Liv Tyler was very happy today because Dunn had invited her to a movie tonight!
She had been living at Dunn's house for over a month, but his behavior during this time had left her somewhat troubled.
When she first moved in, Dunn was completely obsessed with her, clinging to her day and night, demanding her attention over and over again, as if he could never get enough.
However, as time passed, Dunn's intense passion clearly waned. He was no longer as interested in her as he used to be, and often, after being with her, he would fall asleep without the tenderness and affection he once showed.
Liv Tyler, being emotionally intelligent, quickly realized it was time to find an opportunity to leave.
If things progressed to the point where Dunn lost all interest in her or even grew to dislike her, their relationship would be severely damaged. Leaving early would at least allow him to retain some fond memories of her.
She didn't expect that Dunn would invite her to a movie—a screening of "The Peacemaker," starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman.
This R-rated film had a budget of $50 million from DreamWorks, meaning it would need to gross at least $1.5 billion worldwide to break even.
As DreamWorks' debut film, a lot of effort had gone into its production, with Steven Spielberg personally overseeing it. However, Spielberg was overworked, directing two films a year and supervising such a blockbuster, which left him spread too thin.
The movie's rough special effects and the protagonists' numbness to violence lost the core element of Spielberg's films—the light of humanity!
Moreover, DreamWorks' vision had some flaws. If this film had been made by one of the big six studios, the overt racial tensions would have been avoided. Political correctness isn't just a mainstream value; it's also a guarantee of box office success!
DreamWorks' artistic approach doomed this to be a failure.
Both of them wore large sunglasses as they left the theater, and Dunn asked, "What did you think of the movie?"
"I didn't find it very enjoyable," Liv Tyler shook her head and smiled, "I also didn't think Nicole Kidman was that beautiful!"
Dunn smirked and noticed a boutique lingerie store ahead. He pointed to it, "Want to take a look?"
Liv Tyler's eyes lit up, and she almost jumped with joy, "Sure!"
Recently, many gossip tabloids had been reporting on Dunn and Liv appearing together, but Dunn didn't care, and Liv was happy to go along with it.
Now, Dunn's gesture of buying her lingerie would undoubtedly further fuel the gossip about her.
"I'll be leaving Los Angeles soon to shoot a film in Chicago," Dunn said, leaving it at that.
Liv Tyler affectionately linked her arm with his, "Oh, then I'll move back to my place. Your house is too big, and it's lonely living there alone."
Dunn gave her an appreciative glance.
Mutual benefit, amicable separation.
A very smart girl.
…
**"Titanic"** had been in theaters for over four months, with its global box office approaching $1.6 billion and its North American gross reaching $5.3 billion.
However, compared to the frenzied waves of previous months, "Titanic" had already passed its peak, and its box office growth had slowed significantly.
In the past week, the North American box office for "Titanic" barely exceeded $10 million, and the newly released DreamWorks blockbuster, "The Peacemaker," wasn't doing any better.
It's the off-season for box office sales!
In its opening weekend, DreamWorks' highly anticipated "The Peacemaker" only grossed $12 million, far short of their estimated $40 million!
They originally thought the film could gross $100 million in North America and around $200 million overseas, but that turned out not to be the case at all!
George Clooney faced widespread criticism in Hollywood this year after the consecutive box office failures of "Batman & Robin" and "The Peacemaker," two major commercial productions.
The lead actress, Nicole Kidman, also faced widespread criticism from the media, with the harshest critique coming from the renowned arts magazine *The Village Voice*, which bluntly stated, "She's an Australian clown who's been freeloading in Hollywood thanks to Tom Cruise's influence!"
*The Los Angeles Times* also noted that Nicole Kidman failed to exude the elegance and beauty expected of a high-society lady in the film. The entire movie left an impression of nothing but screaming and running, with no significant presence.
Dunn sat in his office, reading some of the reviews, and asked Glenn Faiello, "Has there been any response from Nicole Kidman?"
Glenn Faiello replied gravely, "Her agent is tough to deal with."
"Hmph!"
Dunn was displeased. This Pat Kingsley was being utterly unreasonable! He decided to bypass her entirely and directly called her boss. "Brian, there's been quite a bit of media criticism toward Nicole lately."
Brian Lord sighed, "That's my mistake. I didn't expect a Spielberg-produced film to…"
Dunn cut him off, "Brian, one failure isn't the end of the world. What matters is succeeding next time! If she fails repeatedly, even Tom Cruise could fall from his pedestal."
