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🕑 Added 2025-07-20 16:00:36 +0000 UTCChapter 344: Spider-Man Still Packs a Punch!
In the bathroom, Rachel Weisz dried Dunn off, then hesitated, a little embarrassed. âUh⌠I donât have any menâs pajamas at my place.â
Dunn shrugged. âNo biggie. Grab a towelâIâll make do.â
Rachel flashed a sweet smile, stepped over to the cabinet, and pulled out a clean towel. She carefully wrapped it around his waist. âCould you head to the bedroom first? I need to⌠tidy up a bit.â
Women, right? After a bath, they always need a minute to touch up their makeup.
Dunn waved it off. âNo rush. Iâll hit the living room.â
She tossed him a flirty wink. âLiving room works. My couch is plenty big.â
Dunn caught her drift and chuckled. âNot what I meant. Iâm going to watch TV.â
âHuh? Watch TV?â Rachelâs eyes widened, suspicion all over her face.
That didnât add up.
Sure, sheâd taken care of him in the tub earlier, but he was still youngâbarely in his prime! Fit, strong, and full of energy. Three or four rounds in a night should be no problem, right?
Was her charm really that weak? One go, and he was done?
Dunn saw the doubt in her eyes and laughed. âYouâre gorgeous, and your bodyâs amazing. Tonightâs gonna be a blast.â
âThen why⌠TV?â She teared up, nibbling on a delicate finger. âAm I less interesting than a show?â
Great acting!
Dunn cracked up, shaking his head. âItâs work stuff.â
âHm?â
âSpider-Manâs airing on Starz tonight. Iâm waiting for some numbers.â
Rachel let out a relieved breath, patting her chest with a playful glare. âOh, I thought I didnât do a good enough job!â
Cable TV in the U.S. works like this: Comcast sets up the lines and channels, then you pay to unlock them. But if itâs late or a weekend, youâre out of luckâno activations outside business hours. Like topping up a phone planâif itâs off-hours, youâre stuck with a prepaid card. No 24/7 service here.
Basically, it sucks!
Rachelâs place didnât have Starz subscribed, but when Dunn handed Starzâs operations to Comcast, heâd cut a deal. Theyâd bundle Starz into some channel packages, pre-installing it in homes. Right now, Starzâs reach across the U.S. was over 12 million householdsâpotential subscribers just waiting to bite!
The trick was using killer content like Spider-Man to grow that reach and turn pre-installed users into paying members. Starzâs current deal? First month free. So even without a subscription, Rachelâs TV could tune in for a trial month.
Half an hour later, Dunn had it all set up. He plopped on the couch, watching Spider-Man mid-broadcast, the âStarzâ logo in the corner. He let out a satisfied sigh.
âThe movie biz bounced back with Spider-Man. Now TVâs gotta lean on it to break through too!â
Buying Marvel was hands-down Dunnâs slickest, most envied move yet.
Just then, Rachel sauntered down from the upstairs bathroom. She wore a wine-red V-neck robe, collarbone peeking out, her wavy red hair loose and damp, giving off a lazy, sultry vibe. With a flutter of her lashes, a perky nose, and pursed lips, she padded barefoot down the red-carpeted stairs.
Dunn grinned and waved her over. âAlright, enough with the charm. Come here!â
She pouted. âI spent forever on my makeup.â
âYeah, itâs stunningâespecially those fiery red lips,â he said with a nod.
Rachel giggled, skipping over like a giddy kid and throwing herself into Dunnâs lap on the couch. Soft, warm, and sweet-smellingânothing about her screamed âthirty-something.â
It was almost funny. She was way older than him but played the flirty little sister act to a T.
Maybe thatâs just the taste of power?
Dunn was loving it. He wrapped an arm around her, glancing at the fruit tray on the table. âGrab me that strawberry.â
âStrawberry?â She shot him a teasing look. âYou mean my strawberry?â
He laughed, half-annoyed. âCut it out! Iâve got serious stuff here. Once the movieâs done, youâre in for it!â
Her lips curved into a sly smile. She picked up the tray, grabbed a fruit knife, and expertly sliced the fruit into bite-sized pieces, feeding them to him one by one.
