Another week had passed.
Spider-Man 2's weekly box office had dipped below $2 million, and Pirates' League: Curse of the Black Pearl had also fallen under $20 million, though that included a solid $4.5 million from IMAX theaters.
In the five weeks since Pirates' League hit theaters, IMAX screens had racked up $100 million in ticket sales!
That was a record for IMAX films!
Even as the movie's overall buzz cooled, it was still packing IMAX theaters. No surprise there—IMAX film options were slim, mostly documentaries or educational flicks. Pirates' League: Curse of the Black Pearl was the only commercial blockbuster in the mix.
But that was about to change.
Thanks to Pirates' League's success, IMAX-format films had caught Hollywood's attention. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, set for a Christmas release, was already in talks with IMAX to rush out an IMAX version. On top of that, Twentieth Century Fox was eyeing IMAX conversions for Titanic, Star Wars: Episode I, and Episode II to re-release and squeeze out every last dollar.
Sure, it felt a bit like they were stepping on Dunn Dunn's turf, but he was all for it.
More IMAX films meant more IMAX theaters!
Plus, converting those films to IMAX? Heh, IMAX would pocket at least 50% of the profits!
Officially, converting a film to IMAX cost between $2-3 million, with each IMAX film print running about $50,000—just like Pirates' League. But that was the public price tag. The real cost? Less than half.
That kind of patented tech monopoly meant big bucks for IMAX.
For all those reasons, Dunn was thrilled at the idea of more IMAX movies hitting the market.
Spider-Man 2 and Pirates' League were slowing down at the box office, but right on cue, another Dunn Films production hit theaters on August 2—Signs.
With Mel Gibson starring, there was little worry about its performance.
And sure enough, Signs pulled in a massive $60 million in its opening week in North America!
In the entire summer season, Signs' debut was only outdone by three giants: Spider-Man 2, Star Wars: Episode II, and Pirates' League.
Dunn Films' killer box office run had Dunn even more focused on acquiring Blizzard Entertainment.
Only by snapping up Blizzard could he kick off his plan to shoot a Warcraft TV series!
That would propel STA Network to new heights, leaving HBO and Showtime in the dust.
"Dunn, haha, great news!"
Michael Eisner's excited voice came through the phone.
"Good news?" Dunn chuckled. "What, did the premiere ratings for Fear Factor come in?"
American Idol had wrapped up in late June, with young singer Kelly Clarkson crowned the first champion, landing a $1 million contract with Universal Records.
Just last night, Fear Factor had premiered on ABC!
Michael was in high spirits. "It's a surprise!"
"Oh? How'd it do?"
"Average viewership topped 10 million!"
"Only 10 million? That's… meh," Dunn said, frowning, a bit disappointed.
American Idol's finale had averaged over 40 million viewers!
To put that in perspective, this year's Oscars had pulled in just 41 million.
By comparison, Fear Factor's numbers weren't exactly dazzling.
Michael laughed heartily. "Dunn, you're too impatient. Don't forget, this was just the first episode. Besides, Fear Factor is a regular show. Holding 20 million viewers would be a miracle. I've got big confidence in this one. I'm planning to shift all the resources from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire into this reality show."
Dunn nodded. "Alright, cool. I trust you with Fear Factor. Oh, by the way, the pushback inside Disney's died down a lot, right?"
"Of course," Michael said. "With The Chronicles of Narnia 2 and Dumbo greenlit, plus Fear Factor's hot start, all of Disney's seeing the upside of working with Dunn Films. Roy Disney's complaints? They're starting to sound pretty hollow."
"Good to hear."
"Heh, oh, and how's your talk with Vivendi going? I'm stretched thin with Comcast."
Dunn grinned. "Almost there. Hang in for one more month. We've ironed out the big stuff—just a few small kinks left. Once those are settled, we can talk price."
"A month to seal it?"
"Yup!"
Dunn was brimming with confidence.
After hanging up, he squinted, lost in thought.
In 2002, reality shows were still a fresh concept.
Plenty of potential there!
Why not cook up a reality show for Starz, too?
