Brothers in Arms holds a status in television history that far surpasses Titanic in film history!
Sure, Titanic has its peers among classic movies—like Gone with the Wind, E.T., or Avatar. But in TV history? Nothing comes close to Brothers in Arms. Not even Game of Thrones, with all its global hype, can hold a candle to it.
In its previous life, HBO and Showtime were the two titans of cable TV, neck and neck in the market. HBO, under Chris Albrecht's leadership, invested in hit shows like The Sopranos and Sex and the City, giving it a slight edge. But that lead wasn't huge.
It wasn't until HBO bankrolled Brothers in Arms and secured its North American broadcast rights that the cable TV landscape truly shifted. The moment Brothers in Arms aired, it caused a sensation. HBO's viewership skyrocketed… closing in on 15 million subscribers!
And these weren't the free viewers who tuned into Spider-Man on TA Network a few days ago. HBO's numbers were all paying subscribers! In other words, this one show more than doubled HBO's subscriber base, leaving Showtime in the dust.
Fast forward ten years, and the gap only widened. HBO subscribers were spending over $79 per month on average, while Showtime users averaged less than $18. Showtime's audience didn't commit to year-round subscriptions—they'd sign up for a month or two to binge a hot show and then dip. There was no comparison to HBO's dominance.
Brothers in Arms became a turning point in American cable TV history. It was a groundbreaking miniseries!
Now, Brothers in Arms was firmly in Dunn's hands, and it was the reason he felt so confident about TA Network.
Of course, there was a catch. For this to work, TA Network needed to stay under the radar from May to September, avoiding any dirty tricks from Sumner Redstone's Viacom empire.
In today's North American market, HBO reigned as the top cable network—no question. But HBO's parent company, Time Warner, wasn't in direct conflict with TA Network. Any competition would come down to content.
And content? That was the one thing Dunn wasn't afraid of. His mind was a treasure trove of classic ideas.
TA Network's real rival was Viacom's Showtime, so Dunn's top priority during this period was to keep Redstone off his back. Lull him into complacency so he wouldn't make a move against TA Network.
Then, Dunn would drop Brothers in Arms like a surprise attack, swooping in out of nowhere to cement TA Network's status and influence in the cable world. By the time Redstone realized what was happening, it'd be too late to fight back.
But here's the kicker—turns out Tosca Musk had seen this coming too.
And she'd even leveraged her one and only product, the animated Fantastic Four, to make a play. Her foresight was jaw-dropping!
Dunn dropped his usual high-and-mighty lecturing tone. For the first time, he felt like discussing things with her as an equal.
In the past, whenever Dunn treated someone as an equal, it was because his foresight told him they were destined to be a big deal—think Spielberg, Cameron, Bill McNickle, Ron Meyer, Jobs, or Elon Musk.
But Tosca Musk? In his past life, she was a nobody!
Still, after nearly a year of working together, Dunn was almost certain of one thing: this beautiful woman sitting in front of him was a hidden gem, buried in the sands of Hollywood in his previous life.
Dunn stepped away from his boss's chair and plopped down on the sofa across from Tosca Musk. With a slight smile, he said, "Go on?"
Tosca Musk couldn't have been happier. She quietly clenched her fist under the table.
That feeling of being recognized? It was amazing!
Even though Dunn hadn't said much, she could tell his view of her had fundamentally shifted.
That was no small feat!
Especially for a beautiful woman like her.
Tosca took a deep breath, flashing a charming smile. "The first two points were from a big-picture perspective. The third is about the long-term strategy for Sillywood Animation."
"Eight million dollars for broadcast rights isn't a lot, sure, but that's just North America. We've still got overseas markets and the DVD market. I'm confident that with the quality of Fantastic Four, we can recoup a $30 million investment."
"The real key is that Sillywood Animation can use Nickelodeon as a springboard to break into the scene and build a name. With Disney Channel consolidating its hold, Nickelodeon's going to have to slash prices even more to stay relevant in the kids' market. They'll end up as a bargain-bin TV channel."
"To keep viewers hooked, Nickelodeon will rerun Fantastic Four like crazy in the short term. Don't ask me how I know—I just have faith in my product. That's free exposure for us. More people will get to know Sillywood Animation Studios."
Dunn gave her a half-smile. "So, publicity's more important than profit?"
Tosca replied, "For a company, profit's king. But what's even better than profit? Bigger profit. That's where publicity comes in."