Dunn leaned back like a king, eyes half-closed as he watched Spider-Man, savoring her service. Every now and then, heâd playfully nip her fingers, sparking a string of giggles.
After a long pause, she finally blurted, âDunn⌠if thereâs a chanceâI mean, any chanceâcould you help me out?â
He glanced at her, smirking. âRelax. I donât take without giving back. You scratch my back, I scratch yoursâthatâs my rule.â
Her face lit up like a flower in bloom. âWhat else do you want? Iâll get it ready!â
He pointed at the tray. âFruit for nowâgotta keep my strength up. As for later⌠havenât you already got that covered?â
She burst out laughing, collapsing into his arms. âYouâre so bad!â
Right then, an hour into Spider-Man, his phone rang.
âBoss, the numbers are in!â Tony Granmoâs voice crackled with excitement.
Dunn kept it cool. âHowâs it look?â
âStarzâs two channels hit 1.7 million viewers! And in the last half hour, itâs still climbingâcould top 20 million!â
âHow many?â Dunn sat up straight, his expression shifting.
That was insane!
Just days ago, Starzâs reach was at 12 million households. Tonightâs viewership hitting 20 million? Unreal.
Tony was buzzing. âBoss, itâs legit! Spider-Manâs pull is nuts! I got Comcastâs latest numbers this afternoonâsince May started, Starzâs reach jumped by 10 million!â
Dunn sucked in a breath, unable to hide his thrill. âGood! Good! Good!â
HBO led the pack with over 30 million households. Showtime, under Viacomâa Comcast buddy with shared stakesâtrailed by just 500,000 thanks to forced bundles, though its real subscribers were way lower. Now, Spider-Man alone had rocketed Starz to 22 million households. A total shock!
âWhat about subscribers? How many new members?â
âUhâŚâ Tonyâs tone dropped. âNot great. Of the 1.7 million watching, 2.55 million are paid. So⌠Spider-Man only netted us 410,000 new subscribers.â
Dunnâs lip twitched. 1.7 million viewers, 2.55 million paid⌠over 15 million watching for free?
Americans sure knew how to game the system!
It also showed how weak Starzâs penetration had been. The first-month-free deal only applied once per account. Out of those 15 million-plus freebies, just 410,000 had used their trial before and gone paid. The rest? Theyâd never even tuned into Starz until now.
In short, this huge Spider-Man spike was all about the free ride. People everywhereârich or poorâlove a deal.
Business is about turning that cheapskate impulse into a habit.
Dunn wasnât fazed. He smiled. âStill a solid start, right? Theyâve tried our product. Weâve made a name.â
Tony exhaled, jumping on board. âExactly, boss! Your movieâs a game-changer. Spider-Manâs already got Starz buzzing. Now we just keep the momentum.â
Dunn had been quietly plotting to ditch Tonyâtoo much ass-kissing, no backboneâbut for now, heâd play nice. âI wonât micromanage operationsâthatâs your gig. Just know The Prestige and Memento are off the big screen soon. Iâll push Universal to let us air them on Starz.â
Tony lit up. âThatâs huge! Nothing hooks users like anticipation. Keep delivering stuff they want, and weâve got âem!â
âLooking forward to good news,â Dunn said smoothly, though his smirk turned cold.
Tonyâs days were numbered.
He hung up, and Rachel peered at him, her pale face curious. âAll done?â
âYep. Now itâs your turn.â
âUgh, you jerk!â She grinned, shooting him a shy, teasing glance.
Chapter 345: This Womanâs No Pushover
May marks a fresh start.
The DVD sales for Spider-Man and Saw have been a smashing success, and theyâve now smoothly rolled out to the rental market. Sure, Dunnâs scooped up Netflixâowning 80% of it through Dunn Capitalâbut itâs not like he can just prop it up to dethrone Blockbuster, the rental kingpin. Blockbusterâs got 81.5% of its shares locked down by the Viacom Group, and Netflix is still too small to take on that giant, no matter how much Dunn might want to push it. Netflixâs real shot at glory? Thatâs a decade away in the streaming world.
