November 26.
Just days before Fa Mulan premieres nationwide, Treasure Planet has raked in $157 million at the box office—a blow, yes, but still profitable enough to keep Disney in the game, continuing its high-stakes bets, its bold new animation designs, and the daring improvements it imposed on the industry. Now, it was moving forward with a female-led film, seemingly an upward punch to shift the world's gaze—and perhaps even spotlight Disney under a different light. A turbulent revolt of low blows and sharp contrasts, one that might very well mark the end of an era… for the birth of another.
A new animation giant.
Los Angeles, CA — In a historic turn that has shaken the entertainment industry, Lux Animation, a rising company founded in 1990 and headquartered in San Jose, California, has surpassed Disney in global earnings and audience reach, becoming the most valuable animation company in the world. With a model that merges 3D and 2D animation, multicultural storytelling, and revolutionary animation techniques, Lux Animation hasn't just broken box office records—it's redefined what storytelling means in the 21st century.
While Disney seems lost in introspection, the animated film war appears to favor Billy Carson's company, which has achieved what once seemed impossible. His films have won over fans across the globe, and his latest hit, Toy Story 2, shattered every box office record before it, grossing a total of $1.1 billion worldwide, becoming the most-watched movie in history, dethroning Jurassic Park. The young man has been the catalyst for the decade's sweeping changes.
How did he dethrone Disney?
Global narratives, local production: Lux Animation invests in regional studios, telling stories from various cultures and enriching them with what's now called a fresh narrative line.
Hybrid animation: Combining traditional techniques like watercolor and stop-motion with cutting-edge 3D animation to build hypnotic visual worlds, all crafted by artists unafraid to take risks.
We love Disney films, but Lux Animation dares to explore the untried—what many forget and few dare to see—a constant challenge to improve. Meanwhile, Disney's traditional development seems to drown in its legacy.
—Los Angeles News.
By Lucas Walters.
…
The newspapers hit with hurricane force, shaking Disney stock by two extra points as competition rattled the public's perception of the company.
Billy was pacing the hallway, a habit now, walking as he sorted through thoughts. The next films were going to be a huge leap. But that didn't matter now.
He glanced toward the set. They were about to shoot. It was early morning—maybe 4 a.m.—and cold, but the scene had to be filmed while the city slept. The final scene. The climax for Kevin Lomax. A moment that stuck with the skin.
Monica watched from afar, wide-eyed, already in wardrobe, already slipping into the scene about to unfold. It was a long take—at least nine minutes—but the director didn't need to push his actors. They were already moving in perfect rhythm.
—Take 2, scene 159.—
INT. MILTON'S APARTMENT – NIGHT
The room's only light comes from the massive bas-relief. Kevin steps out of the elevator and into the room.
MILTON (O.S.): You're right about one thing… I've been watching. Couldn't help it. Watching, waiting, holding my breath. But I'm not a puppeteer, Kevin...
Milton appears out of nowhere, brushing past Kevin. It's just a green screen and a cinematic pause, giving everything a dreamy, theatrical feel.
MILTON: …I don't make things happen. That's not how it works. Free will is like a butterfly's wings: touch them, and they never fly. I just set the stage. You pull your strings.
Kevin holds a gun—Cullen's gun—in his hand...
KEVIN: What did you do to Mary Ann?
MILTON: A gun? In here?
KEVIN: What did you do to my wife?
There's a buried rage in him—something allegorical, stage-like in its gestures. Billy leans forward, threatening, and Al Pacino—dancing, mocking—lights up against the raw aggression.
MILTON: On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most depraved acts of sexual theater, one a typical Friday night rehearsal at the Lomax home—I'd say…
(pause)
Six.
Kevin FIRES THE GUN... BANG! BANG! BANG! The bullets pass through him, slam into the wall...
MILTON: Wow! Got me! Damn! (laughs) That's my boy. Keep it up! Stay angry! Hold on to that rage, Kevin—it's your last fig leaf.
Kevin lowers the gun. Tension hums at his side. His performance is astonishing—each beat electric, each moment becoming what they all hoped for. Sweat clings to him.
KEVIN: Who are you?
MILTON: I've never lost a case. Why? Because you're good? Sure. But why?
KEVIN: Because you're my father.
MILTON: I'm a bit more than that. Hot in that courtroom, huh?! 'What's the plan, Kevin?' (Reporter voice) 'It was a good run, Kevin. Had to end someday.'
KEVIN: Who are you?
MILTON: I go by many names.
The mockery lands like ink.
KEVIN: Satan.
MILTON: Call me Dad.
KEVIN: Mary Ann, Barzoon, Weaver…
MILTON: Come on. You're not listening. You blame me for Mary Ann? You must be joking. You could've saved her anytime. All she wanted was love. But you knew it wouldn't work, didn't you? Mary Ann in New York? Admit it—you were looking for a better deal from day one.