Dunn chuckled and shook his head. "Looks like you're dead-set on making an animated movie."
"Absolutely, I'm all in on this!" Tosca's expression turned serious.
Dunn didn't push back with his usual skepticism this time. He just nodded lightly. "The comic adaptation?"
"Yep, Bone Adventures."
Tosca grinned.
Dunn let out a soft "Hmm."
After their chat, Dunn had someone dig into Bone Adventures. Turns out, it was one of the most popular comic series among American kids right now.
It follows the Bone siblings—goody-two-shoes "Bone", adventure-junkie "BonE", and lovable "Bone". They escape their hometown and embark on a whimsical, funny, fantasy-filled journey.
It definitely had adaptation potential.
"So, what's your plan for this movie?"
Tosca's eyes sparkled. "While working on Fantastic Four, we gained a ton of animation experience and even developed two patented software tools. But Sillywood Animation's team is still too small. To make a big movie, we need more effects artists and animators. So… I'm thinking of just buying a special effects company outright."
Dunn raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Big ambitions!"
Tosca shrugged casually. "I ditched everything in Silicon Valley to come to Hollywood. I'm not here just to punch a clock."
Dunn grinned. "Which company are you eyeing?"
Right now, Hollywood had four major effects houses:
First, there's Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic—the granddaddy of special effects.
Second, PDI (Pacific Data Images), which DreamWorks Animation scooped up last year as they pivoted to CG animation.
Third, Digital Domain, founded by James Cameron, the go-to for effects in Titanic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Unsinkable.
Fourth, Rhythm & Hues Studios, around since 1987 with a solid rep. They handled effects for Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men.
But with the rise of movie effects, special effects companies were popping up like mushrooms after rain. Hollywood alone had over 30, and even the tiny UK film scene had 7.
The competition was brutal!
Tosca said, "I'm looking at Cinesite, under Eastman Kodak. They've worked on the Mission: Impossible series and chipped in on some Narnia effects."
Dunn raised an eyebrow. "They're pretty small-time, right? Never heard of them."
Tosca laughed, half-exasperated. "Big boss, I'd love to buy a powerhouse effects company too, but are you gonna give me the cash for that? I'm trying to make a big movie and buy a company. Without a $100 million injection, it's not happening!"
Dunn seemed to tune out her sarcastic jab, stroking his chin with his eyes half-closed, muttering to himself. "Sony Pictures has Sony Imageworks, DreamWorks nabbed PDI, and Twentieth Century Fox has Blue Sky Studios for effects… An effects company might actually be worth it."
"Huh?"
Tosca's eyes widened, picking up on something in his words.
Dunn kept mumbling to himself for a bit, lost in thought. After a couple of minutes, he finally spoke up. "What do you think of Digital Domain?"
"Mr. Cameron's Digital Domain?" Tosca's face lit up with excitement. "That'd be amazing! They're the best in the biz for fluid effects—better than ILM in that department!"
"Fluid effects?"
"Dynamic effects! It's the biggest boost for CG animated movies!"
Dunn smiled. "Alright, then let's go with Digital Domain. No point in messing around with small fry—if we're doing this, we're doing it big!"
Tosca was so pumped she could barely sit still. "But acquiring them won't be easy, right? They're in their prime right now."
Dunn waved it off. "Don't worry about that. James is the majority shareholder—one word from him, and it's done. As for the other two co-founders, Stan Winston and Scott Ross, they're sharp guys. They'll see that teaming up with Dunn Films beats going it alone any day."
Special effects companies had been a hot trend for a while, but the industry was too small to sustain.
With Hollywood's demand, there was no need for 30+ effects shops. It was obvious that in the coming years, a bunch of them would go under.
And that's exactly what happened.
Over the next 15 years, three of Hollywood's current top four effects companies went bankrupt. The only survivor, Industrial Light & Magic, ended up as a dowry when Lucasfilm got sold to Disney.
Effects were always just a supporting act in movies. Without control over their own destiny, these companies struggled to survive.
It's like the difference between indie film studios and the Big Six. Distribution channels were how the giants dominated Hollywood. Indie studios were stuck as sidekicks, their room to breathe shrinking until they collapsed.
No indie studio ever escaped that fate—not even MGM, once a global sensation.
Unless, of course, you were Sony Pictures, snagging Columbia, or Dunn Films, eyeing Universal…