." 

"Perfect!" 

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