Chapter 32: Who Should Play the Female Lead?

After putting down the script for My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the office fell into a quiet hush. Nia Vardalos looked pretty nervous—totally understandable! 😬

Dunn cleared his throat. “Alright, let’s hear some thoughts. Manola, you go first.”

Manola Dargis, who never cracked a smile—like everyone owed her money or something—spoke up. “The main storyline’s solid. It uses the clash of customs between two cultures to create a warm, romantic conflict. Filming the daily life of an American subculture? That’s not just in line with mainstream U.S. values—it’s the kind of stuff the Oscars eat up.”

Dunn’s eyes lit up instantly. “Wait, are you saying… this story could get an Oscar nod?”

Manola nodded. “Sure. I’ve said it before—subcultural family tales are Hollywood’s golden ticket. Think The Godfather back in the day, or this year’s Oscar contenders like Jerry Maguire and Secrets & Lies. That said, this script? It’s not quite there yet. The laughs are sparse, the structure’s predictable, and the theme’s a bit shallow. It needs work.”

Dunn grinned, clearly pleased. “Manola, that’s where you come in! I’m counting on you to guide Nia and polish this script up. You’ve got this, right?”

Manola shrugged. “It’s my job, isn’t it?” 😏

Dunn was buzzing with excitement inside. He knew My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a classic Hollywood sleeper hit—a low-budget gem that struck gold. The original team’s skills were so-so, though, and the movie ended up feeling like a cheap Hong Kong flick. Such a waste of a great story! If they’d done it right, it could’ve been huge. Now that Dunn had stumbled onto this script, he was determined to make it his own masterpiece!

“Andrew, what’s your take?” Dunn asked, brimming with confidence in his divide-and-conquer strategy.

Andrew O’Hare, a total movie nut who watched like seven films a day, knew the market inside out—probably better than anyone in Hollywood! “The framework’s excellent,” he said. “Warm conflicts, tears mixed with laughter—that’s the bread and butter of family dramas and comedies. The leads tie it all together with a big, fat Greek wedding, spotlighting the tension while keeping it real. Ditch the soap opera fluff, add some quirky foreign charm, and I’d bet my hat this story will win over audiences! But yeah, it needs a sharper script.”

This was the first time the artsy analyst and the market guy agreed! And given how My Big Fat Greek Wedding crushed it in its original run, Dunn’s team-building instincts were clearly spot-on. 🏆

“Alright, it’s settled then,” Dunn said. “The script’s in your hands, folks. Manola, Andrew—work together and strike a balance between art and commerce. Hmm… lean toward Andrew’s input, though. This time, we’re chasing box office gold.”

Dunn quickly assembled a “writing squad” and called in his production assistant, Glenn Ferriero. “Glenn, take a look at this script. It’s just a rough draft, mind you. How much do you think the movie’ll cost?”

Glenn’s skills were legendary—94 in “project evaluation,” 97 in “casting.” He could outshine any Hollywood icon! After skimming the script, he asked, “Boss, are we aiming for awards… or just ticket sales?”

Dunn blinked. “What’s the difference?”

Glenn explained, “If it’s an awards contender, you can’t skimp on budget. The visuals, the colors—everything’s gotta pop. The actors need to hit Oscar-level performances, which means tons of retakes, long post-production, and top-tier talent. That all adds up fast.”

Dunn nodded. “And if we’re just going for box office?”

Glenn chuckled. “Then it’s a breeze! Moviegoers don’t care about artsy lenses or deep visuals—they just want a good story. As long as the acting’s decent, the rest can be bare-bones.”

Dunn smirked. “Alright, give me the numbers.”

Glenn mulled it over. “I’d need to crunch it properly, but off the cuff? Awards route’s about $20 million. Box office only? Three to five million should do it.”

Twenty million bucks… oof, that’s steep. 😅 Dunn wasn’t in a position to buy Marvel yet, so he needed to hoard cash for stock market moves. “What about actors? Who’d you cast?”

In the original, Nia Vardalos played the lead herself. Her acting was meh, and her looks didn’t exactly scream “star power.” Now that she was Dunn’s go-to writer with a steady gig, she didn’t need to hog the spotlight. Plus, she knew Dunn’s ambitions—she couldn’t match his acting standards anyway.

“Bigger names, better results!” Glenn said without hesitation. “But if budget’s tight, snag a hot A-list actress to carry the box office. Male stars are just too pricey.”

“Got anyone in mind?”

“Julia Roberts!”

“Nope!” Dunn shot it down fast. “She’s at her peak right now. Even if she doesn’t demand $20 million, $10 million’s still way outta our league.”

Glenn paused, thinking. “Peak stars don’t come cheap, especially for a commercial flick like this. They won’t lower their rates unless…”

Dunn caught on. “Unless they’re in a slump—or they’ve bombed a string of movies.”

Glenn grinned. “Exactly! We swoop in with a lifeline, and we can haggle. Up to you, boss—wanna roll the dice?”

Dunn waved a hand boldly. “No risk, no reward! I like your thinking. So, who’s your pick?”

“Nicole Kidman.”

The name dropped like a bomb—everyone froze. 😲

This was one of Hollywood’s biggest, most iconic actresses—fame and clout on par with Julia Roberts! Nicole Kidman and her hubby Tom Cruise were America’s dream couple. For a small-fry project like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, would a megastar like her even bite?

Glenn clocked their doubts and smiled. “Sure, Mrs. Cruise’s fee is sky-high, but her recent movies? Total flops. They’re calling her box office poison. Word is, she’s eyeing artsy films to pivot with an award win.”

“Nicole… a goddess…” Dunn daydreamed. Working with Nicole Kidman? That’d be a win-win! “Glenn, casting’s all yours. Squeeze that salary down as much as you can! Script team, tweak the heroine to fit Nicole Kidman for now—build her a custom role.”

…

Dunn had never met Nicole Kidman, but he knew she was with CAA. He dialed up Bryan Lord. “Dunn? Trouble with the movie?” Bryan cut straight to it.

Dunn didn’t beat around the bush. “I need to borrow someone from you.”

Bryan laughed. “Name it! If I can make it happen, it’s done.”

Dunn smirked. “Might be tricky. It’s Nicole Kidman.”

“Nicole…” Bryan’s tone dropped. “Dunn, that’s a tough one. Her schedule’s packed.”

Dunn raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t heard of her signing anything this year.”

Bryan sighed. “She hasn’t. She’s still tied up with a film from last year.”

“No way!” Dunn scoffed. “It’s almost September—what movie takes a whole year?”

“The director’s Kubrick.”

That shut Dunn up fast. He knew the film—Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick’s final masterpiece. 😳

“When’s Nicole free? It can’t be a full year, right?” Dunn groaned.

Bryan said, “Give it two more weeks. She’ll need a break after, so mid-October’s the soonest she’d join a new set.”

“Works for me,” Dunn replied. “I’m tailoring a script for her now. It’s not done yet, but I’ll fax you a draft when it’s ready.”

Bryan hesitated. “Dunn, CAA artists have five or six agents juggling them. You know I’m swamped with big stuff.”

“Fair enough. Who do I talk to then?”

“Nicole’s direct agent—my assistant, Pat Kingsley.”

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