Just as Dunn had expected, his speech caused a massive stir. When he bowed and stepped off the stage, nearly the entire room rose to their feet, showering him with enthusiastic applause.
"You were amazing!" Natalie gave him a light hug as he came down, her praise genuine.
Dunn smiled. "Thanks."
Natalie sighed. "If only it were real."
Dunn's expression shifted slightly. After sitting down, he turned to her and said quietly, "Nat, you've got to understand—Hollywood's almost a hundred years old. It's a stubborn old beast. Changing its entrenched rules is a tall order."
Natalie nodded gently. "I know. But… like you said, it's a new era. Hollywood's oppression of women is just too much."
Dunn frowned. "Are you calling me out?"
Natalie took his hand and shook her head. "No. In my eyes, you're already pretty decent."
"Decent?"
Dunn chuckled, amused. He knew himself well enough to realize he didn't deserve such a noble label.
Natalie bit her lip. "Dunn, you know what? I've heard a lot of stories. So many actresses have been… hurt by big shots. It's criminal! But to keep their careers going, most of them just swallow it and stay quiet."
Dunn's gaze sharpened.
He didn't need to name names—Harvey Weinstein was the poster child for that kind of scum!
Compared to trash like that, Dunn's little flaws were nothing worth mentioning.
Plus, Dunn was young, handsome, loaded, and dripping with talent—a dream date for plenty of women.
Rather than him exploiting actresses, it was more like actresses were trying to work him.
Dunn squeezed her hand tightly, his voice soft but firm. "Honey, trust me. Even if I can't flip Hollywood upside down, I'll damn sure drag some fresh ideas into this creaky old town!"
After the forum wrapped, a swarm of reporters rushed in, boxing Dunn and Natalie in. "Ms. Portman, are you a feminist warrior?"
Natalie's delicate brow furrowed slightly, but she smiled. "I'll stand up for any woman's rights whenever I can."
"Mr. Walker, this is a shock—are you really a feminist too?"
The question had a teasing edge. Dunn kept his cool, replying evenly, "Not surprising at all. Freedom, democracy, fairness, equality—that's what the new century's all about. Gender shouldn't change how we treat people. I've got a lot of female friends, and I want them to have more rights."
After a few more questions, Dunn and Natalie's answers were airtight. Finally, one reporter couldn't hold back. "Dunn, you slammed Disney hard in your speech. Are you using feminism as a weapon for revenge?"
"Revenge? I'm not sure what you mean." Dunn's lips twitched into a faint smirk, his face calm. "Disney's movies don't even compare to Dunn Pictures'. I'm strong, they're weak—what's there to avenge?"
Natalie chimed in with a smile, twisting the knife. "Sir, maybe you haven't checked the box office lately? Heh, Dunn Pictures' $5 million Memento just crushed Disney's $21 million Coyote Ugly. Revenge doesn't really fit here."
The reporter opened his mouth to push back, but Dunn cut him off, his tone firm. "Let me say it again: there's no bad blood between Dunn Pictures and Disney. Stop stirring up rumors, media folks. Hollywood's vibe is chill—Dunn Pictures and Disney are just competing normally in the market, nothing more!"
"My speech did touch on some Disney products, sure, but I'm just calling it like I see it. Barbie's warped figure? That's gotta go—it's outdated. If Disney wants their animation to take off again, they need a major overhaul in their princesses' looks, style, and vibe. That said, Mulan was solid!"
Natalie grinned and added, "Oh yeah, I love Mulan. That's the kind of template Disney animation should chase."
Truth was, she'd never even seen it.
Michael Eisner listened to his assistant's report, his face dark and his mood sour.
Dunn's tactics had caught him off guard again.
He'd turned a feminist forum into a counterstrike!
With the new century kicking in, feminist vibes were already heating up. Dunn throwing fuel on that fire just made it blaze hotter.
It was a total win-win!
Feminism got a huge boost thanks to Dunn, and Dunn rode that wave to push his own agenda to the max.
In just a few days, the "Disney Princess" toy line—previously a hot seller—started piling up unsold.
Barbie got it even worse. Protests—"Anti-Barbie" marches—popped up in places like New York, Boston, and San Francisco!