So, for now, Dunn didnât hand the rental rights for Spider-Man and Saw exclusively to Netflix. Instead, he split them between Netflix and Blockbuster. On the TV front, Spider-Man has already cracked open a door for Tarz TV. Itâs still a long haul to get families subscribing, but with its massive pull, the movieâs scored killer ratings and kicked things off strong.
Meanwhile, GA Toys, a company Dunnâs invested in, has officially launched their âBezz Dollsâ to take on the iconic Barbie. Dunnâs arrival has shaken up the entertainment industry big-time. Thanks to his meddling, GA Toys shelled out $3 million to strike a deal with Mattel, securing the Bezz Dollsâ copyright outright. That means when Bezz Dolls blow up in a few years and start splitting the doll market with Barbie, Mattel wonât have a legal leg to stand on to shut them down.
Oh, and one more thingâSilicon Valley Animation Studios, another Dunn investment, has pretty much wrapped their first project, Fantastic Four. It cost $30 million to make, and theyâve inked a copyright deal with Nickelodeon for $8 million. When Dunn heard that, he nearly hit the roof.
What the heck is Tosca Musk playing at? Even if you donât count the Fantastic Four rightsâwhich Dunn handed over for freeâthis animated flick still took a $30 million investment and almost a year of hard work from the whole team. And they sold it off for just $8 million? Is this a joke? Does Tosca even know how to do business? Sure, Nickelodeonâs backed by Viacom, but does that mean she has to roll over like that?
Fuming, Dunn summoned Tosca Musk to his office. Per their investment deal, Silicon Valley Animation has full operational control, with Tosca calling the shots. But Dunn Films owns 50% of the company, so heâs got every right to demand answers.
Tosca strolled in, her golden hair shining, dressed in a sharp black-and-white business suit. As always, she looked stunningâevery bit the polished, elite professional. âBig boss, judging by that face⌠youâre not about to chew me out again, are you?â she teased, her tone half-joking, half-flirty. As a career woman, she knew how to play her cards, and that playful vibe could melt half a guyâs anger on the spot.
Dunn frowned, pointing at the sofa. âThe animationâs done?â
âPretty much. Weâre just doing final tweaks. Barring any hiccups, itâll be ready for handover in June.â Tosca tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, taking a coffee from the secretary with a sweet âThanks.â
Dunn nodded. âA CG animated film finished in under ten months? Your teamâs efficiency is impressive.â
Tosca smiled. âItâs animation, not a live-action movie. But Iâll say thisâno animated film in history will match the quality weâve put into Fantastic Four.â
Dunn smirked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. âOh, sure. Most animations cost $3 million tops, and you spent a cool $30 million!â
Tosca grinned, her eyes flickering up at him. âBoss, youâre not⌠mad at me, are you?â
Dunn kept it cool. âI just need an explanation.â
âExplanation?â Tosca perked up like sheâd just caught on. âOh, you mean the $8 million copyright deal?â
Dunnâs brow furrowed. â$8 million for a buyout? Donât you think thatâs way too low?â
Take Band of Brothersâa $120 million investment, and its North American TV rights fetched at least $50 million. Fantastic Four cost $30 million and only pulled in $8 million? Thatâs a raw deal.
Tosca shook her head. âItâs not a buyout. Itâs a 20-year copyright term.â
Dunn laughed, half-exasperated. âTwenty years? Whatâs the difference? Sure, Fantastic Fourâs effects might look good now, but in 20 years, will anyone care? Will anyone even watch it?â
Tosca shrugged. âStill beats a buyout.â
Dunnâs face darkened, his voice firm. âTosca, I donât like your attitude.â
Tosca sighed, a little helpless. âAlright, fine. Iâll explain it seriously. $8 million is low, Iâll give you that. But this deal benefits us in at least three ways.â
âOh?â
âFirst, it helps Tarz TV growââ
âHold up!â Dunn cut her off, hand raised, looking stunned. âWhatâd you say? Tarz TV? Whatâs that got to do with you? Tosca, I want an explanation, not excuses!â
Tosca didnât flinch. âSilicon Valley Animation is a Dunn Films subsidiary, and so is Tarz TV. I figure if we look at things from a bigger picture, we can do better work.â
Itâs simple logicâthe more value Silicon Valley Animation brings, the more Dunn will care. Growing up in a single-parent home with her mom raising her and her siblings, Tosca learned the ropes early. Her brother Elon was leading the charge, getting her and their younger siblings into small businesses from grade school. That upbringing sharpened her business sense and social instincts.
