Inside the studio, candlelight flickered everywhere.
Even the greenest newbie could tell something was up with the vibe.
It was way too cozy, way too romantic.
Especially when Dunn Walker's voice rang out—
"Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear Nat,
Happy birthday to you!"
"Whoa!"
As Dunn's song wrapped up, the studio erupted in wild cheers. A ton of people had no clue what was going on and were totally blown away.
Director Walker… was he *serious*?
To make Natalie happy, he'd thrown this huge birthday bash right in the middle of the crew, keeping everyone in the dark. Wouldn't that tick off George Lucas big time?
Talk about using the gig for personal stuff!
But the two stars of the moment couldn't care less about the gossip.
Dunn strolled over to Natalie, handing the candles off to someone else, and gazed into her eyes with a soft, "Nat, happy birthday."
"Thanks," she said, getting his sweet intentions and fighting back tears.
Dunn pulled a fancy little box from his pocket, popped it open, and revealed a sparkling bracelet. It wasn't some big-name brand—just something he'd picked out with tons of heart.
"Like it?"
"Yeah."
Natalie's eyes shimmered with tears as she gently lifted her wrist toward him.
Dunn cradled her hand, pressed a light kiss to the back of it, then slipped the bracelet onto her pale wrist.
Right then, even if it wasn't the whole world watching, a hundred people had their eyes on them.
Being showered with attention and blessings like that? Natalie was soaking it up—thrilled, nervous, and totally swept away.
She knew Dunn's heart, and she got that this huge effort wasn't *just* for a birthday party.
Sure enough, Dunn grabbed her hands next, and in front of the whole crew—hundreds of witnesses—he said, all serious and heartfelt, "Nat, I like you. Be my girlfriend, okay?"
Natalie bit her lip, tilting her face up to meet his gaze.
Maybe Dunn had this planned, or maybe everyone just loved a show, because the crowd started chanting, "Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"
Natalie liked the quiet, warm romance from before—not this loud chaos. Dunn caught her annoyed little glare and shouted, "Hey, shut it! People might think *you're* the ones asking Nat out!"
"Haha!" The whole place cracked up.
Natalie let out a "pfft," playfully smacking Dunn's chest. Her soft frame leaned into him, and she mumbled, "Jerk!"
Dunn hugged her gently, whispering in her ear, "Nat, I mean it."
"Hmph, don't think I don't see it—you've been setting traps for me this whole time. This one… I just couldn't dodge," she huffed softly.
Dunn pulled a mock sad face. "Nat, I really like you. Don't you feel even a *tiny* bit touched?"
"Nope!" She buried her face in his chest, smirking to herself.
Dunn sighed, then grinned slyly. "Well, too bad—you're my girlfriend now. All these people saw it. No backing out!"
"You! Ugh, I knew you were up to no good!"
Natalie stomped her foot, all flustered, and wiggled out of his arms. With so many eyes on her, she was still a little shy.
Just then, her mom, Shirley Hershler, rolled out a massive cake cart.
Natalie's cheeks went red as she dove into her mom's arms, squirming a bit. "Mom…"
"Happy birthday, sweetie!"
"Thanks." Natalie hesitated, then whispered, "Mom, I… I think I want to date."
"Dunn?"
"Yeah." She dipped her head, nodding faintly.
Shirley gave Dunn a complicated look, then smiled and patted her daughter's back. "Nat, you're growing up. Some choices are yours to make now."
"Mom, thank you—you're the best mom ever!" Natalie squealed, planting a big kiss on Shirley's cheek, bubbling with joy.
"Hey, come over here—let's cut the cake for everyone!"
Now that they were official, Natalie's tone with Dunn got casual and bright—no more of that actor-to-director awe.
---
After *Titanic*'s hype died down, a comedy flick with a $15 million budget started popping up on movie mag covers.
It couldn't touch last year's *Titanic*, sure, but it stirred up plenty of buzz—hype on par with *Saving Private Ryan*, no less!
A month and a half overseas, it raked in $100 million. For a blockbuster like *Saving Private Ryan*, that's peanuts.
But *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*? How much did it even cost?
Dunn Films said $15 million publicly—truth is, it was probably less!
What's wilder? It's a comedy. Only one comedy in Hollywood history ever hit numbers like that—*Pretty Woman*, back when it took the U.S. by storm.
Latest stats show *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* beat out Michael Bay's *Armageddon*, Disney's *A Bug's Life*, and Frank Coraci's *The Waterboy* to snag third place in this year's most anticipated films!
First? Spielberg's *Saving Private Ryan*. Second? Columbia's rebooted *Godzilla*.
Releasing overseas early was a desperate move by Dunn, but the killer word-of-mouth and box office hunger made it a bigger deal in North America than anyone expected.
Naturally, director Dunn Walker became the media's golden boy—especially when *Star Wars* got tied into the mix.
Plenty of outlets spilled behind-the-scenes *Star Wars* tidbits—planned leaks with the studio to drum up hype.
But the latest scoop landed Dunn Walker right back on *The New York Times*.
*"Genius Director Dunn Walker Confesses to Natalie Portman!"*
"Insider scoop: While shooting a quiet scene, the set suddenly went dark. Everyone thought it was a power glitch, but nope—Dunn Walker staged it all to surprise Natalie Portman for her birthday. Then, with hundreds of crew members watching, he confessed his feelings."
"Natalie was moved to tears and said yes to dating him. *Star Wars* is bound to be their sweetest memory. Looks like genius director Dunn's not just a pro at films—he's a master at stealing the spotlight too. One's a visionary director, the other's a rising star. Here's hoping they make each other happy!"
---
Nicole Kidman's been grinding lately.
With Dunn busy on *Star Wars*, she's been stuck handling most of the promo for *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*.
Who else in the crew's a big name, right?
She griped about it a lot at first, but once those box office numbers rolled in, all her complaints vanished—replaced with pure excitement.
Less than two months out, it's already past $120 million overseas. Big outlets predict it'll land between $160-180 million total.
When's Nicole Kidman ever starred in a hit this huge?
And it's not just cash—she's getting *praise*!
Lately, her assistant dug up reviews from papers in Australia, Canada, the UK, New Zealand—you name it. Her acting? Universal rave reviews.
Some even say it's her best performance ever, with a real shot at next year's Oscar!
That kind of talk's got her head spinning.
Best Actress Oscar?
She's never even been nominated!
Could this movie really be the game-changer Dunn promised?
Nicole grabbed a fresh *New York Times*, flipped to entertainment, and bam—front page: *"Genius Director Dunn Walker Confesses to Natalie Portman!"*
"Him…" Nicole blinked, paused, then shook her head with a soft, "Nah, no way."
---