Can't believe it took this long before someone brought this up.
Holy !@#$, Disney buys Marvel Comics???
- Thread starter C.E. Evans
- Start date
Can't believe it took this long before someone brought this up.
One of developments that's emerged in the last few days is that Sony has relinquished all television rights to Spider-Man in exchange for unknown guarantees regarding their continued hold on the Spider-Man film rights. That means that the decision of whether to produce a third season of The Spectacular Spider-Man now rests with Disney and Marvel, with Sony completely out of the picture.
Or until Disney/Marvel works a deal to buy those rights back. If it was just the movies we were looking at that would be easier on the Fox end. Given that no X-Men or Fantastic Four movie has broken $200M at the box office, that level of profit for Fox would be easily compensated by Disney.
However, the marketing rights those films have given the studios gives Sony and Fox a lot more money than just the bare film rights and makes Disney's reacquisition of them all the more difficult. Disney may just decide they could make more money by just leaving the deals with Sony and Fox in place, while secretly hoping the movies suck and tanking the studio's interest long enough to let the rights lapse back to Disney/Marvel. So what we may see is a diminished involvement by Marvel in future movies other than Marvel Studios' projects, a move designed to give future movies a greater chance to suck.
^^^
Sony and Fox will hold onto their Marvel film rights for as long as possible. The four X-Men films (including the Wolverine spin-off) have grossed over $1.5 billion in worldwide box office for Fox. And their deal with Marvel gives Fox almost all of the revenue. To buy the film rights back wouldn't be as cheap or easy as you think. I'm sure that lawyers on both sides are going over the contracts in laborious detail and that lawsuits will fly if there's even the slightest chance that Disney could take advantage of any contractual clauses to get the X-Men and Fantastic Four film rights back.
Oh, and the second and third X-Men films both grossed over $200 million domestic.
Sony and Fox will hold onto their Marvel film rights for as long as possible. The four X-Men films (including the Wolverine spin-off) have grossed over $1.5 billion in worldwide box office for Fox. And their deal with Marvel gives Fox almost all of the revenue. To buy the film rights back wouldn't be as cheap or easy as you think. I'm sure that lawyers on both sides are going over the contracts in laborious detail and that lawsuits will fly if there's even the slightest chance that Disney could take advantage of any contractual clauses to get the X-Men and Fantastic Four film rights back.
Oh, and the second and third X-Men films both grossed over $200 million domestic.
Activison has a lot of the rights to Marvel videogames, and their deal with Marvel lasts until 2017. That includes the rights to Spider-Man movie based games. Sega has a lot of rights for other Marvel based movie games, and the deal, made back in 2007 was described as multiyear. We know they are working on Iron Man 2 so the deal lasts at least until next year.
So I would imagine if Square Enix wanted to use Marvel characters they would have to work out a deal with Activison if they just wanted original or comic versions of the characters, and both Activision and Sega if they wanted to use the movie versions. It's also possible they would have to work out deals with the movie studios. I'm also not sure if those deals are worldwide or not, they might have to deal with different publishers in different regions.
I would guess that including Marvel characters in Kingdom Hearts 3 is a possibility but don't count on it.
That is an interesting development. I don't know the profit margins on Spectacular Spider-Man but surely the character is worth keeping out there. Since the 80's he's had a couple shows a decade with little break between them.
Disney is bound to still give that the go ahead...right?
I really hope the decide to keep it around, I bought the season 1 DVD a few weeks ago and flew through it in only a few days. It was easily one of the best superhero shows I've seen, right up there with some of the best of the DCAU.
If you're talking just Domestic gross, X2 - X-Men United did $214 million and X-Men The Last Stand did $234 million.
Mostly lame or incongruous. The two with Marvel characters in Mickey Mouse garb were okay. The Magic Kingdom one made no sense, but the FF "4" symbol in the sky was the start of a joke that never happened. The best one was the hand of Mickey Mouse with Wolverine claws-- nice, stark and amusing image.
That's fucking awesome! 
Another Big Change At Disney: Result of Marvel Merger?
I just read that the chief of Disney Studios is stepping down after 38 years. Link
They don't give a reason for this big change. But given Disney's much publicized acquisition of Marvel nearly three weeks ago, I can't help but think there is a connection. Could they be looking for a replacement in Marvel's Avi Arad?
Arad has quite a bit of experience. As he has been attached to nearly every Marvel film to date, some of which have the big box offices that had to be a major attraction to Disney. Plus the last I heard he was stepping back from his role with Marvel as Kevin Feige has stepped up with running Marvel Studios. Arad also became associated with Marvel back when they acquired ToyBiz as he was their top exec or somesuch. Toys... movies... sounds like a good match for Disney.