Toscaâs no foolâsheâs picked up on Dunnâs skepticism about her and her projects. Every other Dunn Films acquisitionâlike Marvel or Focus Featuresâwas a full buyout. Silicon Valley Animation? Just 50%. Thatâs a clear hedge, a sign he doesnât fully trust her. Sheâs out to prove sheâs got the chops to not just help Dunn Films but climb higher. She didnât ditch Silicon Valley for Hollywood to coastâsheâs here for the challenge.
Dunn gave her a long, hard look, realizing more and more this womanâs no pushover. âGo on,â he said, voice low.
âI donât know much about Tarz TV, but I know itâs a niche cable network up against HBO and Showtimeâtwo giants backed by massive media conglomerates. Showtimeâs got Viacom behind it. If we play nice with Viacom now, make Sumner Redstone happy for a bit, it might delay some of the heat from competitors.â
Dunn shook his head, amused. âMake Redstone happy? That stubborn old man? Good luck with that. Showing weakness to throw him off might work better.â
âI say we do both,â Tosca replied, a sly smile tugging at her lips.
âOh?â
âThatâs my second point.â She paused, then continued slowly. âWeâve all heard the rumorsâDisneyâs in talks with News Corp to buy Fox Family Entertainment from 20th Century Fox. Word is, theyâre close to sealing the deal.â
âIf that goes through, Disney Channel will be the worldâs biggest cable network, and Viacomâs cable lineup will drop to second place. Nickelodeon, no matter how cheap they got it, will just be a sidekick to Disneyâs kidsâ channel. Putting Fantastic Four on Nickelodeon now? It undercuts Disneyâs momentum and earns us some goodwill with Viacom.â
âViacomâs market cap is closing in on $100 billionâmore than double Disneyâs! I think Dunn Filmsâ best move right now is teaming up with Viacom to counter Disney. Itâd also ease some of the roadblocks Tarz TVâs facing. At the very least, it keeps Viacom from stabbing us in the back.â
That spiel made Dunn see her in a new light. This womanâs sharp.
Comcast, the biggest cable operator in the U.S., and Viacom, the top cable content provider, are tight partners. If Viacom wanted to kneecap Tarz TV, they could lean on Comcast for a few easy moves. Like those set-top boxes every cable user needsâComcast could bundle or push Showtime for free while giving Tarz the cold shoulder. When folks try signing up for Tarz, Comcast could throw up random hurdles or have staff casually mention âcheaper, just-as-good Showtime.â Thatâd be a gut punch. They could even jack up Tarzâs installation and operating fees while slashing Showtimeâsâstraight-up sabotage.
Unless Tarz TV starts bringing Comcast more profit than Showtime, that is. If it did, even if Viacom played dirty, Comcast would side with the bigger payday. But right now, Showtimeâs the number-two cable network behind HBOâway ahead of Tarz in installs, subscribers, fame, influence, and content depth. Getting Comcast to pick Tarz over Showtime? Tough sell.
Dunn, though? Heâs got an answer: absolutely doable. Why? Heâs holding an aceâBand of Brothers.
Chapter 346: Acquiring a Special Effects Company
Brothers in Arms holds a status in television history that far surpasses Titanic in film history!
Sure, Titanic has its peers among classic moviesâlike Gone with the Wind, E.T., or Avatar. But in TV history? Nothing comes close to Brothers in Arms. Not even Game of Thrones, with all its global hype, can hold a candle to it.
In its previous life, HBO and Showtime were the two titans of cable TV, neck and neck in the market. HBO, under Chris Albrechtâs leadership, invested in hit shows like The Sopranos and Sex and the City, giving it a slight edge. But that lead wasnât huge.
It wasnât until HBO bankrolled Brothers in Arms and secured its North American broadcast rights that the cable TV landscape truly shifted. The moment Brothers in Arms aired, it caused a sensation. HBOâs viewership skyrocketed⌠closing in on 15 million subscribers!
