"Great, that take is good!"
The argument scene between Rose and her fiancé had only been shot three times before Dunn waved his hand decisively. "Take fifteen minutes to rest and prepare for the next shot!"
"Stop!"
No sooner had Dunn finished speaking than James Cameron's furious voice rang out. "Dunn, what the hell are you doing? Do you even know how to direct? That last take was unacceptable—reshoot it!"
The set immediately fell into an awkward silence.
Dunn was furious. This wasn't the first time Cameron had interfered with his directing. Just how many times was he going to step in? Who exactly was the director here?
From Dunn's perspective, he knew that in the last take, Kate Winslet's expression had been slightly stiff, and her line delivery a little tense. She could definitely do better.
But was it necessary?
This wasn't some European art film. *Titanic* was, at its core, a Hollywood blockbuster. The real selling points were the grandeur of the ship and the heart-wrenching romance.
For a scene that would only last a few seconds in the final cut, who would even notice?
Not to mention, the production was already strapped for cash. Dunn had assured the top brass at Fox that they would meet the summer release deadline next year. Wasting time and money on trivial details wasn't an option.
Dunn had inherited Cameron's professional expertise but not his obsessive, stubborn nature. He was in no mood to play nice. "Enough! James, this isn't your job!"
Cameron refused to back down, his eyes blazing with anger. "You *know* Kate's performance wasn't good enough! Why didn't you stop the take? You're going to ruin this entire movie!"
Kate Winslet looked uneasy, her voice timid. "Director, maybe… I should try again?"
Dunn snapped, "Are you questioning my decision?"
Winslet was only twenty-one years old. Her face paled, and she shivered slightly in fear.
"I'll say it one more time—this take is good. Go rest now!" Dunn pointed toward the rest area before turning his icy glare on Cameron. "Mr. Cameron, *Titanic* isn't just your passion project—it's the hope of the entire team. I don't need you meddling in my work. Now step aside!"
Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, and the rest of the cast stood frozen, caught between two giants. They didn't dare move, unsure of what to do.
Producer Jon Landau stepped in, frowning. "Dunn, you're young. You might not fully grasp the intricacies of directing yet. You should listen to your seniors, learn from them—it'll be good for you."
Oh, great—playing the seniority card now?
Too bad Dunn wasn't buying it.
"Who the hell do you think you are? A glorified yes-man? You dare lecture *me*? You're not even qualified! Get the hell out of here!"
The string of expletives shocked everyone on set. Faces turned pale.
Dunn was even more intense than Cameron!
At most, Cameron would just yell at the actors, but Jon Landau? He was one of the lead producers!
Clearly, this young director wasn't as mild-mannered as he seemed. His temper rivaled Cameron's!
Landau was stunned speechless. He took a few steps back, stammering, "Y-You… what did you just say?"
"I said, *get lost*!"
Dunn was seething. He was done with Cameron's constant interference and Landau's manipulative games.
Just then, Grant Hill, Fox's representative, walked over with a frown. Cameron was the film's lead producer, so publicly humiliating him wasn't ideal—but Landau? That was another story.
"Jon, what are you doing? Dunn is the board-approved director. Are you questioning their decision?"
Landau's face darkened. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his stance. "No, I was simply offering Walker some advice. If I offended him, I apologize."
Smart move. He had quickly assessed the situation and decided to take the fall to protect Cameron's authority. This way, he would earn Cameron's gratitude while also appearing as a team player.
Grant Hill nodded. He might have only been the third producer, but as Fox's official representative, his influence had grown significantly since Cameron lost Bill Mechanic's favor.
"Alright. Walker has made his decision—this take is final. Everyone, take a break!"
Grant avoided calling out Cameron directly and instead addressed the actors, who had been standing around awkwardly.
Relieved, they all exhaled and hurried off to rest.
The intense confrontation had ended as suddenly as it had started, but everyone knew—Dunn Walker had won.
Kate Winslet glanced at Dunn with a complicated expression, her heart sinking. If even James Cameron had to back down before Dunn's wrath, what chance did she have against the director's authority?
She regretted everything.
---
Back in the break room, Dunn slammed his hand down in frustration. "Cameron is out of control!"
Grant Hill sighed. "James can be rough around the edges, but he means well. He just wants the movie to be as good as possible."
"Hmph!"
Dunn knew Cameron wasn't targeting him personally—it was purely a creative disagreement. Otherwise, Dunn wouldn't have held back his words at all.
But Jon Landau…
"Grant, fire Landau. He's a liability to our production schedule."
"What?"
Grant was dumbfounded. Was Dunn really *this* petty? It was just one argument! And Landau had already apologized!
"That's not going to be easy. He's the second producer. We can't just fire him without cause—he's contributed a lot to the pre-production."
"A reason, huh…" Dunn narrowed his eyes and called over his assistant, George. "What did you find out?"
George puffed up his chest. "It was jealousy. Three assistants teamed up to frame you."
Dunn frowned. "That's it?"
"Uh… yeah?"
Dunn's voice dropped. "I suspect Landau was behind it. Dig deeper."
George hesitated. Was Dunn… framing Landau?
Grant Hill paled. This guy was relentless! He quickly intervened. "Alright, alright! Look, we're almost done filming in Los Angeles. The crew is moving to Mexico for the ship scenes. I'll send Landau to oversee the set-building in New York."
Dunn finally smiled. "That's the best solution."
---
Meanwhile, Kate Winslet, having witnessed Dunn's dominance firsthand, was frantically calling her agent.
"What do I do? He was like a demon when he got angry!" Kate's voice was shaking.
"Calm down, Kate!" Her agent tried to reassure her. "He's the director—he has to make sure the movie turns out well. You're the lead actress. He won't deliberately make things difficult for you."
"But…" Kate hesitated, her anxiety deepening. "But that last take—I *know* it wasn't my best. Yet he approved it right away. Is he trying to sabotage me?"
"Wait, really?" Her agent was surprised. "This is a nearly $200 million film. He wouldn't play games with something this big."
Kate sighed bitterly. "You don't get it. He just had a huge fight with Cameron. He even cursed out Jon Landau!"
Her agent went silent for a moment before speaking seriously. "Kate, no matter what, you *must* smooth things over with him. This could impact your entire career."
"But I don't know how! That's why I called you!"
"You're a beautiful young woman. Use that to your advantage."
Kate fell silent.
She knew exactly what her agent meant.
"But… I'm engaged."
"To that British director? Forget him! This is Hollywood, and Hollywood has its own rules. Kate, *Titanic* is more important than him."
Kate took a deep breath, her mind clouded with uncertainty. "Alright… I'll think about it."
Her agent's voice turned firm. "Kate, you're heading to Mexico soon. That's the most crucial phase of filming. You *need* to act fast."
Kate exhaled slowly. "I understand."
**patreon:belamy20**