Disney buying Marvel for $4 billion

[gsdx]

Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion

REUTERS

August 31, 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co said on Monday it plans to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc for $4 billion in a deal that would add characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four to its entertainment empire.

Disney is striking the biggest media deal of the year so far -- one that will unite the Incredible Hulk and Mickey Mouse -- at a time when the media business is struggling to cope with spending cutbacks by both consumers and advertisers.

Marvel, however, has a stable of wildly popular characters that it has brought to the big screen in home-run films like "Iron Man." A sequel, "Iron Man 2" is due to hit the theaters next year, while "Thor," "Spider-Man 4" and the first "Avenger" movie are slated for a 2011 release.

For Disney, movies like those should help address a key area of concern among investors: How it can better reach more young males.

Full Report: http://finance.sympatico.msn.ca/investing/news/breakingnews/article.aspx?cp-documentid=21427340

I don't know. Maybe I'm missing something. . .

 

[tHaTeViLmOnKeY]

First thought I had was what happens to Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park?

The second I had was whether or not a Disney produced Marvel film will be any better than any of the ones FOX produces. Wolverine anyone?

 

[CudDULL]

nooo i'm tired of disney they need to back off and stop disney-fying things ugh.

dont get me wrong i like disney and all their productions but they are not just going to force even more things down our throats

 

[GL]

so long as disney keeps out of the management & publishing of the books i could care less.

granted i do think editorially speaking it may be time to clean house as marvel is bereft of fresh ideas but as i see it, comic book publishing should be managed by people in that industry. not some yahoo out of disney.

 

[Corny]

I already see the Disney Castle Logo blinking and shining with cue music before the next wolverine

 

[Ekim23]

YAY !!! Go Disney !!! LOOOOL

 

[Ekim23]

Bring it on Boi !!!!

LMAO

 

[scains]

The Marvel movies are all lame anyway - I don't see how Disney can do any worse.

 

[Apollo]

Well...to be honest, Disney owns other propeties that aren't super family friendly at all. While ABC Family is full of cheese galore, their shows arent very kid friendly, more like 16+ kid range, and thats if you parents care if you know about promiscuous sex.

So I am not as worried about Disney owning Marvel as most.

 

[jcojax78]

Let's not forget that Disney also owns Miramax, which has released films like Pulp Fiction, Clerks & Clerks 2, Dogma, and Trainspotting.

My thoughts: I really don't think we will see too many changes and that this is an "office" change, where all the changes will be made in the corporate end of things. Time will tell I guess.

 

[BigDestiny]

I already see the Disney Castle Logo blinking and shining with cue music before the next wolverine

Dear Disney,
Although I am aware that Hugh Jackman is a song and dance man, please be reminded, as you work on the new Wolverine movie, that Wolverine is not. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT.
Yours in imagined horror,
BigDestiny

 

[CoolguyAT]

Honestly, most Marvel movies these days are more family friendly than the counterpart DC Comics movies (Batman, Superman, etc). I have not seen Wolverine yet so I can't compare but X-Men 1 in my opinion was not nearly as kid/family friendly as X-Men 2 and X-Men 3. Spiderman and Iron-Man are even more family/kid friendly than the X-Men movies.

I don't see too much change and as far as the comic books - if the adult line of comic books makes money then Disney will probably keep it, why mess with a product that makes you money?

I honestly would have been more concerned and outraged had Disney bought DC Comics, which overall tends to be a little more dark than Marvel, in my opinion.

 

[tHaTeViLmOnKeY]

Even though Disney owns plenty of other studios, they aren't saying that Disney is buying Marvel and leaving it as it's own movie studio. They are saying that Disney is outright buying Marvel, which has me slightly worried.

I do think it will mostly all be corporate behind the scenes things but we all know Disney's goal is to one day control the world, McDonald's and Walmart be damned!

 

[Rex]

I just hope they don't ruin any Marvel characters. I grew up on Marvel comics cartoons. The X-men and Spiderman were my favorite shows as a kid.

Disney don't fuck this up you evil bastards.

 

[CoolguyAT]

^ I agree, as long as Disney doesn't start changing characters or defacing them and having them team up with Disney characters then i'll be fine.

 

[thejoshuatree]

Bah, why are people so upset over this? Just because Disney is involved with something does not mean they are going to make it family friendly. As it has already been stated, Disney owns more adult-themed studios such as Miramax and Touchstone and has given us films from Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, two very adult directors. They have also brought us the Scary Movie film series, Chicago, the Scream films, and a few films from the Halloween franchise. Disney also produces Lost and Desperate Housewives, two adult shows.
Disney bought Pixar and nothing seems to have changed over there. Yes, they are in the same line of business but it's not as if they cleaned house over there. If anything, Pixar has influenced Disney. Disney has no reason to fuck with the good formula that Marvel has going on. If anything, Marvel being associated with Disney allows Marvel to have more money for better things, and the opprotunity to team up with Pixar for some hopefully amazing animated films. The biggest change we would likely see is having Marvel toys being sold at Disney Stores. Disney can't put the majority of Marvel characters in their theme parks due to them having an agreement with Universal, nor can they produce films with characters who are already licensed to other studios.
There have been some pretty shitty Spider-Man cartoons as of late and that was all Marvel. Anyone see "Spectacular Spider-Man"? It was very kid friendly.
So I doubt we will see Wolverine dancing with Mickey Mouse. Besides, there is already a Spider-Man musical in the works and Disney had nothing to do with that.

Then again, I work for Disney so I'm legally obligated to be happy as fuck about anything they do...

 

[phoenix047]

Ok first of all: Evil Monkey, McDonald's has nothing to worry about with Disney taking over the world, they are already in cahoots, (it's the happy meals that give it away). Secondly yes it pisses me off that Marvel is being devoured by the Galactus sized conglomerate that is Disney. I'm sure that soon enough they will be marketing a Marvel Princess' line with dolls like Storm, Scarlett Spider, Elektra, and Emma Frost all dressed up and ready to go to the ball, unthreatening and gender roll appropriate of course, for the kiddies' sake. And well I foresee countless other travesties in Marvels future. I know there are those happy little Mouseketeers out there that find all thing Disney grand. But they really know how to muck things up.

 

[Raven03]

I just saw some concept art of the theme park they planned on building however now that Dubai is broke I guess its future looks dim.

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2009/11/dubai-world-marvel-super-heroes-theme.html

 

[CWcharmed]

It definately is not the end of the world. I think that everything with Marvel will stay the same. And trust me I do not like the idea of Marvel characters being changed as well I grew up with X-men Evolution. along with Spiderman and reruns of X-men. I just think that Disney wanted an extra money maker.

Plus they have to keep up with the competition with WB studios since they bought out DC. The only thing that is left I think that has not been bought is CapCom. I wonder who that is going to go to or if WB and Disney are going to fight for it.

 

[gsdx]

You can tell where i'm fiercely loyal.

Ya think?. . . . .