But a reality show for a premium network like STA couldn't be something loud and cheap like American Idol, Fear Factor, or The Bachelor.
It'd either need to be slick, high-end, with a big budget—or bold and boundary-pushing, where anything goes: nudity, cursing, the kind of stuff public networks would bleep out.
That evening, with Anne Hathaway by his side, Dunn took a cold shower, a refreshing break from the sticky summer heat.
Wrapped in towels, they stepped out of the bathroom.
Dunn headed to the living room, where Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz were sprawled on the couch, glued to the TV.
"Hey, where's Natalie?" Dunn asked, planting a quick kiss on Scarlett's cheek.
She'd wrapped up shooting Lost in Translation by late July—Sofia Coppola worked fast.
"Probably in the study," Scarlett said casually. "School's starting soon, so she's catching up on work."
Her eyes were locked on the screen, like she couldn't miss a second.
"What's so gripping?"
Curious, Dunn glanced at the TV and laughed—it was Starz airing Six Feet Under, Season 2.
"Come on, let's go find her." Dunn grabbed Scarlett's hand, tugging her toward the study.
Scarlett pouted, clearly reluctant. "Why? I'm watching this! It's the finale! Can't Penny and Anne hang with you first?"
Anne, trying to keep it together, pressed her lips into a small smile.
She'd just showered with Dunn, and, well, things had gotten close. Her jaw was still sore, and her knees were red. Whatever Dunn wanted, it wasn't that. Scarlett had the wrong idea.
Sure enough, Dunn pinched Scarlett's nose lightly. "What're you thinking? It's business!"
Grumbling, Scarlett let Dunn drag her to the study, where, yup, Natalie was buried in books.
"Still pouting?" Dunn teased, kissing Scarlett's cheek a few times. "Don't forget, I backed Six Feet Under, Season 2. I've got the DVDs at my place."
Scarlett's eyes lit up. "For real? You've got the discs?"
"Yup. Once the season's done airing, DVDs drop in early September. I'll grab 'em tomorrow, and you can binge to your heart's content."
"Whoa!"
Scarlett bounced into Dunn's arms, thrilled.
Natalie, at her desk, raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
Dunn grabbed a folder from the bookshelf, sat on the couch with Scarlett, and waved Natalie over. "Come here."
"What's this about?"
"I'm planning a reality show for Starz. Got a few ideas but can't pick one. I want you two to help me brainstorm."
Natalie slid in beside him, skeptical. "Us? Brainstorm? Are we even qualified?"
Scarlett looked just as confused. "Yeah, reality shows? I don't get them. I haven't even watched American Idol."
Dunn shrugged. "Doesn't matter. If I say you're good, you're good."
His ideas were all reality shows that had been massive hits in his past life.
Getting these two to weigh in was mostly about giving them a chance to bond as sisters.
"Here's the first one. It's called Truth or Dare."
"What's that?"
Natalie took the folder.
Dunn stood, swapping seats with Scarlett so she and Natalie could sit side by side, flipping through the notes.
"It's a provocative reality show," he said, "but it also digs into some sharp social issues and human nature." Watching the two girls pore over the file together warmed his heart.
Natalie skimmed it, puzzled. "A Q&A show? What's fun about that?"
Dunn grinned. "Didn't read closely, huh? It's about answering 21 questions—truthfully—in front of a national audience and your friends and family, all while hooked up to a lie detector."
Natalie's eyes widened. "You mean… personal questions?"
"Not just personal. Extremely personal."
Dunn let out a wistful sigh.
Truth or Dare was simple: answer 21 questions honestly, and you'd win a hefty cash prize.
Sounded easy!
But it wasn't.
Most contestants couldn't make it through all 21, walking away empty-handed.
Back in his old life, the show had sparked a firestorm. To win the money, contestants, under the lie detector's watchful eye, would reveal jaw-dropping secrets!
Like the host asking, "Do you want to sleep with your wife's sister?"
That was tame. Try, "Do you want to sleep with your wife's mom?"
A "yes" could send the contestant—and their loved ones—into a tailspin!
Affairs, betrayals, wild confessions—it was a mess of drama and controversy.
With that kind of shock value, how could it not be a hit?