The plane landed.
This was the city of Rosarito, just north of Mexico.
Four months ago, the production team had purchased a 160,000-square-kilometer area here and built a full-scale film set.
Within the set, they had created a massive artificial lake, and there, floating on the water, was the legendary **Titanic**.
Even though Dunn had mentally prepared himself for the sight, seeing the colossal ship alongside the early 20th-century-style dock was still breathtaking. It gave him a surreal sense of time displacement.
**"James, you've done an amazing job!"**
Dunn let out a deep breath, genuinely impressed.
James Cameron, looking weathered and exhausted, sighed, **"The movie's budget is huge, but I haven't wasted a single penny."**
Oh boy. He was still holding a grudge against Dunn for taking his director's chair.
Dunn chuckled and shook his head. **"Mind if I take a look onboard?"**
Cameron led him onto the ship, clearly enjoying the admiration and respect from the crew around them. **"The carpets, tables, chairs, layout, and style—everything was designed to match what it would have been a hundred years ago. We even had a lot of the props shipped in from England."**
Dunn nodded.
No wonder the budget was so massive.
**"This ship is incredible!"** Kate Winslet gasped. **"Dunn, I read in the script that the ship gets destroyed in the end. Is that true?"**
Dunn smiled. **"Of course not. That'll be done with CGI."**
**"Phew, that's a relief."**
Leonardo DiCaprio caught the subtle undertone in Kate's voice. Lowering his voice, he asked, **"Hey, so you and Dunn have made up?"**
The two of them were close friends, so Kate didn't hesitate to flash a sly, satisfied smile. **"Of course. Piece of cake."**
Leo raised an eyebrow. **"How'd you pull that off?"** He was sharp—he didn't believe Dunn was as easygoing as he appeared.
Kate leaned in and whispered, **"I went to his room last night."**
**"Stayed the night?"**
**"Mhm."**
**"That explains it!"** Leo grinned mischievously. **"So... how was he?"**
Kate's fair cheeks turned an unusual shade of pink. She bit her lip and murmured, **"Very strong."**
**"Wow!"**
Leo burst out laughing.
Kate shot him a warning look. **"Don't go spreading this around. Dunn wouldn't like it."**
**"Relax, I know how to keep my mouth shut."**
---
After the ship tour, the group headed to their hotel to get settled in. Filming was scheduled to begin that afternoon.
As the director, Dunn naturally got the best room. Before heading up, he pulled aside Grant Hill, the film's producer, and quietly said, **"Put Kate in the room next to mine."**
This was Hollywood—Grant immediately understood the implication. He wasn't surprised. **"Just don't let it interfere with filming."**
Dunn chuckled. **"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."**
At that moment, the door suddenly **slammed** open.
James Cameron stormed in, his face red with fury, looking like he was ready to throw punches.
**"Hey, Jim, what the hell are you doing?"**
Grant immediately stood up, his expression serious.
**"What am I doing?"** Cameron practically threw a stack of papers onto the couch. **"I should be asking what the hell he's doing!"**
Grant picked up the papers—**the storyboard for the film**.
Cameron had personally drawn these. Each panel was detailed and intricate, like a work of art.
But now…
There were **red Xs** slashed across large portions of it.
**"Dunn, did you make these changes?"** Grant asked, understanding why Cameron was furious.
Dunn nodded, completely calm. **"Yeah. I spent five nights working on this."**
Grant's tone grew serious. **"Dunn, I think you owe James an explanation."**
Cameron gritted his teeth. **"You're the director, and I respect your position. But you're still just a director. You don't have the authority to change the script!"**
This was Hollywood—where the rules were clear.
Directors were tools for bringing the producers' visions to life on screen.
That was why so many top directors also took on producer roles—to secure final editing rights.
Dunn knew this. He had researched the Hollywood system. Editing, screenwriting, post-production, casting—these all fell under the producer's domain, not the director's.
That was why directors like Spielberg and Cameron always ensured they were also credited as producers.
But Dunn wasn't worried.
Grant Hill was backing him, while Cameron had already lost his influence.
If Dunn didn't still feel a **tiny** bit of guilt about taking Cameron's job, he and Grant could have completely sidelined him by now.
More importantly, **his changes were in the best interest of Fox Studios**. They streamlined production, made filming more efficient, and didn't compromise the film's beauty.
**"It's simple,"** Dunn said evenly. **"Those scenes are pointless. They waste time, money, and effort."**
He gestured for Cameron to sit down.
Movies typically had **hours** of raw footage before being trimmed down to a two- or three-hour film. To avoid costly reshoots, directors often shot **excessive** material, giving editors more options.
Cameron, in particular, was notorious for **shooting everything three times**—once when writing, once when directing, and once during editing.
Even he didn't know exactly how the final cut would look!
But Dunn was different.
As a **movie fanatic**, he had watched **Titanic** at least seven or eight times. He already knew **exactly** what the final product should be.
So why waste time shooting unnecessary scenes?
Cameron was still fuming. **"Your reasoning doesn't convince me!"**
Dunn locked eyes with him. **"James, do you honestly think we can finish filming in time for next summer's release with your current storyboard?"**
Cameron immediately shook his head. **"No way. Not in two and a half months."**
Dunn smiled. **"Exactly. That's why the storyboard needs adjustments."**
Grant finally understood. Dunn wasn't just making changes for the sake of it—he was looking out for Fox's interests. Still, he hesitated. **"Even if we need to speed things up, we can't compromise the film's quality."**
**"Of course!"** Dunn exuded confidence. He flipped through the storyboard. **"Look at this scene—Jack and another male character get into a fistfight over Rose. Completely unrealistic! We're making a **romantic** film, not an action movie. Leo isn't Bruce Lee!"**
Cameron went silent. Grant nodded. **"Good point."**
Dunn turned another page. **"And this? A brutal scene of people fighting for lifeboats? That's too much."**
Cameron countered, **"That's human nature! We need to show both selflessness and desperation."**
Dunn shook his head. **"We're already showing the tragedy of the disaster. If we highlight **too much** ugliness, it'll hurt the audience emotionally. We need to balance it with moments of kindness."**
Grant's eyes lit up. **"Yes! At its core, this is still a Hollywood blockbuster."**
Cameron sighed. He was starting to see Dunn's perspective.
Grant rubbed his temples. **"Dunn, I agree with your vision. But you've cut out **two-thirds** of the storyboard! What if we don't have enough footage later?"**
Dunn tapped his temple. **"Trust me. The film is already fully formed in my head—we just need to shoot it."**
Grant exhaled. **"Alright. If this saves money, we can always reshoot later if needed."**
As they left, Grant quietly asked Cameron, **"You think he can pull this off?"**
Cameron hesitated, then sighed. **"I don't know… but I do know one thing—Dunn is a genius."**
Dunn would've burst out laughing if he heard that.
**"James, are you praising me… or yourself?"**
**Hah!**