USA Today: "The spectacle of IMAX films is jaw-dropping!"
Los Angeles Times: "Tom Hardy, discovered for his acting chops in Band of Brothers, is on his way to superstardom! In his scenes with Johnny Depp, his bold gaze, steadfast resolve, and mysterious sword embody fans' yearning for justice. Too bad Anne Hathaway's stuck as eye candy."
Entertainment Weekly: "IMAX screens paired with CGI are like sound meeting the silver screen back in the day."
The Hollywood Reporter: "A fantastic heist flick—exceptional, fun, and visually stunning."
Film Comment: "Dunn Walker's keeping his word: he's tearing down the old system to build a new Hollywood. After co-financing and blockbuster strategies, he's now unleashed IMAX films with a bang! On that level, Pirates League is a must-see. Plus, it's a rare gem of a pirate movie—think Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Lord of the Rings."
Rolling Stone: "IMAX cinema—a new revolution in movie tech!"
---
On the morning of July 2nd, a stack of subscribed newspapers and magazines arrived at Dunn's place.
Scarlett was off shooting Lost in Translation, so Dunn had slipped back into his old "nightlife" routine.
Last night, he'd first swung by Anne Hathaway and Penélope Cruz's room, fooling around half the night in a blissful blur, before finally crashing in the master bedroom with Natalie in his arms.
With Pirates League's premiere and Daredevil wrapping up, Anne and Penélope were buzzing with energy.
Stepping into the living room, Dunn spotted them on the couch, flipping through a pile of papers, reading eagerly and occasionally cheering with glee.
No doubt about it—they were soaking up reviews for Pirates League: Curse of the Black Pearl.
"How's it looking?" Dunn called out with a grin as he came downstairs.
Penélope Cruz flashed a sultry smile. "Really good—nothing but praise!"
Anne Hathaway, though, stomped her foot with a pout. "Some people say my character's just a flower vase."
Dunn chuckled, plopping down between them and wrapping an arm around each beauty. "It's an adventure flick—guys take the lead, vases play backup. That's how it goes."
"But I heard Penélope's got a huge role in Daredevil," Anne whined, snuggling into Dunn's chest with a pitiful look. "She's the love interest, going toe-to-toe with Daredevil—her character's got real depth." She tilted her head up at him.
Solid acting!
Dunn smirked. "What else did you hear?"
Anne bit her lip, a little shy. "I heard you and Disney are teaming up for a movie?"
"Dumbo?" Dunn's eyes narrowed slightly, studying her delicate, pale, perky face. After a beat, he said, "Sure, why not? You starred in Disney's The Princess Diaries—did well at the box office. You'd be perfect for the lead. Disney won't mind either."
Anne nearly leapt off the couch in excitement!
Dunn's word was gold—who was he, anyway?
If he said it was a go, it was a go!
She was set to be Dumbo's leading lady!
Thrilled, she clung to Dunn, flipping through the papers with a giddy grin, her mood as electric as the rave reviews for Pirates League.
This wave of free buzz could reignite the summer box office after a lackluster June, especially now that Spider-Man 2 and Star Wars: Episode II had cooled off in North America.
Time for a nationwide blockbuster to spark a viewing frenzy—and Pirates League: Curse of the Black Pearl was the obvious pick!
But Dunn's mind wasn't on that.
He was waiting for news from France.
With Messier's boardroom heavyweight Arnault stepping down, Vivendi lost Paris Bank's loan lifeline, and their debt crisis was about to blow up.
The American faction had seized the board—they'd demand Messier's head on a platter.
Yesterday, The New Observer named Jean Messier "Person of the Year." Anyone with eyes could see it was a stunt he'd orchestrated.
"Person of the Year" gets picked at year-end or year-start—not mid-year.
What was this?
Messier was pulling a PR move to rally French public support and investor confidence, a desperate off-the-board play to cling to Vivendi. It'd only enrage the board more—especially the Americans!
Dunn had a gut feeling: the next few days, Vivendi was in for chaos—big chaos!
He didn't expect it to hit so fast, though. One day Messier's a media darling; the next, he's a pariah!
On July 2nd, France's big-hitter paper Le Monde splashed a bombshell headline in bold black: "Vivendi's Accounting Secrets Exposed."
The piece laid bare a financial scandal at Europe's top—and the world's second-largest—media conglomerate!
Reports said Messier's Vivendi, scrambling to pay debts, sold its stake in British pay-TV outfit BSkyB to News Corp for €1.5 billion. But they tried to dodge booking the income—until French financial regulators caught it and shut it down.
Later, Messier leaned on Finance Ministry connections, hired Andersen auditors, and used some accounting sleight-of-hand to "smooth" it over.
That made Vivendi the first major European firm—after Enron, WorldCom, and Xerox—to cook its books!
Other big outlets piled on, exposing Vivendi's massive losses. They charted five years of net profits, spotlighting a €300 million deficit in the last fiscal year!
Suddenly, France's business media turned on Messier, the board chairman and CEO, with a vengeance.
Bad news spread like wildfire.
U.S. and French securities regulators reopened probes into Vivendi.
Moody's Investors Service didn't waste time—Vivendi's stock rating crashed from BAA3 to BA1, practically junk status.
Paris's stock exchange was a madhouse—Vivendi shares got dumped in a frenzy.
That day, the stock plummeted 73%.
Two years ago, Vivendi's market cap hit €100 billion. Now? A full-on collapse, sliding uncontrollably to €12 billion…
The Vivendi crisis was spiraling out of control.
"Messier's done!"
After Isla Fisher briefed Dunn on the latest, he made his call.
In contract-obsessed Europe and America, fudging the books to dodge taxes? Unforgivable.
Isla gave him a funny look. "Why do I feel like this is a setup?"
"Huh?" Dunn chuckled. "Even you can see it?"
Isla huffed lightly. "I've been your secretary for years—I've picked up a thing or two about business, okay? Yesterday, Mr. Messier's France's hero; today, he's the villain. That's too convenient—too dramatic."
Dunn smiled faintly, staying quiet.
Isla's eyes got weirder, probing. "It… it wasn't you, was it?"
"What?" Dunn burst out laughing. "Isla, you think I'm some kind of god? This is France—the French business world! You think my reach goes that far?"
In America's entertainment scene, Dunn had connections—enough to sway some media chatter. But the U.S. business world? Out of his league. France's? Forget it.
Isla'd been by his side too long, idolizing him into some omnipotent figure.
She stuck out her tongue, grinning sheepishly. "So, does this mean our chance is here? Can we buy Universal now?"
Dunn grinned confidently. "You bet! Messier's out—nothing's stopping us from grabbing Universal!"
Right then, Bill McNickle burst in, beaming ear to ear, voice booming with excitement. "Dunn! Breaking news—Messier's resigned!"