Fox's James Murdoch, Disney's Bob Iger, and the coming superhero tsunami

[Angryfantasyfan]

In May, Variety published an article on a speech new CEO of 21st Century Fox James Murdoch gave at a conference:

James Murdoch Says Fox Can’t Just Make Comic Book Movies

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/fox-comic-book-movies-1201499909/

2 Months later Variety published another article on a speech which addressed the growing number of superhero movies being released, this time by Disney CEO Bob Iger:

Disney CEO Bob Iger Dismisses Comic Book Movie Competition: ‘We’re Marvel’

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/d...ook-movie-competition-were-marvel-1201535689/

Reading these articles, what strategies will Fox and Disney/Marvel employ after their announced slates of superhero films? Are sells, trades, or even collaborations a possibility?

 

[starscream22]

D23 should shed some light on what Marvel Studios has in store whereas James Murdoch is right in that Fox can't just make comic book movies. He likely saw a rough draft of what that 4stic film has to offer and is looking recruit more idea's since the likelihood of 3 X-men films every year isn't practical.

Heck in a perfect world Fox would get out of the Marvel MCU business altogether. Don't know how many more films are left in the Apes series but I doubt there's many. So other than Apes, X-men and Avatar (whenever that sequel releases) What else does Fox have?

 

[MadVillainy]

Marvel/Disney should fear nothing.

The only time thy should start getting worried with is the BvS. BvS regardless of quality will make serious bank. But if Bvs gets a similar response in terms of quality that MoS got then Marvel/Disney shouldn't worry

 

[starscream22]

Marvel/Disney should fear nothing.

The only time thy should start getting worried with is the BvS. BvS regardless of quality will make serious bank. But if Bvs gets a similar response in terms of quality that MoS got then Marvel/Disney shouldn't worry

I'm routing for BvS and SS to be EPIC. Like Avengers forcing WB to quit twiddling their thumbs and get a cinematic Universe off the ground, a good quality BvS and Suicide Squad film could force Marvel step their game up in places that they're lacking (VILLAINS!). Films like Iron Man and Dark Knight are what exposed Sony and Fox's lackluster Marvel movies in the first place.

So if the MCU formula is getting a little stale then real competition should freshen things up. And then we all win.

 

[MadVillainy]

True. Serious competition would be good of all

 

[Flint Marko]

I'm routing for BvS and SS to be EPIC. Like Avengers forcing WB to quit twiddling their thumbs and get a cinematic Universe off the ground, a good quality BvS and Suicide Squad film could force Marvel step their game up in places that they're lacking (VILLAINS!). Films like Iron Man and Dark Knight are what exposed Sony and Fox's lackluster Marvel movies in the first place.

So if the MCU formula is getting a little stale then real competition should freshen things up. And then we all win.

Hit the nail on the head.

 

[SuperT]

D23 should shed some light on what Marvel Studios has in store whereas James Murdoch is right in that Fox can't just make comic book movies. He likely saw a rough draft of what that 4stic film has to offer and is looking recruit more idea's since the likelihood of 3 X-men films every year isn't practical.

Heck in a perfect world Fox would get out of the Marvel MCU business altogether. Don't know how many more films are left in the Apes series but I doubt there's many. So other than Apes, X-men and Avatar (whenever that sequel releases) What else does Fox have?

Well if we're talking about non-comic book movies, Fox has wildly popular franchises, especially in their animated stable of movies:

- How to Train Your Dragon series
- Ice Age series
- Madagascar series
- Penguins of Madagascar
- Rio series
- Kung-Fu Panda series
- The Croods

They've also got these in development

- Adapting Secret Service into a series of movies
- Assassins Creed w/ Fassbender that will almost certainly be a series a well
- The Maze Runner series
- Pretty sure they also have some exclusive deal with John Green to adapt his widely popular books. The Fault In Our Stars was a big hit and I'm assuming Paper Towns probably will be do.
- The Peanuts Movie
- Captain Underpants

Not to mention one-off movies that make them good money as well like Gone Girl, The Heat, Spy and upcoming ones like The Martian, The Revenant, Joy and a few I'm missing.

 

[RRA]

To be fair, theoretically Fox has a nice crop for next year. APOCALYPSE will make bank, while recasting the X-Men film cast and saying goodbye to J-Law/Fassy and others. I thought GAMBIT could work if they make it a crime melodrama set in New Orleans...or basically, CARLITO'S WAY but with Mutants. And DEADPOOL is R-rated ultraviolent comedy, Fox is hoping it'll make money for them like KINGSMEN did this year.

