Disney Buys Marvel
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DinoLast
Super Freak
FreddyvsJasonvsAsh
Freaked Out
I think we all have to take a wait and see stance for now......as for theme park talks I know in FL they wanted to make a villian themed park to be the disney version of six flags with all rollercoasters but I guess that fell through in early 2000. For Disneyland they bought lots of land around them that still have houses on them so those people will have to be moved before they will bulldoze for a new park, but it would be cool if it was a Marvel theme.
So what happens to Lionsgate in this deal for the animated films?
So what happens to Lionsgate in this deal for the animated films?
The Mike
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5 Reasons Disney Is Buying Marvel
By Rick Aristotle Munarriz
September 2, 2009
It's dog eat dog -- or mouse eat spider -- in the entertainment industry.
Disney's (NYSE: DIS) $4 billion deal to acquire Marvel (NYSE: MVL) turned heads on Monday, but it's an inevitable match and a perfect fit.
Disney diehards and Marvel maniacs will disagree, but they're wrong.
The family entertainment titan isn't overpaying because it has the resources to milk Marvel's character library better than Marvel ever could on its own. And by "milk" I don't mean brand-deflating moves like having an "X-Men Babies" series on Disney Channel or turning The Fantastic Four into a teen vocal group. Give Disney a little more credit, folks.
Marvel also isn't selling itself on the cheap. The comic book giant's financials will always be lumpy, so cut your 2008 growth projections short. Analysts expect earnings this year to clock in at roughly half of last year's profitability. Disney could have -- quite possibly -- waited a few months and paid less.
Marvel is a $3 billion company on its own, or a $5 billion company in Disney's trained hands. So $4 billion is a win-win price that both sides will learn to live with.
Why is this company worth more under Disney's watch? Let's go over a few of the reasons.
1. Disney is smart enough to let Marvel be Marvel
As a Pixar investor when Disney came calling three years ago, I can sympathize with Marvel shareholders who feel that they are trading long-term wealth for short-term gains. However, I have no tears for the worrywarts who feel that Disney will somehow Disney-fy Marvel.
This isn't Disney's first acquisition. It won't be its last. Let's go over how Disney has been able to keep a "hands-off" approach when it comes to guiding purchased entertainment companies.
The prize jewel in its 1996 purchase of Capital Cities/ABC is ESPN. I have yet to see a pinstriped Goofy suit up as a referee or an official in any televised sporting event.
Disney's deal to acquire Pixar was more desperate and expensive than this week's Marvel coup, and the Pixar campus has continued to raise the bar in computer animation with little interference.
Smaller content-widening deals including Jim Henson Productions and Baby Einstein haven't steered the franchises awry.
Letting Marvel be Marvel isn't enough to justify a buyout, naturally. There have to be strategic fits and synergies to justify the market premium.
2. Marvel fills Disney's young, male void
If you're a kid, Disney has it all. There are fairies and princesses for young girls. Young boys can take heart in pirates and computer-rendered racing cars. For the preteen set, it's more of a girl's world. There's the Jonas Brothers as well as Disney's prowess as a teen-actress factory, with Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan passing the baton to Miley Cyrus, who in turn is now moving on to let Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato steal the show.
Disney knows that it will win back teen boys once they become young fathers, but there's a lost decade in there that Disney would love to get back.
Its theme parks lack the monster thrills you'll find at regional chains Six Flags and Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN). There's ESPN as a killer brand, but it obviously doesn't own the actual sporting leagues or the star athletes.
Marvel seriously ramps up the cool points in a juicy and jaded demographic segment that Disney would love to get to know a little better.
3. Disney gives Marvel room to fail
There was a lot riding on Iron Man as Marvel's first self-financed feature. In inking its complicated $525 million credit facility with Bank of America's (NYSE: BAC) Merrill Lynch to bankroll the funded flicks, Marvel had to put up movie rights to the featured characters as collateral.
Iron Man panned out, of course, but what if it had been another Elektra? Disney won't need to tap that credit line. It can give Marvel the freedom to ramp up its production slate and the wiggle room to fail from time to time.
4. Let's play some games
Disney has been making a serious push into online gaming since acquiring Club Penguin. It has also ramped up its in-house software development. Marvel is perfect, since it gives Disney a 5,000-character easel to begin carving out opportunities on both fronts.
Disney is no Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), but this also means that Marvel won't have to turn to third-party developers such as Activision to put out its wildly successful Spider-Man games. As developer deals lapse, you can expect Disney to take a larger role in releasing Marvel games and launching online experiences.
5. There's more room to park
One of the oldest cyberspace rumors is that Disney's fifth park in Florida will be an edgy attraction themed to Disney's villains. It would be Disney's way to win the thrill-seeking teens that have temporarily outgrown Disney's family-friendly charms.
The villains scenario is just fanboy drivel, it seems, but Marvel now gives Disney the ammo to open up a high-octane park that can match Cedar Fair and Six Flags, coaster for coaster.