And these werenât the free viewers who tuned into Spider-Man on TA Network a few days ago. HBOâs numbers were all paying subscribers! In other words, this one show more than doubled HBOâs subscriber base, leaving Showtime in the dust.
Fast forward ten years, and the gap only widened. HBO subscribers were spending over $79 per month on average, while Showtime users averaged less than $18. Showtimeâs audience didnât commit to year-round subscriptionsâtheyâd sign up for a month or two to binge a hot show and then dip. There was no comparison to HBOâs dominance.
Brothers in Arms became a turning point in American cable TV history. It was a groundbreaking miniseries!
Now, Brothers in Arms was firmly in Dunnâs hands, and it was the reason he felt so confident about TA Network.
Of course, there was a catch. For this to work, TA Network needed to stay under the radar from May to September, avoiding any dirty tricks from Sumner Redstoneâs Viacom empire.
In todayâs North American market, HBO reigned as the top cable networkâno question. But HBOâs parent company, Time Warner, wasnât in direct conflict with TA Network. Any competition would come down to content.
And content? That was the one thing Dunn wasnât afraid of. His mind was a treasure trove of classic ideas.
TA Networkâs real rival was Viacomâs Showtime, so Dunnâs top priority during this period was to keep Redstone off his back. Lull him into complacency so he wouldnât make a move against TA Network.
Then, Dunn would drop Brothers in Arms like a surprise attack, swooping in out of nowhere to cement TA Networkâs status and influence in the cable world. By the time Redstone realized what was happening, itâd be too late to fight back.
But hereâs the kickerâturns out Tosca Musk had seen this coming too.
And sheâd even leveraged her one and only product, the animated Fantastic Four, to make a play. Her foresight was jaw-dropping!
Dunn dropped his usual high-and-mighty lecturing tone. For the first time, he felt like discussing things with her as an equal.
In the past, whenever Dunn treated someone as an equal, it was because his foresight told him they were destined to be a big dealâthink Spielberg, Cameron, Bill McNickle, Ron Meyer, Jobs, or Elon Musk.
But Tosca Musk? In his past life, she was a nobody!
Still, after nearly a year of working together, Dunn was almost certain of one thing: this beautiful woman sitting in front of him was a hidden gem, buried in the sands of Hollywood in his previous life.
Dunn stepped away from his bossâs chair and plopped down on the sofa across from Tosca Musk. With a slight smile, he said, âGo on?â
Tosca Musk couldnât have been happier. She quietly clenched her fist under the table.
That feeling of being recognized? It was amazing!
Even though Dunn hadnât said much, she could tell his view of her had fundamentally shifted.
That was no small feat!
Especially for a beautiful woman like her.
Tosca took a deep breath, flashing a charming smile. âThe first two points were from a big-picture perspective. The third is about the long-term strategy for Sillywood Animation.â
âEight million dollars for broadcast rights isnât a lot, sure, but thatâs just North America. Weâve still got overseas markets and the DVD market. Iâm confident that with the quality of Fantastic Four, we can recoup a $30 million investment.â
âThe real key is that Sillywood Animation can use Nickelodeon as a springboard to break into the scene and build a name. With Disney Channel consolidating its hold, Nickelodeonâs going to have to slash prices even more to stay relevant in the kidsâ market. Theyâll end up as a bargain-bin TV channel.â
âTo keep viewers hooked, Nickelodeon will rerun Fantastic Four like crazy in the short term. Donât ask me how I knowâI just have faith in my product. Thatâs free exposure for us. More people will get to know Sillywood Animation Studios.â
Dunn gave her a half-smile. âSo, publicityâs more important than profit?â
Tosca replied, âFor a company, profitâs king. But whatâs even better than profit? Bigger profit. Thatâs where publicity comes in.â
Dunn chuckled and shook his head. âLooks like youâre dead-set on making an animated movie.â
âAbsolutely, Iâm all in on this!â Toscaâs expression turned serious.
Dunn didnât push back with his usual skepticism this time. He just nodded lightly. âThe comic adaptation?â
âYep, Bone Adventures.â
Tosca grinned.
Dunn let out a soft âHmm.â
After their chat, Dunn had someone dig into Bone Adventures. Turns out, it was one of the most popular comic series among American kids right now.
