Dunn was flipping through a performance report from GA Toys, and it was good news.
Since April this year, GA Toys had rolled out their bold new "Bezz Dolls" fashion line, taking a swing at the iconic Barbie doll.
In terms of design, Bezz Dolls ditched the classic Barbie look—no more blonde hair, blue eyes, sugary smile, or that unrealistically perfect figure that'd been the standard for forty years.
Instead, these dolls came in all skin tones, representing different ethnicities, with edgy outfits and a vibrant energy that screamed "Spice Girls"—the mega-popular British singing group.
And sure enough, in an era where individuality ruled and girls were all about self-expression, Bezz Dolls hit the ground running. Within six months of launching, they'd racked up over $20 million in sales across North America.
That number was still less than one percent of what their rival, Mattel, pulled in.
But for the 7-to-12 age group, these street-style Bezz Dolls had dethroned Barbie as the "queen of dolls" in just half a year. They even sparked an "anti-Barbie" wave.
Take Taylor Swift, for example.
That little firecracker once gave Dunn a heart attack!
She'd tossed a Barbie into the microwave, proudly declaring she was done with the "idiot era!"
The stench was so bad, he thought something was on fire.
Anyway, Bezz Dolls were off to a killer start!
With a 49% stake in GA Toys, Dunn added another shiny feather to his investment cap.
He'd originally gone after Mattel because they were Disney's lapdog.
So, he wasn't expecting a random call from Michael Eisner.
"What's up?"
Dunn kept his tone as calm as he could.
Michael Eisner, ever the polished Disney bigwig, replied coolly, "Nothing major. Just giving you a heads-up—Kirk Douglas reached out to me. He's planning to come after you during awards season and wants me to back him up with some media spin."
"Huh?" Dunn thought he'd misheard. "And you said yes?"
"I didn't say no."
Dunn's voice chilled. "Mr. Eisner, should I take this as a threat?"
"That's your call, not mine. I'm Disney's CEO—I only care about Disney's interests. Favors, appearances, none of that matters to me." Eisner's tone was steady, measured, and firm.
"Hmm?"
Dunn's mind raced. Appearances don't matter? That wasn't Eisner's usual style!
He caught the hidden meaning in those words and, after a brief pause, chuckled. "Michael, we've had our fair share of misunderstandings over the past year or so, haven't we?"
Eisner's voice warmed up fast. "We don't talk much—no real chance to clear the air. It's all just meddling from outsiders and media hype."
Dunn burst out laughing. "Mr. Eisner, full disclosure—a few months back, Roy Disney actually met with me."
"You didn't seal the deal, though, did you?"
Eisner sounded smugly confident.
Roy Disney had tried flexing his muscles on the board multiple times, only to get shut down hard by Eisner. If Roy had managed to snag a heavy hitter like Dunn from the content world, they'd have teamed up ages ago.
True enough—after waiting nearly six months with no word from Roy, Dunn was getting antsy.
Especially now that Comcast was sniffing around, hinting at a Disney takeover.
In his past life, Comcast's bid for Disney flopped. But this version of Disney was in worse shape—way more battered. With the butterfly effect in play, Dunn couldn't bet on that failure repeating itself.
Lately, he'd been piecing things together, connecting the dots. The bigger picture was coming into focus.
Comcast and Viacom were tight—major partners and cross-shareholders. AB Group's slump and Disney's stock dive? Blame Sumner Redstone's Viacom. Comcast wanted Dunn to help tank Disney's stock even further. And now Comcast was eyeing a Disney buyout…
It all smelled like a grand chess move by Comcast!
They were rallying forces to carve up Disney like a juicy steak.
Dunn wasn't having it.
Sure, Sumner Redstone might've been the MVP in crippling Disney, but Dunn had done his part—crushing Disney's films at the box office.
Paramount's Mission: Impossible 2, What Women Want, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider had nibbled at Disney's market share, but it was small potatoes.
Dunn Studios was the real heavy hitter!
Disney was a goldmine—whoever grabbed it first would come out on top.
With Roy Disney dragging his feet, Dunn couldn't afford to wait any longer. He had to lock in what he wanted before Comcast finished integrating AT&T's cable assets from their recent merger.
If Comcast made an official offer, Disney's shareholders would jump in, debating the merger.
At that point, all of Disney's external deals would grind to a halt.
Everything Dunn had worked for over the past year could end up gift-wrapped for Comcast.
That wasn't the outcome he wanted.
No time to waste—time waits for no one!
Dunn's tone softened, turning friendly. "Mr. Eisner, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Last month, I wanted to take a colleague's kid to Disneyland, but it was closed. She's still giving me grief about it."
"Oh, that must've been 9/11!" Eisner sighed. "No choice there—FBI and CIA orders. They wanted a full sweep for Middle Eastern visitors. You know, Disneyland's a prime tourist spot."
Even Eisner sounded frustrated.
The feds had combed through every camera in the park, matching lip movements, and found a few Arabic speakers—none of them terrorists.
It tanked Disney's bottom line big time.
"What about now? I'm thinking of taking her this weekend," Dunn said.
Eisner's pulse quickened.
This wasn't just about a park visit.
Was it an olive branch? A hint at collaboration?
"No problem!" Eisner jumped in. "I'll handle it myself—limit the crowd… Nah, scratch that. I'll tag along, show you around!"
Dunn grinned. "Haha, Mr. Eisner, much appreciated!"
---
Little Taylor was buzzing with excitement, hopping around and chattering nonstop the whole way. She didn't even care that Dunn had brought along a stunning beauty, Anne Hasegawa.
Disneyland's pull on kids was unreal.
Anne was rocking a white tracksuit with pink trim, a baseball cap shading half her gorgeous face, and oversized sunglasses that left only her perfect smile visible.
The girl knew how to dress.
When Michael Eisner met her and Dunn introduced her as Anne Hasegawa, his expression was priceless.
Dunn stifled a laugh, sending Anne off with Taylor to play. Then he turned to Eisner with a grin. "Congrats, man! Monsters, Inc. is killing it at the box office!"
Disney-distributed Monsters, Inc. had exploded on release. For the past four weeks, A Beautiful Mind had held the North American box office crown, raking in over $110 million. But now, it looked like Monsters, Inc. would end that streak.
Eisner was thrilled—sure, Pixar made the film, but it was a much-needed boost for Disney's sluggish movie biz.
"Clownish stuff, not my thing," Eisner said, brushing off animation. He never thought cartoon characters had soul. Changing gears, he added, "Oh, by the way, tonight's episode eight of Band of Brothers, right?"
"You watch Band of Brothers?"
"Been hooked since episode one—amazing stuff! If Pearl Harbor had that kind of quality, it wouldn't have flopped so hard."
Dunn's grin widened. He glanced over at Anne and Taylor riding a carousel and shouted, "Hey, careful! Don't fall!"
Taylor flashed a huge, happy smile and waved her little hand.
Eisner raised an eyebrow, surprised.
Dunn smirked at him. "A while back, I met with Roy Disney."
"I know," Eisner said, squinting.
"He wants you out."
"I know."
"I asked for the adaptation rights to Disney's animated films. He said no."
"What?"
Eisner froze, staring at him in shock.