Petition for Fox to Sell Rights to Marvel

[Ragnaroknroll]

Heck, I'm not sure they would show up to an MCU Fantastic Four. I don't think a lot of posters realize the degree that this film has destroyed this brand. Marvel would be taking a gigantic risk by making another Fantastic Four movie. It isn't as simple as getting it right next time and then people will show up. The audience has been chased away.

I agree with this. This is my feeling also. The FF are going to need a loooong rest after this debacle.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

your time is up, fox. Marvel's time is now.

 

[Ragnaroknroll]

I have to say I find great irony in the people who feel the need to try and suppress other peoples voices' while complaining vociferously when they think that their own is being stifled in some way.

 

[Val_Zod]

I think the funny thing (that people who want to analyze this to death are missing) is that this is a petition asking a studio not to make a movie.

When has that ever happened before?

There are plenty of times when fans petition film studios or TV networks to make a sequel or new season of their favorite show, but here we have tens of thousands of people begging a movie studio not to make film they've said they plan to make.

That's unprecedented and extremely amusing.

Its funny how the Incredibles whom are based on the FF, are one of the most desired for a sequel, while this film called FF is one of the least desired sequels of all team.

 

[Zarex]

QFT



You make a good point.

They could in theory wait 2 years before deciding to approach Marvel with a deal or wait 3 or 4 years to decide to invest in a sequel or a reboot.

The reality is there's no knowing what will happen or how long before anything will happen. The only known factor is the rights will revert in five years if none of those happen in the meantime.

So the failure of this movie may change nothing with the rights, nobody knows.

It's true that a deal between FOX and Marvel may not come to fruition. But multiple senior FOX execs have confirmed that an X-Men TV show is being worked in, high priced producers have been hired and that talks with Marvel have been positive. If a deal is not agreed to with a month or two, FOX may miss getting a show on the air by Fall 2016, potentially forgoing tens of millions of dollars in the first year alone in streaming fees.

If FOX wasn't motivated to make a deal before last weekend's mildly disappointing movie opening, they sure as heck are now. I doubt we'll be waiting that long.

 

[Art Freak]

Where are people getting the $60 million number from? We're forgetting that theater owners get a good share and it grows weekly. Studios make most of their profit off the domestic box office from the first week, not so much the subsequent weeks or the international box office. And that's opposite for theater owners. Still a lot of money to be sure but no where near first week domestic. Add to that unknown marketing which is in many cases half the production budget with these big movies (but probably only a quarter here) and I bet FOX stands to lose closer to $100 mil on the movie if not more.

Yes, yes, they make billions and are a giant corporation but $100 mil is still nothing to sneeze at even for a large corporation. You don't see Disney making sequels to PRINCE OF PERSIA, JOHN CARTER or LONE RANGER and those were much better films than FOXTASTIC FAIL. No way they invest further in the IP. They either sell or allow rights to expire in seven years. It's the X-Men TV deal that will get this done. It's win-win and kind of a no-brainer.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

What options are available to Fox in regards to the FF?

A sequel is out of the question. From a business standpoint that makes absolutely no sense. There is no audience for it.

Another reboot would be laughable. They don't have the time they need to sit on it until people forget about this failure. Any reboot will always be too soon.

Look what happened when the Ghost Rider sequel bombed. Marvel got the rights back because Sony couldn't give it away fast enough. Look what happened when Elektra bombed. Fox didn't make a sequel to that or another Daredevil and the rights reverted back. In both cases, those failures cost those studios those properties because they couldn't make any more money on them after they tanked them so bad.

Those are the only outcomes of this situation, guys. Either Fox gives back the FF or it reverts in seven years. But you are not going to see any more Fox FF movies no matter what their spin is about still being committed to the characters.

 

[Eddie]

The $60,000,000 comes from box office analysts, though I do think the loss could be even greater. Analysts overestimated the profit of TASM2, based on actual numbers from the Sony Hack.

 

[Art Freak]

Exactly. Anything out of FOX's mouths at this point is just necessary spin. They wouldn't be doing their jobs if they didn't act committed to the future of this franchise.

 

[starscream22]

Kinda funny that people didn't mind if we were willing to spend time, money and gas on this reboot. But signing a petition is a waste?

Which one cost more?

 

[InJustice]

While voting with one's wallet is infinitely better as you point out, the petition as I view it is merely a way to vent - even if it is an exercise in futility. (And as Cyke mentioned earlier Fox couldn't care two whits about losing $60 million apparently so what's wrong with one more vehicle?)

