Liv Tyler is super happy today—Dunn actually asked her out to see a movie tonight!
She's been living at Dunn's place for over a month now, but his attitude lately has been kind of a bummer for her.
When she first moved in, Dunn was totally obsessed with her. He couldn't keep his hands off her, day and night, always wanting more—like he could never get enough.
But as time went on, that fire in him clearly cooled off. He's not as crazy about her anymore, and a lot of times, after they're done, he just rolls over and snores away. Gone are the days of sweet, tender cuddles.
Liv's got high emotional intelligence, though. She's sharp enough to realize it's time to find a way out.
If things get to the point where Dunn loses all interest—or worse, starts resenting her and says something—it'd seriously mess up their vibe. Better to leave now while he still has some fond memories of her, right?
So, out of nowhere, Dunn invites her to watch *The Peacemaker* with George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. Surprise, surprise!
This R-rated flick had DreamWorks pouring $50 million into it. To break even, it'd need to rake in at least $150 million worldwide at the box office. Crazy, huh?
As DreamWorks' big debut, they put a ton of heart into this one. Spielberg himself supervised it, but the guy's juggling two movies a year plus overseeing a blockbuster like this—he's stretched way too thin.
The movie's got rough special effects, and the leads just seem numb to all the killing. It's missing that spark of humanity that's usually the heart of a Spielberg film.
Plus, DreamWorks' whole vibe is off. If this were one of the Big Six studios, they'd steer clear of such blatant racial tension. Political correctness isn't just the mainstream—it's a ticket to good box office numbers!
That artsy, indie feel from DreamWorks? Yeah, it pretty much doomed this movie to flop.
Both of them were rocking big sunglasses as they left the theater. Dunn turned to her and asked, "So, what'd you think of the movie?"
"Not that great, honestly." Liv shook her head, tilting her cute face up. "And I don't even think Nicole Kidman's *that* pretty!"
Dunn smirked, then pointed ahead at a fancy lingerie shop. "Wanna check it out?"
Liv's eyes lit up, and she nearly jumped for joy. "Yes, please!"
Lately, tons of gossip rags have been snapping pics of Dunn and Liv together. He doesn't care one bit, and she's totally eating up the attention.
Now, him offering to buy her lingerie? That's just gonna fuel the hype even more.
"In a bit, I'll be heading out of L.A. to shoot a movie in Chicago," Dunn said casually.
Liv looped her arm through his, all cozy-like. "Oh, then I'll move back to my place. Your house is way too big—feels so empty when I'm there alone."
Dunn shot her an appreciative glance.
They both get what they want and part on good terms.
Smart girl.
---
*Titanic* has been out for over four months now, with global box office numbers closing in on $1.6 billion and North America hitting a wild $5.3 billion!
But compared to the insane hype from a few months ago, *Titanic*'s peak has passed. The box office growth has slowed way down.
Last week, it barely scraped past $10 million in North America. Even DreamWorks' shiny new blockbuster *The Peacemaker* isn't doing much better.
It's the slow season for movies right now!
Over its opening weekend, *The Peacemaker*—which DreamWorks had huge hopes for—only pulled in $12 million. That's a far cry from the $40 million they were banking on!
They thought it'd hit $100 million in North America and maybe $200 million overseas, but nope—not even close!
George Clooney's had a rough year with back-to-back flops—*Batman & Robin* and now *The Peacemaker*. Hollywood's tearing him apart for it.
And Nicole Kidman's catching flak too. The artsy mag *The Village Voice* went hard, calling her "an Aussie clown coasting in Hollywood off Tom Cruise's clout!" Ouch!
*The L.A. Times* wasn't much kinder, saying she didn't bring any glamorous charm to the movie—just a lot of screaming and running around with zero presence.
Dunn's in his office, skimming reviews, and asks Glenn Feyero, "Has Nicole Kidman's team gotten back to us yet?"
Glenn's voice is low. "Her agent's a tough nut to crack."
"Hmph!" Dunn's annoyed. This Pat Kingsley's a mess! He decides to skip her and call her big boss instead. "Brian, the media's been ripping Nicole apart lately, huh?"
