He put down the script for *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, and the atmosphere in Dunn's office was a bit tense. Nia Vardalos was also quite nervous.
Dunn cleared his throat. "Let's hear your thoughts. Manola, you go first."
Manola Dargis, who rarely smiled as if everyone owed her money, said, "The storyline is excellent. It creates a warm romantic conflict through the different customs of two ethnicities and uses the camera to document the life of an American subculture. This not only aligns with mainstream American values but has always been a favorite of the Oscars."
Dunn's eyes lit up. "Are you saying... this story has a chance to be nominated for an Oscar?"
Manola Dargis nodded. "Of course. As I said, subculture families are a timeless topic in Hollywood. In the past, there was *The Godfather*. This year's Oscars also have films like *Jerry Maguire* and *Secrets & Lies*, which are similar dramas. But this script... isn't outstanding enough yet. It has few laughs, the plot is cliché, and the theme is shallow. It needs some revisions."
Dunn was very pleased and smiled. "Manola, that's your job. I trust you can guide Nia to improve this script, right?"
Manola Dargis shrugged. "It's my job!"
Dunn was extremely excited. He knew *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* was a classic example in Hollywood of a small film making it big. However, the original team lacked talent, and the film's quality ended up like a Hong Kong movie, wasting a great story. Otherwise, it could have achieved even greater success.
Now, with this script landing in his hands by chance, Dunn was determined to leave his deep imprint on it.
"Andrew, what do you think?" Dunn was confident in his strategy, dividing responsibilities among his talents.
Andrew O'Hair was a film fanatic, watching an average of seven movies a day, with a profound understanding of the film market, second to none in Hollywood!
"The story structure is excellent—heartwarming conflicts, tearful laughter. These are the biggest selling points of family dramas and comedies. The male and female leads, through a grand Greek wedding, highlight the conflict and bring the warmth to life. If you strip away the soap opera elements typical of family dramas and add a lot of charming exoticism, I'm sure this story will deeply resonate with moviegoers! Of course, it needs a better script."
For the first time, the artistic analyst and market analyst agreed, and the remarkable success of *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* in the previous life also proved the correctness and wisdom of Dunn's team-building approach.
"Alright then, the script is in your hands. Manola, you and Andrew need to work well together, balancing the artistic and commercial aspects! Um... but let's prioritize Andrew's opinion since what we're most concerned about this time is the box office."
Dunn quickly formed a "writing team" and then called in his production assistant, Glenn Fierro.
"Glenn, take a look at this script. Of course, it's just a first draft. How much do you think the film would need in terms of investment?"
Glenn Fierro's expertise in "project evaluation" was rated 94, and "casting" 97—skills that were unparalleled in Hollywood.
He skimmed through the script and asked, "Boss, are you aiming for awards... or just box office?"
The question was very professional, and Dunn didn't quite understand. "What do you mean?"
Glenn Fierro explained, "If it's an awards contender, the investment can't be too low. There's a lot of attention to be paid to the visuals and color scheme, and the actors' performances need to meet Oscar standards. Multiple takes, extended post-production, and top-tier actors all require significant budget expenditures."
Dunn nodded. "And what if it's just about the box office?"
Glenn Fierro chuckled, "Then it's simple. Moviegoers don't understand film art, camera language, or the philosophy behind visuals. As long as the actors aren't terrible, it's fine. So, as long as the story is well told, everything else can be more flexible."
Dunn couldn't help but smirk. "What's the budget for each?"
Glenn Fierro thought for a moment. "This needs calculation, but my preliminary estimate would be around $20 million for an awards contender. If it's just for the box office, $3-5 million should be sufficient."
Twenty million dollars... was a bit high.
Since Dunn currently had no opportunity to acquire Marvel, he naturally had to save funds to invest in the stock market. "What about the cast? Who do you think is suitable?"
In the original work, Nia Vardalos played the female lead herself, but her acting was mediocre, and her looks weren't particularly appealing. Now that she had become Dunn's go-to screenwriter with a stable job, there was no need for her to fight for the lead role. Besides, she was aware of Dunn's ambitions and didn't have the confidence to meet his acting expectations.
"The bigger the star, the better!" Glenn Fierro immediately replied. "Of course, if the budget is limited, you can choose a popular A-list actress to carry the box office and attract attention. After all, male stars are just too expensive."
"Who do you have in mind?"
"Julia Roberts!"
"No way!" Dunn immediately dismissed the idea. "She's at the peak of her career right now. Even if she doesn't demand $20 million, we can't afford her $10 million fee."
Glenn Fierro was silent for a moment. "Any top actor's fee won't be low, especially for a film with such a strong commercial appeal. They won't lower their fees unless..."
Dunn understood what he meant. "Unless the big-name actress is in a slump or... has had several box office failures."
Glenn Fierro smiled. "Exactly. If we offer help when they need it most, we can naturally negotiate a lower fee. The question is, are you willing to take the risk, boss?"
Dunn generously waved his hand. "You can't expect to avoid risk and not spend money either. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I like your thinking. So, tell me, who do you have in mind?"
"Nicole Kidman."
The name Glenn Fierro mentioned stunned everyone present.
She was one of Hollywood's biggest and most famous actresses, with a reputation and influence on par with Julia Roberts!
Nicole Kidman and her husband, Tom Cruise, were the envy of everyone in America—a perfect couple.
*My Big Fat Greek Wedding* was destined to be a low-budget production. Would a star of this caliber even consider it?
Glenn Fierro, sensing everyone's concerns, smiled and said, "Mrs. Cruise's fee is indeed high, but the movies she's starred in recently have been box office disasters. Some even say she's box office poison. I've heard... she's planning to make an art film to transform her career."
"Nicole... a goddess indeed..."
Dunn envisioned working with Nicole Kidman, thinking it would be a win-win situation. "Glenn, you handle the casting. Try to negotiate the lowest possible fee! As for the script, modify the female lead's character to tailor it specifically to Nicole Kidman."
...
Dunn had never worked with Nicole Kidman before, but he knew that Nicole was represented by AA.
"Dunn ? Are you having trouble with the movie?" On the other end of the line, Bryan Lourd immediately sensed Dunn 's thoughts.
Dunn didn't hide anything, "I need to borrow someone from you."
Bryan Lourd laughed, "Go ahead, if it's within my power, I'll make it happen."
Dunn had a good impression of this big shot from AA. "It might be a bit tricky—it's Nicole Kidman."
"Nicole..." Bryan Lourd's voice indeed lowered, "Dunn , Nicole's situation is a bit complicated. She doesn't have any availability in her schedule right now."
Dunn raised an eyebrow, "I haven't heard of Nicole taking on any projects this year."
Bryan Lourd chuckled wryly, "She didn't take any new projects this year. She's been busy with a film she started last year."
"Are you kidding me?" Dunn was incredulous. "It's almost September. What movie could possibly take an entire year to film?"
"The director is Kubrick."
Bryan Lourd's words instantly silenced Dunn .
He thought of one film—*Eyes Wide Shut*.
Kubrick's final masterpiece!
"When might Nicole be available? She can't possibly be filming for an entire year, right?" Dunn sighed.
Bryan replied, "In about half a month. Nicole will need some time to rest. If you want her back on set, it will be at least mid-October."
"That works," Dunn considered. "I'm currently working on a script tailored specifically for Nicole, but it's not finished yet. Once I have a draft, I'll fax you a copy."
Bryan Lourd hesitated, "Dunn , AA's artists are usually managed by five or six agents at once. You know, I have a lot of important matters to handle."
"Alright, who should I contact?"
"Nicole's direct agent, my assistant, Pat Kingsley."