KEVIN: Lie.
MILTON: Look, it's not that you didn't care. You just had your attention on someone else: yourself.
KEVIN: What the hell do you know about love?
MILTON: Biochemically, it's no different than eating lots of chocolate.
(Now sharper)
Don't be a fool. There's only one real disease in creation: self-deception. I told you to take care of your wife, that the world would understand. And you made a choice. "You know what scares me, John? I leave the case, she gets better—and I hate her for it…"
Remember?
KEVIN: You set me up. It's a trap.
MILTON: Who told you to go all in for Mr. Gettys? And Moyez… the road you took… Snake charmers, Popes, swamis—all feeding at the same trough… Whose ideas were those? And then Cullen, knowing he's guilty, seeing those photos, putting that liar on the stand… What did I say, Kevin? Maybe it's time to lose one, right? You didn't believe that.
KEVIN: That's my job. That's what I do!
MILTON: Exactly!
(Gotcha)
Vanity is my favorite sin. Self-love. It's so basic.
What a drug. Cheap, all-natural, and always within reach. Pride. That's where you shine. And believe me—I get it. Work for someone else? —Hey, I couldn't stand it either. "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."
KEVIN: What do you want from me?
MILTON: What do I want? I want you to finally be yourself.
INT. MILTON'S APARTMENT – NIGHT 253
(EFX) The bas-relief walls of writhing bodies in marble clouds start to stir.
I've had many children, Kevin. So many disappointments. Neurotic, hesitant wannabes. Overzealous, clumsy butchers. Addicted, priapic losers. And then there's you. Your mother, I promise you, exceeded even my wildest fantasy. That church she dragged you to? Every day? What training. What a challenge. Incredible what you've achieved. How far you've come.
Both of you. You and your sister. Christabella emerges from behind the bar.
It's the whisper of madness passing through.
MILTON: Half-sister, technically.
CHRISTABELLA: Surprise.
Monica is in a blood-red dress, sheer enough to show her bare body beneath. Her breasts are visible, her flirtation radiating—a riot of desire in herself.
MILTON: What do you think, Kevin? What a scene!
CHRISTABELLA
(brushing past Kevin)
Don't let it scare you.
MILTON: Wait till you meet her mother.
KEVIN: This is a test, isn't it? The whole game—you, sitting there, keeping score.
MILTON: No. That's the other guy. I don't judge anyone. In my opinion? Everybody wins.
MILTON: God is your prankster, kid. Think about it. He gives man instincts. Hands him this incredible gift and then—swear to God—just for laughs, for his own private cosmic gag reel, he sets the rules against it. It's the ultimate joke. Look but don't touch. Touch but don't taste. Taste but don't swallow. And while you're jumping from foot to foot, he's up there laughing his divine ass off! He's a tightwad. A sadist. An absentee landlord!
(in disbelief)
Worship that? Never.
(EFX) The bas-relief grows stranger, more seductive—bodies shifting, emerging—
MILTON: I'm here, on the ground, in the mix from the start. Why? Because I love men. And now, it's my time. Our time.
CHRISTABELLA: Anyone want a drink? I'm having one.
KEVIN: This is quite a speech. You must need me. What do you want?
MILTON: Eddie was right. Your name's on the partnership charter. I want you to take over the firm. You and your sister.
KEVIN: That's it?
MILTON: No. (brushing his hand across his cheek)
She's ovulating. Right now.
KEVIN: What?
MILTON: Your vanity's justified, Kevin. You're the seed of a new future. Your son will sit at every head table. You have a place in history now.
KEVIN: You want a child.
MILTON: I want a family.
KEVIN: The Antichrist.
MILTON: Call it what you want…
KEVIN: But I have to volunteer.
Christabella begins undressing.
MILTON: Free will. What a joke.
(pause)
I need a family. I need more presence at the board. I'm busy. I need help. There's a plan. I've been saving my energy. Synergy. Prioritize.
It's the millennium, Kevin. Fight for the title. Round twenty. I'm ready to go.
KEVIN: What are you offering?
MILTON: Are we negotiating?
KEVIN: Always.
MILTON: Yes!
KEVIN: What are you offering?
MILTON: Everything! Anything! All of it! (He's hooked.) What do I offer? I offer happiness. Instant happiness. Remote-controlled joy. Barrel-aged bliss. That first line of cocaine. That moment of walking into a stranger's room. The jury's back in thirty-eight minutes. Freedom. Revolution. Long live the cause!
—CUT.—
The collective breath was tremendous. Only five minutes left to film the concluding finale.
He was soaked in sweat, but he couldn't change costumes now. He inhaled deeply—each word etched into his mind like scripture. Every beat, crafted for a flawless performance.
....