There's a problem, though. If you leave Disney's Florida parks and go northeast on I-4, you will bump into Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure a dozen miles later. The high-tech park features a whole land devoted to Marvel superheroes.
Something has to give. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal can retain the rights to its Marvel-themed attractions -- including the signature Spider-Man dark ride and iconic Hulk coaster -- as long as it adheres to the agreement terms.
Disney can open rides based on the licensed characters, but only west of the Mississippi. In other words, California's Disneyland can add new rides themed to Spider-Man and X-Men, but its hands are tied in incorporating marquee characters in its larger Florida resort.
This will be a game of chicken. How long can Universal Orlando -- a theme park complex owned by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) and General Electric (NYSE: GE) -- contribute to the licensing coffers and ambassadorial wishes of Mickey Mouse's Marvel? By the same token, it can also weaken Disney World's appeal by maintaining its Marvel attractions.
Neither party will flinch, so expect a Disney buyout at some point. If not, expect Disney to still do something at its parks with the hotter Marvel characters that it can mine for theme park content.
Either way, the mouse just keeps getting richer.
By Rick Aristotle Munarriz
September 2, 2009
It's dog eat dog -- or mouse eat spider -- in the entertainment industry.
Disney's (NYSE: DIS) $4 billion deal to acquire Marvel (NYSE: MVL) turned heads on Monday, but it's an inevitable match and a perfect fit.
Disney diehards and Marvel maniacs will disagree, but they're wrong.
The family entertainment titan isn't overpaying because it has the resources to milk Marvel's character library better than Marvel ever could on its own. And by "milk" I don't mean brand-deflating moves like having an "X-Men Babies" series on Disney Channel or turning The Fantastic Four into a teen vocal group. Give Disney a little more credit, folks.
Marvel also isn't selling itself on the cheap. The comic book giant's financials will always be lumpy, so cut your 2008 growth projections short. Analysts expect earnings this year to clock in at roughly half of last year's profitability. Disney could have -- quite possibly -- waited a few months and paid less.
Marvel is a $3 billion company on its own, or a $5 billion company in Disney's trained hands. So $4 billion is a win-win price that both sides will learn to live with.
Why is this company worth more under Disney's watch? Let's go over a few of the reasons.
1. Disney is smart enough to let Marvel be Marvel
As a Pixar investor when Disney came calling three years ago, I can sympathize with Marvel shareholders who feel that they are trading long-term wealth for short-term gains. However, I have no tears for the worrywarts who feel that Disney will somehow Disney-fy Marvel.
This isn't Disney's first acquisition. It won't be its last. Let's go over how Disney has been able to keep a "hands-off" approach when it comes to guiding purchased entertainment companies.
The prize jewel in its 1996 purchase of Capital Cities/ABC is ESPN. I have yet to see a pinstriped Goofy suit up as a referee or an official in any televised sporting event.
Disney's deal to acquire Pixar was more desperate and expensive than this week's Marvel coup, and the Pixar campus has continued to raise the bar in computer animation with little interference.
Smaller content-widening deals including Jim Henson Productions and Baby Einstein haven't steered the franchises awry.
Letting Marvel be Marvel isn't enough to justify a buyout, naturally. There have to be strategic fits and synergies to justify the market premium.
2. Marvel fills Disney's young, male void
If you're a kid, Disney has it all. There are fairies and princesses for young girls. Young boys can take heart in pirates and computer-rendered racing cars. For the preteen set, it's more of a girl's world. There's the Jonas Brothers as well as Disney's prowess as a teen-actress factory, with Hilary Duff and Lindsay Lohan passing the baton to Miley Cyrus, who in turn is now moving on to let Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato steal the show.
Disney knows that it will win back teen boys once they become young fathers, but there's a lost decade in there that Disney would love to get back.
Its theme parks lack the monster thrills you'll find at regional chains Six Flags and Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN). There's ESPN as a killer brand, but it obviously doesn't own the actual sporting leagues or the star athletes.
Marvel seriously ramps up the cool points in a juicy and jaded demographic segment that Disney would love to get to know a little better.
3. Disney gives Marvel room to fail
There was a lot riding on Iron Man as Marvel's first self-financed feature. In inking its complicated $525 million credit facility with Bank of America's (NYSE: BAC) Merrill Lynch to bankroll the funded flicks, Marvel had to put up movie rights to the featured characters as collateral.
Iron Man panned out, of course, but what if it had been another Elektra? Disney won't need to tap that credit line. It can give Marvel the freedom to ramp up its production slate and the wiggle room to fail from time to time.
4. Let's play some games
Disney has been making a serious push into online gaming since acquiring Club Penguin. It has also ramped up its in-house software development. Marvel is perfect, since it gives Disney a 5,000-character easel to begin carving out opportunities on both fronts.
Disney is no Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), but this also means that Marvel won't have to turn to third-party developers such as Activision to put out its wildly successful Spider-Man games. As developer deals lapse, you can expect Disney to take a larger role in releasing Marvel games and launching online experiences.
