"Hey, Sofia, long time no see!"
"Dunn, I was starting to think you'd bail!"
Sofia Coppola hurried over, giving Dunn a quick hug.
They were aboard a shiny new yacht—not massive or ultra-luxe, but still a cool $1.5 million. It was Sofia's latest splurge, and she'd invited some friends to christen it with a party.
Sofia glanced at Dunn's date—none other than Sophie Marceau, the French star who's made waves in Hollywood too. With a teasing grin, she said, "Heard you were cozying up with a couple of supermodels lately?"
Sofia wasn't just a Hollywood name; she was a fashion insider too, always in the loop on top-model gossip.
Before Dunn could answer, Sophie Marceau jumped in with a laugh. "Oh, those two? They're back in New York. Otherwise, this guy wouldn't have dragged me along!"
"Oh, come on, Sophie, don't sell yourself short!" Sofia said, pulling her into a hug. "To me, you're gorgeous—like an angel! Uh… a real one, not the Victoria's Secret kind."
Dunn cracked up, and Sophie couldn't hold back a giggle. "Sofia, you're too smooth!"
Sofia Coppola and Dunn didn't hang out often, but they had a solid bond, always trading playful texts to poke fun at each other.
Dunn trailed Sofia as she showed off her new yacht. "By the way, your cousin didn't come?"
"Nicolas?" Sofia shook her head. "Nah, you know he's been… dealing with some stuff lately. For a sec, I thought it might've been your doing."
Dunn gave a wry smile. "Me? Sofia, I thought we were friends—tight ones, even, after getting to know each other so well. That's a wild accusation!"
"Enough about the past!" Sofia shot him a glare. Her biggest regret was sleeping with Dunn twice—it gave him endless ammo to tease her about her jabs at his love life.
Dunn paused, then sighed. "Sofia, we're pals, so I'll be straight. I barely know Nicolas—just that one time at your place, sharing a table, no chit-chat. He's… well, kinda cocky, maybe even full of himself. That attitude's gonna bite him someday."
Sofia shrugged. "Can't do much about it. But… he's still my cousin. Even with a different last name, he's Coppola blood."
Dunn got what she meant and nodded after a beat. "Mr. Coppola's helped me a ton—stood up for me during that PR mess. I owe him big. Nicolas' stuff… it's not too bad yet. If it gets dicey, I'll step in."
Sofia beamed. "Then I'll thank you for him in advance!"
Dunn blinked fast, throwing her a cheeky look. "No reward?"
"What, want me to hook you up with another hot model?" Sofia rolled her eyes, dripping with mock disdain.
Dunn laughed it off, then shifted gears. "So, you busy with movies lately, or still all about the fashion scene?"
Sofia balled her fist, feigning offense. "Don't forget—I'm a director!"
"Got a new project? Hit up Dunn Films—I'll fund it. Name your budget!" Dunn said, all generous swagger.
Sofia smirked. "Yeah, yeah, Mr. Big Bucks! Don't worry, when I need cash, you won't escape. But not now—I haven't written the script yet. Story's still brewing."
Dunn's mind ticked, and he spoke slowly. "Sofia, I've got a stack of solid scripts. If you want, take your pick. Writing and directing your own stuff… it's noble, sure, but it's a beast. This is Hollywood—directors here don't need to be jacks-of-all-trades."
Self-written, self-directed films were Europe's thing, where directors often owned the script. Hollywood's producer-driven—scripts are the boss's domain.
Sofia felt Dunn's genuine concern and smiled softly. "Thanks, Dunn, I get where you're coming from. But… I'm gonna pass."
"Why?"
"Because I need to prove myself."
"Huh?" Dunn raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
Sofia hesitated, then let out a quiet sigh. "Dunn, all of Hollywood knows I'm the great Coppola's daughter. To them, Sofia's just some spoiled rich girl barking orders. They see me through tinted lenses! You know I've snagged two Razzies? Two!"
Dunn felt a pang, deeply moved.
After Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon, here was another one—Sofia Coppola.
Hollywood's brutal to women. Some roll with the sleaze, no sweat. But a few, like her, are hunting for a clean patch in this muddy swamp.
"I don't want to be a punchline. I'm proving them wrong my way!" Sofia said calmly, but the fire in her eyes didn't slip past Dunn.