Now, whether he would actually do a good job is an entirely different question.
I just read that the chief of Disney Studios is stepping down after 38 years. Link
They don't give a reason for this big change. But given Disney's much publicized acquisition of Marvel nearly three weeks ago, I can't help but think there is a connection. Could they be looking for a replacement in Marvel's Avi Arad?
Arad has quite a bit of experience. As he has been attached to nearly every Marvel film to date, some of which have the big box offices that had to be a major attraction to Disney. Plus the last I heard he was stepping back from his role with Marvel as Kevin Feige has stepped up with running Marvel Studios. Arad also became associated with Marvel back when they acquired ToyBiz as he was their top exec or somesuch. Toys... movies... sounds like a good match for Disney.
Now, whether he would actually do a good job is an entirely different question.
Re: Another Big Change At Disney: Result of Marvel Merger?
Remember Arad and the film Elektra? During filming he was on the set, praising this film to the skies. Elektra was going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, you see. Months later, after Elektra failed at the box office, he blamed everyone in sight.
Avi Arad obviously loves movies. He has his name on a bunch of them as "producer" (the easiest title to get in the film biz, by the way). But Arad has less experience in film than many younger execs in Hollywood. I just doubt that Arad is the right guy to chart a course for Disney in the years to come.
Disney would be better off promoting someone from within the company. The studio has been very successful; no "shake-up" is needed. It would be better to promote someone who knows their culture, someone with years of experience within the organization.
Remember Arad and the film Elektra? During filming he was on the set, praising this film to the skies. Elektra was going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, you see. Months later, after Elektra failed at the box office, he blamed everyone in sight.
Avi Arad obviously loves movies. He has his name on a bunch of them as "producer" (the easiest title to get in the film biz, by the way). But Arad has less experience in film than many younger execs in Hollywood. I just doubt that Arad is the right guy to chart a course for Disney in the years to come.
Re: Another Big Change At Disney: Result of Marvel Merger?
I recently read that this could have some fallout on the next Pirates of the Caribbean as Johnny Depp is pretty pissed over the shakeups at Disney.
I recently read that this could have some fallout on the next Pirates of the Caribbean as Johnny Depp is pretty pissed over the shakeups at Disney.
Re: Another Big Change At Disney: Result of Marvel Merger?
I agree that Arad is little more than a figurehead at Marvel Studios. In fact, I meant to close my last post with "Now the question is can he actually do the job they think he can?" On paper, he looks good. But can he deliver what they want?
I am thinking that Disney maybe looked at all the credits with his name on them, and maybe had an interview with him where he got a chance to sell himself to Disney's brass. Now the real question is, did they buy his BS sales pitch for himself?
I am thinking they should talk with Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios, along with Jon Favreau and Sam Raimi the directors of Marvel's biggest film projects in studio and out at Columbia, before they reach a final decision to go with Arad. Because I don't think he would really be right for the job either. He just comes off as a smarmy huckster riding on the success of others to me.
I agree that Arad is little more than a figurehead at Marvel Studios. In fact, I meant to close my last post with "Now the question is can he actually do the job they think he can?" On paper, he looks good. But can he deliver what they want?
I am thinking that Disney maybe looked at all the credits with his name on them, and maybe had an interview with him where he got a chance to sell himself to Disney's brass. Now the real question is, did they buy his BS sales pitch for himself?
I am thinking they should talk with Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios, along with Jon Favreau and Sam Raimi the directors of Marvel's biggest film projects in studio and out at Columbia, before they reach a final decision to go with Arad. Because I don't think he would really be right for the job either. He just comes off as a smarmy huckster riding on the success of others to me.
Re: Another Big Change At Disney: Result of Marvel Merger?
I have now read that Disney lost money in the last quarter, and that many of their recent films were considered box office disappointments. Dick Cook appears to be taking the fall for this. He will probably be replaced by someone from a rival studio, or else by some up-and-coming executive within Disney's organization.
Why do you assume that Arad is even a longshot candidate?
I have now read that Disney lost money in the last quarter, and that many of their recent films were considered box office disappointments. Dick Cook appears to be taking the fall for this. He will probably be replaced by someone from a rival studio, or else by some up-and-coming executive within Disney's organization.
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I hope you are right. I do not want to see ALL comic properties get reduced to yawn-inducing, family-friendly entertainment.
And I don't want to see Disney use its comic properties to advertise the Magic Kingdom either.
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