It's those last two Fox is hoping to expand into franchises beyond just X-Men and Wolverine, since Jackman is retiring from the gig and who knows how much longer Singer will be involved with the X-Men in general.

(Nevermind Fantastic Four, which is out next week and it's still the enigma of this summer for me.)

 

[Dasher10]

Fox has the AvP verse. They're working on Prometheus 2 as well as Alien 5 and Predator 4.

They also have a good number of stand-alone films. Point being, Fox have a very diverse portfolio.

And if Disney and Fox can collaborate on building Avatar theme parks, then doing some crossover films within the Marvel U should be possible. Stuff like Wolverine: Enemy of the State, Guardians of the Galaxy: Annihilation, Avengers: Kang Dynasty and a Fantastic Four film with Namor should all be possible. That'll keep Warner from conquering the CBM market and have the Marvel properties seem fresh. An event film to merge universes like House of M or Secret Wars would easily pummel the Justice League since you'll have the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four all together on the big screen. Maybe even divide it into two parts with one distributed by Disney and the other by Fox.

 

[RRA]

D23 should shed some light on what Marvel Studios has in store

I really doubt we'll get new project announcements, since Phase 3 event last year already revealed most of their slate up to 2019 (plus you know, Spidey.) We'll probably see CIVIL WAR footage, maybe some casting/filmmaker announcements with other upcoming projects.

That said, that doesn't mean there won't be more projects in the end ultimately for 2018 and '19. I think we'll get Ant-Man 2 and who knows, Doctor Strange 2 is a possibility. But neither will be announced at D23 and AM2 probably won't be announced until next year.

 

[Flint Marko]

Well if we're talking about non-comic book movies, Fox has wildly popular franchises, especially in their animated stable of movies:

- How to Train Your Dragon series
- Ice Age series
- Madagascar series
- Penguins of Madagascar
- Rio series
- Kung-Fu Panda series
- The Croods

They've also got these in development

- Adapting Secret Service into a series of movies
- Assassins Creed w/ Fassbender that will almost certainly be a series a well
- The Maze Runner series
- Pretty sure they also have some exclusive deal with John Green to adapt his widely popular books. The Fault In Our Stars was a big hit and I'm assuming Paper Towns probably will be do.
- The Peanuts Movie
- Captain Underpants

Not to mention one-off movies that make them good money as well like Gone Girl, The Heat, Spy and upcoming ones like The Martian, The Revenant, Joy and a few I'm missing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but every animated franchise you just listed up top is a Dreamworks production. Fox has a five year distribution deal with them (which is nearing its end) but beyond that, they aren't involved with those movies at all.

 

[SuperT]

Yea, I can't imagine what they could reveal about future plans that already hasn't been known since the event last year. I'd expect we'll be hearing more so on plot details and casting which is most certainly interesting in itself.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but every animated franchise you just listed up top is a Dreamworks production. Fox has a five year distribution deal with them (which is nearing its end) but beyond that, they aren't involved with those movies at all.

Distribution isn't up until 2017, that's keeping in mind another agreement isn't made in the mean time for those franchises or any new ones. Ice Age, Rio, The Peanuts Movie and EPIC are under Fox's Blue Sky division.

 

[Dasher10]

I also feel like Fox can spin Spy into a series. That film needs a sequel.

 

[YoungBlood]

I want to say that at least Fox is almost learning their lesson on how to do comic book movies (unlike SONY) and at least Fox don't have to remake ALL of their older classics just to get a buck or give 250-300 million dollar budgets on films that they hope they can create a franchise out of (Ex. Lone Ranger, Tommorowland, John Carter, Tron, Prince of Persia, etc.).

 

[starscream22]

To be fair, theoretically Fox has a nice crop for next year. APOCALYPSE will make bank, while recasting the X-Men film cast and saying goodbye to J-Law/Fassy and others. I thought GAMBIT could work if they make it a crime melodrama set in New Orleans...or basically, CARLITO'S WAY but with Mutants. And DEADPOOL is R-rated ultraviolent comedy, Fox is hoping it'll make money for them like KINGSMEN did this year.

It's those last two Fox is hoping to expand into franchises beyond just X-Men and Wolverine, since Jackman is retiring from the gig and who knows how much longer Singer will be involved with the X-Men in general.