"Shooting one of my scripts would set you up for a win, though. Sofia, I'm not doubting you—"
"Relax, Dunn, no need to explain," she cut in, waving him off. "I know you're a movie genius—a thousand times better than me! No shame in that—you're *Dunn*. But… have you thought about it? Even if I used your script and nailed it, how much of that win would really be mine?"
Dunn shook his head. "Fame's nothing to me. Slap your name on the script—call it self-written, self-directed."
Sofia laughed, genuinely delighted, turning to him. "See, Dunn? This is why I'm friends with a womanizing jerk like you!"
Dunn chuckled, exasperated, shaking his head. "So, you're in?"
"Nope! Still passing!"
"What? Why?"
Sofia's face hardened with resolve. "Because it's not just Hollywood or the world I need to prove it to—I need to prove it to myself. Me, Sofia Coppola—my success comes from *me*!"
Dunn sighed.
Kids born into dynasties carry their family's pride—and its shadow.
Nicolas Cage ditched the name, but Sofia, as Coppola's daughter, can't.
How tough is it to make the world respect a silver-spoon kid?
…
The smear war between *
Meanwhile, another flick swooped in like a vulture—*
It premiered in North America on June 22nd, went global on the 23rd, and by June 20th, it had pre-sold 10.87 million tickets.
At an average ticket price of $5.34, that's over $58 million in pre-sales two days before release—smashing *
No doubt, those last two days—21st and 22nd—would push it even higher, breaking records left and right.
Economic slumps always spark an entertainment boom. *
Then came June 21st—*
It flopped. Hard. Across 3,089 screens, it scraped together just $3.12 million opening day—way below expectations.
Its ripple in Hollywood was weaker than a random Manhattan company's press release.
Dunn Capital dropped two bombshells: First, they raised $100 million. Second, they shelled out $80 million for a 5% stake in Hasbro, landing Dunn Walker a seat on their board.
Hollywood was buzzing about Dunn's Hasbro obsession.
They'd already teamed up strategically with Dunn Films—now Dunn Capital's buying in big? Sounds like a full-on alliance.
All that fuss over a few toy rights?
But the U.S. media zeroed in harder—and wider—on Dunn's massive bet on Elon Musk's gig.
$100 million? In this tech stock crash? Even at the bubble's peak, no one'd toss that much at a one-year-old startup.
What's Dunn up to?
Gone nuts?
Not just for headlines, right?
Theories flew everywhere!
Back during Dunn's PR crisis, he'd cut a hush-hush deal with Wall Street: he'd pour cash into tech to boost investor faith; they'd scrub his image clean.
Win-win.
Now Dunn Capital's finally moving—and yeah, the company's a head-scratcher. Not a single Wall Street outfit rates it high.
But Dunn kept his word and invested, didn't he?
With Dunn stepping up, Wall Street pounced—riding his wave to win back investors' trust.
Cue the splashy coverage, digging into the financing's juicy details with eye-grabbing headlines:
*"Hotshot newcomer Dunn Capital just wrapped its third funding round, raking in over $100 million. Post-financing, original shareholders' stakes will shrink big-time, with Dunn Capital snagging 55% control!"*
*"You've gotta break big to build big. As the dot-com bubble bursts and investors ditch tech, this year's stock market darling—famed director Dunn Walker—swings in with a jaw-dropping move that's rocking the nation!"*
*"Some might scoff—'Dunn's clueless, just goofing around!' Really? Don't forget: he's the Stock God. He *never* flops on investments! Movies? Nailed it every time. Last year's internet play, Google? Thriving."*
*"Google's clocking 18 million searches daily now—the web's top search hub. Yahoo ditched Inktomi for Google as its default engine. Plus, Google's AdWords—complete with a bidding system—jacked up revenue. Post-crash, they turned a profit in Q2! That's Dunn's vision at work."*
*"The economy's grim, but the Stock God's actions scream: tech's not dead! Rough patches pass—bright days are ahead! Seize the moment, invest in NASDAQ. Who knows? You could be the next Dunn, the next Stock God!"*
…
Oh, and one more thing turned heads.
On June 21, 2000, Apple pulled off its second stock split since 1987.
One share became two, dropping the price from $19.88 to $9.94.
And it's ticking up a bit overall.