Brian Lord sighs. "Yeah, my bad. I didn't think a Spielberg-produced movie would…"
Dunn cuts in, "Brian, one flop's not the end of the world. It's about nailing the next one! Two flops in a row, though—even Tom Cruise couldn't bounce back from that." 😏
Brian pauses. "Nicole's left Kubrick's set. She's chilling at home now."
"Did she read my script?" Dunn thinks for a sec, then adds, "Your assistant agent doesn't seem to get how things are right now."
Brian hesitates. "From blockbusters to artsy films and back again… Nicole's had a rough few years."
Dunn chuckles. "Exactly! That's why she needs to be in my movie."
"Pay's the tricky part," Brian says, sounding torn. As her agent, he's gotta look out for her bottom line.
"Two million bucks," Dunn says firmly. "I think that's fair."
Brian's face sours a bit.
Nicole's on par with Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts—top-tier Hollywood actresses. Those two are inching toward the $20 million club, while Nicole's still grinding for a few million.
"Maybe… Dunn's her shot at a comeback," Brian muses, then makes up his mind. "Three million, and she's yours!"
"Deal!" Dunn laughs, loving Brian's phrasing.
---
By late September, the *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* crew was pretty much set, and all the Chicago connections were locked in.
Early October, the last contract gets signed—Nicole Kidman's officially on board!
At AA's headquarters, Dunn finally meets the legendary beauty in person.
But when he sees her, he realizes he's been dead wrong. Like, *way* off!
This isn't just a beauty.
She's a freaking goddess!
Holy cow, Dunn swears he's been in Hollywood for over a year and never seen anyone this stunning, this sultry, this *perfect*!
Kate Winslet? Liv Tyler? They're nothing compared to this.
Nicole Kidman in 1997 is glowing—absolutely dazzling!
She's rocking a reddish-brown dress with a crisp white coat tossed over it. In this October weather, she's showing off snowy white calves and a long, elegant arm. 💃
Her hair's golden, her eyes a striking blue-green, her skin pale as snow, lips red-hot, and her face soft as water.
One look, and she's like a delicate porcelain doll. 🎀
Dunn's seen tons of gorgeous women in Hollywood and never lost his cool—until Nicole. He's totally thrown off. 😳
"Dunn… Dunn…"
Brian Lord coughs loudly, snapping him out of it. Dunn jumps, startled, and Brian smirks. "No need for intros, I guess. This is Dunn Walker, and this is Nicole Cruise. You two know of each other, right?"
Nicole's expression is calm, with just a hint of a flirty smile. "Hi, Mr. Walker."
Dunn's embarrassed as hell and waves it off. "Honestly, I've never seen a woman as beautiful as you. Lost my cool there for a sec."
Nicole smiles politely. "You're too kind, Mr. Walker."
"Just call me Dunn," he says, sneaking in a few deep breaths. But his eyes? They're still sparkling when he looks at her.
Nicole's been in Hollywood for over a decade—she's seen it all. She clocks the heat in Dunn's gaze right away but brushes it off like it's nothing.
"Alright, Dunn. Since we're working together, I hope we can team up smoothly and get this movie done. The film's what matters most, yeah?"
Dunn catches the subtle warning in her tone and nods with a grin. "Totally. You're spot on—making a great movie comes first."
His eyes, though? They're still shamelessly checking her out.
No point in hiding it now—he'd rather be real than fake.
Pat Kingsley's fuming. Sure, you can like Nicole, but keep it under wraps! She's *Mrs. Cruise* right now!
A hotshot young director like you, barely 20, with endless potential—you can shrug off rumors. But if this gets out, Nicole's toast!
Tom Cruise is her biggest lifeline!
Brian Lord frowns, shooting Pat a warning look, then half-jokes, "Dunn, you better make this movie a hit. If it flops too… well, that'd be a problem."
It's almost a jab. Nicole's face tightens, but she can't say much to an AA bigwig like Brian.
Dunn picks up the deeper meaning, smirking confidently. "What Tom Cruise can't do, I'm pretty damn sure I can!"
---