(Nevermind Fantastic Four, which is out next week and it's still the enigma of this summer for me.)

I'm not too sure about that. Biased Fox hate aside I'd be nervous if BvS was in that slot next year. You've got Angry Birds, Wonderland 2 and TMNT2 just to name a few all surrounding the sequel of a film that only made a $75M profit with only God Zilla and Maleficent to worry about.

Seriously Next Summer is packed! I could see Fox turning more of a profit from DP than from DOFP. As for Gambit I have no faith in that whatsoever.
I still don't even think it will release next year. "CARLITO'S WAY with Mutants" is a cool concept but I doubt Fox will even go that route or be able to pull that off if they tried.

 

[Angryfantasyfan]

Fox has the AvP verse. They're working on Prometheus 2 as well as Alien 5 and Predator 4.

They also have a good number of stand-alone films. Point being, Fox have a very diverse portfolio.

And if Disney and Fox can collaborate on building Avatar theme parks, then doing some crossover films within the Marvel U should be possible. Stuff like Wolverine: Enemy of the State, Guardians of the Galaxy: Annihilation, Avengers: Kang Dynasty and a Fantastic Four film with Namor should all be possible. That'll keep Warner from conquering the CBM market and have the Marvel properties seem fresh. An event film to merge universes like House of M or Secret Wars would easily pummel the Justice League since you'll have the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four all together on the big screen. Maybe even divide it into two parts with one distributed by Disney and the other by Fox.

I think we're talking law of diminishing returns with something like that.

 

[RRA]

I'm not too sure about that. Biased Fox hate aside I'd be nervous if BvS was in that slot next year. You've got Angry Birds, Wonderland 2 and TMNT2 just to name a few all surrounding the sequel of a film that only made a $75M profit with only God Zilla and Maleficent to worry about.

What are you talking about? BVS comes out in March, Apocalypse in May. Hell Apocalypse will still make bank despite CIVIL WAR coming out the same month. All 3 movies will make money.

Seriously Next Summer is packed! I could see Fox turning more of a profit from DP than from DOFP. As for Gambit I have no faith in that whatsoever.
I still don't even think it will release next year. "CARLITO'S WAY with Mutants" is a cool concept but I doubt Fox will even go that route or be able to pull that off if they tried.

You never know. Hell remember when most of us didn't think DEADPOOL would happen?

 

[Dasher10]

What are you talking about? BVS comes out in March, Apocalypse in May. Hell Apocalypse will still make bank despite CIVIL WAR coming out the same month. All 3 movies will make money.



You never know. Hell remember when most of us didn't think DEADPOOL would happen?

Remember when most of us thought Gambit would happen? Tatum might leave the project leaving it with X-Force in Fox's landfill of great ideas.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

some guy at work told me in a few years fox's stuff will be rebooted and they're gonna make a deal just like sony did.

i don't buy it.

 

[Raiden]

I'm routing for BvS and SS to be EPIC. Like Avengers forcing WB to quit twiddling their thumbs and get a cinematic Universe off the ground, a good quality BvS and Suicide Squad film could force Marvel step their game up in places that they're lacking (VILLAINS!). Films like Iron Man and Dark Knight are what exposed Sony and Fox's lackluster Marvel movies in the first place.

So if the MCU formula is getting a little stale then real competition should freshen things up. And then we all win.

I'm a huge Marvel fan, but I also think Marvel could use a boot in the pants so they can make sure movies like Thor: TDW doesn't happen again. If Marvel/Disney get too comfortable in their position, then they will never have the need to try to innovate and make even better movies.

 

[starscream22]

Remember when most of us thought Gambit would happen? Tatum might leave the project leaving it with X-Force in Fox's landfill of great ideas.

That Gambit news came right on time! LMAO!

I don't know how I do it, I just do it! t:

 

[starscream22]

What are you talking about? BVS comes out in March, Apocalypse in May. Hell Apocalypse will still make bank despite CIVIL WAR coming out the same month. All 3 movies will make money.

Which part didn't you understand? Fox-pocalypse is going toe to toe with a Wonderland franchise that previously made over a billion with a March release date. There's an Angry Bird film that could go either way and TMNT sequel closing them in. CW and BvS don't have these issues. So the amount of bank XM:A will make is what's in question.

So if Fox is content with turning the same profit as they did with DOFP ($75M). Then so be it.

Honestly if Tatum does bail on Gambit they'll likely move XM:A's date give it more breathing room.