It follows the Bone siblingsâgoody-two-shoes âBoneäšâ, adventure-junkie âBoneçŻâ, and lovable âBoneĺŹâ. They escape their hometown and embark on a whimsical, funny, fantasy-filled journey.
It definitely had adaptation potential.
âSo, whatâs your plan for this movie?â
Toscaâs eyes sparkled. âWhile working on Fantastic Four, we gained a ton of animation experience and even developed two patented software tools. But Sillywood Animationâs team is still too small. To make a big movie, we need more effects artists and animators. So⌠Iâm thinking of just buying a special effects company outright.â
Dunn raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. âBig ambitions!â
Tosca shrugged casually. âI ditched everything in Silicon Valley to come to Hollywood. Iâm not here just to punch a clock.â
Dunn grinned. âWhich company are you eyeing?â
Right now, Hollywood had four major effects houses:
First, thereâs Lucasfilmâs Industrial Light & Magicâthe granddaddy of special effects.
Second, PDI (Pacific Data Images), which DreamWorks Animation scooped up last year as they pivoted to CG animation.
Third, Digital Domain, founded by James Cameron, the go-to for effects in Titanic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Unsinkable.
Fourth, Rhythm & Hues Studios, around since 1987 with a solid rep. They handled effects for Twentieth Century Foxâs X-Men.
But with the rise of movie effects, special effects companies were popping up like mushrooms after rain. Hollywood alone had over 30, and even the tiny UK film scene had 7.
The competition was brutal!
Tosca said, âIâm looking at Cinesite, under Eastman Kodak. Theyâve worked on the Mission: Impossible series and chipped in on some Narnia effects.â
Dunn raised an eyebrow. âTheyâre pretty small-time, right? Never heard of them.â
Tosca laughed, half-exasperated. âBig boss, Iâd love to buy a powerhouse effects company too, but are you gonna give me the cash for that? Iâm trying to make a big movie and buy a company. Without a $100 million injection, itâs not happening!â
Dunn seemed to tune out her sarcastic jab, stroking his chin with his eyes half-closed, muttering to himself. âSony Pictures has Sony Imageworks, DreamWorks nabbed PDI, and Twentieth Century Fox has Blue Sky Studios for effects⌠An effects company might actually be worth it.â
âHuh?â
Toscaâs eyes widened, picking up on something in his words.
Dunn kept mumbling to himself for a bit, lost in thought. After a couple of minutes, he finally spoke up. âWhat do you think of Digital Domain?â
âMr. Cameronâs Digital Domain?â Toscaâs face lit up with excitement. âThatâd be amazing! Theyâre the best in the biz for fluid effectsâbetter than ILM in that department!â
âFluid effects?â
âDynamic effects! Itâs the biggest boost for CG animated movies!â
Dunn smiled. âAlright, then letâs go with Digital Domain. No point in messing around with small fryâif weâre doing this, weâre doing it big!â
Tosca was so pumped she could barely sit still. âBut acquiring them wonât be easy, right? Theyâre in their prime right now.â
Dunn waved it off. âDonât worry about that. James is the majority shareholderâone word from him, and itâs done. As for the other two co-founders, Stan Winston and Scott Ross, theyâre sharp guys. Theyâll see that teaming up with Dunn Films beats going it alone any day.â
Special effects companies had been a hot trend for a while, but the industry was too small to sustain.
With Hollywoodâs demand, there was no need for 30+ effects shops. It was obvious that in the coming years, a bunch of them would go under.
And thatâs exactly what happened.
Over the next 15 years, three of Hollywoodâs current top four effects companies went bankrupt. The only survivor, Industrial Light & Magic, ended up as a dowry when Lucasfilm got sold to Disney.
Effects were always just a supporting act in movies. Without control over their own destiny, these companies struggled to survive.
Itâs like the difference between indie film studios and the Big Six. Distribution channels were how the giants dominated Hollywood. Indie studios were stuck as sidekicks, their room to breathe shrinking until they collapsed.
No indie studio ever escaped that fateânot even MGM, once a global sensation.
Unless, of course, you were Sony Pictures, snagging Columbia, or Dunn Films, eyeing UniversalâŚ