5. There's more room to park
One of the oldest cyberspace rumors is that Disney's fifth park in Florida will be an edgy attraction themed to Disney's villains. It would be Disney's way to win the thrill-seeking teens that have temporarily outgrown Disney's family-friendly charms.
The villains scenario is just fanboy drivel, it seems, but Marvel now gives Disney the ammo to open up a high-octane park that can match Cedar Fair and Six Flags, coaster for coaster.
There's a problem, though. If you leave Disney's Florida parks and go northeast on I-4, you will bump into Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure a dozen miles later. The high-tech park features a whole land devoted to Marvel superheroes.
Something has to give. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal can retain the rights to its Marvel-themed attractions -- including the signature Spider-Man dark ride and iconic Hulk coaster -- as long as it adheres to the agreement terms.
Disney can open rides based on the licensed characters, but only west of the Mississippi. In other words, California's Disneyland can add new rides themed to Spider-Man and X-Men, but its hands are tied in incorporating marquee characters in its larger Florida resort.
This will be a game of chicken. How long can Universal Orlando -- a theme park complex owned by Blackstone (NYSE: BX) and General Electric (NYSE: GE) -- contribute to the licensing coffers and ambassadorial wishes of Mickey Mouse's Marvel? By the same token, it can also weaken Disney World's appeal by maintaining its Marvel attractions.
Neither party will flinch, so expect a Disney buyout at some point. If not, expect Disney to still do something at its parks with the hotter Marvel characters that it can mine for theme park content.
Either way, the mouse just keeps getting richer.
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That's nasty.
What I heard, Marvel films ran out of money. Instead of putting their Avengers spin-off prequels on hold they sold to the mouse. Now, does the mouse really want to go forward with films like Thor? I'm not sure. I foresee a lot of Fantastic Four type movies, fewer PG-13 movies and just perhaps the return of Howard the Duck.
I can totally see this being sold by Disney as a vinyl doll, or anything along these lines......
The Mike
In the Pixels
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Marvel has multiple divisions some doing better than others, Marvel Studios is their movie making faction while Marvel Films is their licensing piece that deals with outside studios like Sony and Fox.
Marvel just provides a ^^^^load of capital. Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man 2 are all already "purchased" in terms of distribution through Paramount. Walt Disney Pictures won't really make as much money as they could off of those. I promise you Thor, Iron Man, Cap will happen without an issue. People are worried about The Avengers because it has so much potential to fail, even good ol' Fav is worried about it but there is already so much wrapped into it, it will happen. Thor's script, Iron Man 2 script, Captain America's script all have direct ties to The Avengers. The movies won't make sense without that being there but insiders have said if The Avengers bomb, if they don't make it work it has the potential to kill Marvel Studios out right.
If its popular I guarantee you'll see The Justice League fasttracked.
tomandshell
Blue Flame of the West/Mod
I don't quite understand the condition that Fox has the Marvel rights "as long as they keep making movies." How long of a break would it take for them to lose the rights?
DinoLast
Super Freak
I have just seen on a Disney XD UK ad that they will be showing the Iron Man cartoon and they might show other Marvel cartoons too. 
Cool
Cool
The Mike
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No one is saying but rumors are they came close to losing the rights to the Fantastic Four if the reboot didn't get into pre-production which buy them time and the Silver Surfer film was 2007....so that is only a couple of years. Superman Returns was 2006 and if they don't pump out another by 2011 then WB has to pay the Siegel/Schuster family money for the delay. I'm guessing it isn't long but different for each franchise. I'll see what I can actually dig up...
Have you heard of this??? Disney Nails (Marvel?) eBay Artists Over Marvel Art Cards
https://cult-stuff.com/?p=79
...
the beginning of a new era?
https://cult-stuff.com/?p=79
... the beginning of a new era?
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Have you heard of this??? Disney Nails (Marvel?) eBay Artists Over Marvel Art Cards
https://cult-stuff.com/?p=79
Wow, that sucks. I always enjoyed picked up original art or sketches of Marvel characters at the Heroes Con every year. I figured since it was on such a small scale, they flew under the radar and could get away with it.
The Mike
In the Pixels
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While Disney will probably do this as well, you have to remember the deal isn't completely finalized yet. Its going through and will most likely pass without much opposition since it seems that both sides are excited by it, but its not like going down to the store and buying something, Disney doesn't take full ownership until the end of the year according to Iger and that is projected. Marvel is who nailed them on this, plain and clear. People are just looking at the mouse as the reasoning for this when in fact its still the House of Ideas.
DC does this as well, when something hits their radar they jump all over it sending the WB lawyers to make the connections.
DC does this as well, when something hits their radar they jump all over it sending the WB lawyers to make the connections.
Shropt
My Little Mod
Have you heard of this??? Disney Nails (Marvel?) eBay Artists Over Marvel Art Cards
https://cult-stuff.com/?p=79
I've honestly always wondered about this type of thing. It never made sense how artists can release "art books" with both Marvel and DC characters in it and charge for them. Guess they weren't allowed after all.
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i think its bull****!!!
Bamboota
Super Freak
Bamboota
Super Freak
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