Mattel scrambled, holding an emergency press conference, promising to roll out "healthier" Barbie dolls that fit the market and feminist trends to calm everyone down.
But even then, Dunn's words—amped up by feminist media—dealt a blow to Barbie's image like never before.
Dunn's move was brutal!
It left no room to breathe!
Thankfully, while Dunn had thrown some shade, he'd also tossed Mulan a bone, keeping Disney from catching too much flak.
As the highest-grossing director ever and a billionaire filmmaker, Dunn's influence was massive. If he'd gone after Disney as hard as he did Mattel, the feminist brigade might've come for them too—and the fallout would've been ugly.
Disney wasn't Mattel—Mattel's market cap was peanuts!
Disney's was over $50 billion. If something this big hit them, losing a few billion overnight would be par for the course!
A disaster like that could shake Michael Eisner's throne!
Only now did he fully grasp Dunn's power!
He wasn't sure why Dunn had held back at the last second, sparing Disney the worst, but one thing was clear: this weird, hostile competition with Dunn Pictures had to end.
Dunn had a legion of young fans behind him, and now the feminist alliance too—his clout was off the charts!
Whatever the reason, Dunn hadn't gone for the kill this time, and Eisner had to appreciate that.
Call Dunn up?
Eisner gave a bitter chuckle. Not exactly a fond memory.
Then his assistant piped up—Mattel was begging for help, demanding Disney hit Dunn Pictures with the harshest sanctions!
Eisner snorted, a cold laugh escaping. "Hollywood's our turf—no outsiders get a say! Tell Mattel I've got it handled!"
The assistant got it instantly, feeling a pang of pity for Mattel's mess.
That's the life of a hired gun!
But what shocked him more was the boss's vibe—looked like he was ready to throw in the towel with Dunn completely.
Sure enough, Eisner muttered to himself, "That Dunn kid… too damn stubborn…"
The assistant's eyes flicked, and he lowered his voice. "Boss, everyone knows Dunn's got a thing for actresses."
Eisner glared at him. "You mocking Britney?"
"No, Little Sweetie's… uh, too out there. Plus, she's just a singer. Dunn's power's still in movies—he can't touch the music scene yet."
"Hmm?"
Eisner's eyes lit up, a lightbulb going off.
That Dunn kid was sharp—kept his cards close!
The assistant whispered, "Boss, back in April, Dunn got hit with an FBI probe. A few Hollywood folks came at him hard. One of them was a girl—Anne Hathaway."
"Anne Hathaway?"
Eisner's brow arched. He didn't have a great impression of her.
An actress publicly blasting a director? Bad precedent.
He was an old-school Hollywood power broker. Even if he was at odds with Dunn, and even if Anne Hathaway had been speaking up for Disney, a low-tier actress challenging a top director wasn't something he could stomach.
The assistant didn't overthink it, jumping in quick. "She was auditioning for The Princess Diaries back then and landed the lead. Now, that movie's two days from shooting."
Eisner didn't like Hathaway breaking the rules. After a moment's thought, he said firmly, "That Dunn kid's still out east filming?"
The assistant replied, "Heard… he might be back. Michael Ovitz pulled in a huge haul from Wall Street—$300 million? $500 million? Tons of studios are scrambling to talk with Legendary Pictures. Dunn's the mastermind behind it—he's gotta be back for those negotiations."
Eisner sighed. Disney teaming up with Legendary Pictures on that portfolio investment deal? Dead in the water—at least for now.
"Tell Anne… she's got to go to Dunn herself and beg his forgiveness!"
"She goes alone? That's—"
Eisner cut in, his commanding edge flaring. "Tell her—whatever it takes, she's got to get Dunn to forgive her. There's no room for saints in Hollywood! If she screws this up, notify The Princess Diaries crew—replace the lead!"
Disney's deep pockets didn't sweat a little breach-of-contract payout for the Princess Diaries star.
This was about sending a message!
Back when Dunn laid out his terms—Disney had to lift the ban first, then explain and apologize—Eisner wasn't about to grovel to some upstart.
Anne Hathaway, the rule-breaker, was the perfect chip to play.
On one hand, it'd teach her a lesson—authority in Hollywood isn't to be messed with!
On the other, it'd be Disney's statement. Handing her over to Dunn? That was their explanation—and their apology.