Fierce Creatures 1997

Willa Weston arrives in Atlanta, eager to assume a prestigious role at a company recently acquired by the enigmatic Rod McCain. However, her excitement quickly dissipates when Rod reveals that he has already sold the company. Undeterred, Willa agrees to manage another of his latest acquisitions, Marwood Zoo, where she is tasked with developing a business model that can be implemented across multiple zoological facilities in the future.

Complicating matters is Rod’s son, Vincent, who is infatuated with Willa and plans to join her at the zoo. The newly appointed director, Rollo Lee, a retired officer from the Hong Kong Police Force and former employee of Octopus Television, introduces a bold and controversial “fierce creatures” theme in an effort to meet Octopus’s revenue target of 20% across all assets. In his quest to draw visitors, Rollo insists that only dangerous and violent animals will be retained, leading to the dismissal of the friendlier inhabitants of the zoo.

Despite the efforts of animal keepers, including Bugsy, a spider-handler, to persuade Rollo to reconsider, he remains undeterred. One of their desperate ploys involves tricking Rollo into cooking the cutest animals, but when Rollo sees through the ruse, he fakes their extermination, hiding them in his bedroom. This peculiar arrangement sparks wild misunderstandings between Willa and Vincent, who mistakenly believe Rollo is involved in an orgy with female staff members.

As Rollo attempts to manage staff who are faking injuries from animal “attacks,” tensions escalate. He fires warning shots to instill discipline, leading to a chaotic situation when an actual accident occurs involving a visitor. Willa and Vincent, horrified by Rollo’s actions, decide to demote him to middle management, with Vincent even threatening to fire Rollo if he persists with his questionable behavior.

In a bid to revitalize the zoo’s appeal, Vincent launches an aggressive marketing campaign, dressing the staff in bizarre outfits and installing an artificial panda. Despite his efforts to charm Willa, she develops a connection with a silverback gorilla and grows intrigued by Rollo’s charisma. When she invites Rollo to dinner to discuss plans for the zoo, she postpones, anxious about a meeting with Rod regarding management decisions.

Concerned that Rod’s visit might signal plans to close the zoo, Rollo and the keepers attempt to eavesdrop on his hotel conversations. Their scheme goes awry, yet they uncover Rod’s scheme to sell the zoo to Japanese investors intent on converting it into a golf course. Additionally, Rod has intentions of cryogenically freezing himself to ensure Vincent never inherits anything.

Things escalate when Willa confronts Vincent about embezzling sponsorship funds, giving him an ultimatum to return the money or face consequences. A passionate kiss between Willa and Rollo marks a turning point, just as Vincent re-enters to return the stolen funds. A heated confrontation erupts as Willa, Rollo, Bugsy, and others scramble to prevent Vincent from escaping with the money.

The chaos escalates when Rod interrupts the fray, announcing that the police are coming to arrest Vincent for theft. In a bid to reclaim control, Vincent attempts to shoot Rod but misses, inadvertently prompting Bugsy to accidentally shoot Rod in the forehead. In the ensuing turmoil, a plan forms to deceive Neville, Rod’s business partner, and the soon-to-arrive police.

The keepers quickly concoct a scheme to disguise Vincent as Rod, leveraging his ability to mimic his father’s voice. When the police arrive, Vincent (disguised) presents a forged will indicating that the zoo will become a trust for its caretakers, while he claims all other assets. After the deceitful signing, Vincent locks himself in a caretaker’s hut, staging Rod’s apparent suicide.

Though Neville grows suspicious, he is ultimately left stunned upon discovering Rod’s “body” in the hut. Unshackled from McCain’s ownership, the zookeepers proceed to obliterate any incriminating evidence. Vincent rises to the position of CEO of Octopus, while Willa and Rollo embark on a new chapter in their lives, contentedly continuing their stewardship of the zoo.