Brian Lord paused for a moment, "Nicole has already left Kubrick's set and is resting at home."
"Has she read my script?" Dunn thought for a moment and then added, "It seems your assistant agent doesn't quite understand the current situation."
Brian hesitated slightly, "Nicole's transition from commercial films to arthouse films and then back to commercial films hasn't been smooth these past few years."
Dunn chuckled, "Exactly, which is why she needs to be in my film."
"The issue is her salary." Brian was also in a difficult position. As an agent, his primary duty was to consider the best interests of his clients.
Dunn firmly stated, "Two million dollars. I think that's quite fair."
Brian's expression turned bitter.
As one of Hollywood's top actresses, on par with Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman was more of a star than an actress. The other two were already nearing the $20 million club, while Nicole Kidman was still striving for a few million dollars.
"Perhaps… Dunn is her chance to break through." After a brief consideration, Brian made his decision. "Three million dollars, and I'll deliver Nicole to you!"
"Deal!"
Dunn laughed heartily, finding Brian Lord's choice of words amusing.
...
By the end of September, the preparations for the *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* crew were nearly complete, and the connections in Chicago had also been fully established.
In early October, the contract for the final cast member was signed—Nicole Kidman!
In the AA headquarters building, Dunn met the famously beautiful actress for the first time.
But after seeing her, Dunn realized he was utterly mistaken, and by a long shot!
This was no mere beauty.
This was a fairy!
Good heavens, Dunn could swear that in the year and a half he'd spent in Hollywood, he had never seen a woman as enchanting, seductive, and perfectly exquisite as Nicole Kidman!
What Kate Winslet? What Liv Tyler? They were mere shadows in comparison.
In 1997, Nicole Kidman was dazzlingly radiant, stunningly beautiful!
She was dressed in a reddish-brown long dress, casually draped with a white coat, revealing her snow-white calves and a long, graceful arm in the October air.
Her hair was golden, her eyes a deep green, her skin as white as snow, her lips as red as fire, and the lines of her face as soft as water.
At a glance, her entire face was as delicate as a porcelain doll.
Dunn had seen many beautiful women in Hollywood and had never lost his composure. But in front of Nicole Kidman, he found himself uncharacteristically mesmerized…
"Dunn… Dunn…"
Brian Lord gave a loud cough, which startled Dunn, who was visibly shaken. Brian held back a laugh and introduced, "Well, I guess there's no need for introductions. This is Dunn Walker, and this is Nicole Cruise. You two should be acquainted."
Nicole Kidman had a calm expression, with a slight smile on her lips, exuding a hint of charm. "Hello, Mr. Walker."
Dunn, feeling quite embarrassed, waved his hand. "Honestly, I've never seen a woman as beautiful as you. I got a little distracted."
Nicole Kidman replied with a small smile, "You're too kind, Mr. Walker."
"Just call me Dunn." Dunn secretly took a few deep breaths, but his gaze at Nicole Kidman still couldn't hide his admiration and fascination.
Having spent over a decade in Hollywood, Nicole Kidman was well-versed in these situations and could easily see the desire and intensity in Dunn's eyes. However, she was long accustomed to this.
"Alright, Dunn, since we're working together, I hope we can cooperate well and complete this film. The movie is our biggest priority, right?"
Dunn, catching the warning in her words, smiled and nodded, "Of course, you're absolutely right. Making a great movie is the foundation of everything."
His eyes, however, continued to openly and unabashedly take in her figure.
At this point, there was no need for Dunn to hide anything.
Better to be straightforward than to pretend.
Pat Kingsley, looking a bit irritated, didn't mind Dunn's attraction to Nicole, but she didn't appreciate him being so blatant about it. After all, Nicole was still Mrs. Cruise!
Dunn, a young director not even twenty years old with unlimited potential, might not be worried about gossip, but if rumors spread, Nicole could be in big trouble!
Tom Cruise was Nicole Kidman's biggest support!
Brian Lord frowned and gave Pat Kingsley a cautionary look before half-jokingly saying, "Dunn, you really need to make this film a success. If it doesn't do well… that wouldn't be good."
His words were almost sarcastic, which made Nicole Kidman uncomfortable. But facing such a big shot at AA, she didn't say much.
Dunn, however, caught the deeper meaning in Brian's words and confidently smirked, "What Tom Cruise couldn't achieve, I'm confident I can!"