Ascribing self-importance to these actions I think is misplaced. A lot of these people are just angry. That's all it is. And that's their right to be.

Maybe Fox doesn't care about a 60mil write-up since it's chump change to them, but they're surely going to have to explain that to their investors since that's their money they just flushed down the drain. Not to mention, if the source is true and Fox only cared about making the movie to keep the rights and not about quality, then I can't imagine that they'll be able to find investors for the next FF project (if they choose to go that route) now that it has the stink of being a black hole where money goes to die, and being a project with no quality assurance.

Maybe the ones that bought the ticket and expected a good movie have the right to be angry, but I'm not sure that the majority of the petitioners even watched the movie. I can't exactly quantify it but it's a general feeling I have. This petition seems like an excuse to rile up some of the Marveldrones to do something that they think would influence Fox to revert the rights back to Marvel. After all, the damage is already done so far as the box office is concerned.

 

[Web-Head]

I've seen this petition being shared around Facebook now and other media outlets sharing it. Kinda crazy.

 

[Flint Marko]

Kinda funny that people didn't mind if we were willing to spend time, money and gas on this reboot. But signing a petition is a waste?

Which one cost more?

Exactly. Spending time on a superhero message board and posting thousands of times is worthwhile, but signing a petition that might take all of fifteen seconds?
Outrageous

Except they themselves are already making themselves heard through voting with their wallets. The sheer facts that the movie made only $27mil in opening weekend, and Fox facing losses of at least $60mil are reasons enough to say that the people have made their voices heard. Thus, it makes absolutely no sense to make a petition. Furthermore, when you read the petition, you see people saying "give FF back to Marvel!", "Make Fox sell the rights to "Fantastic Four" back to Marvel Studios!", "Because screw Fant4stic and screw a sequel. Give the rights back to Marvel, Fox!" These people are absorbed by their self-importance to the point that they think they can influence a business to make a decision. That's the definition of arrogance.

What's more bizarre is justifying this superfluous and redundant petition as people making their voices heard, when the box office is pretty much making the GA and fans' voices heard.



I never said they're going to reinvest in the property, I said they're going to keep it right now and make decisions regardless of what the fans say. They have seven years now to determine what they're going to do with it. Whether they're going to make a movie or not remains to be seen.

...what? It's arrogant to sign a petition? Wow. I've heard it all.

The average movie ticket in the US costs $8.12.

IF 22k of those signatures represents a non-ticket buying member of the American public that equals $178,640.

The movie opened with $26.2 million so those people (if they all didn't pay to see the movie) cost 20th Century Fox 0.68% ticket sales.



A whole $60 mil? Hot damn, I'm sure they'd be calling in the bankruptcy lawyers, if they didnt earn $31.87 Billion revenue in 2014 and $6.84 billion in Q3 2015.



'we' didn't cost them $60 million, They did.



You're free to think Disney will trade X-Men TV and Merchandising rights for Fantastic Four movie rights. I can't see them doing it.

Or perhaps you don't think they'll ask for those rights, which is fine. To me it seems the most likely thing they'd want in exchange for the F4 rights.

Or perhaps you don't think Fox will hold onto the rights if they don't that deal, which would seem to go against what people think about their 'rights grab' nature.

I'm amazed at how defensive some people are of a corporation that has screwed up this property not once, not twice, but three separate times now, and in the most dramatic way possible. It truly astounds me.
Fox stands to lose $60 million and counting, yet since it's a drop in the bucket compared to their overall revenue, we should be fine with them destroying the FF

 

[TheVileOne]

An e-petition with 20,000 e-signatures means nothing and says nothing. It's not going to change a thing.

 

[InJustice]

...what? It's arrogant to sign a petition? Wow. I've heard it all.

"Furthermore, when you read the petition, you see people saying "give FF back to Marvel!", "Make Fox sell the rights to "Fantastic Four" back to Marvel Studios!", "Because screw Fant4stic and screw a sequel. Give the rights back to Marvel, Fox!" These people are absorbed by their self-importance to the point that they think they can influence a business to make a decision. That's the definition of arrogance."

arrogant (ˈærəɡənt)
adj
1. having or showing an exaggerated opinion of one's own importance, merit, ability, etc; conceited; overbearingly proud: an arrogant teacher; an arrogant assumption.

And again, there is NO need to do this when the box office figures are already speaking for themselves. In fact, people voted with their wallets already. This isn't about being angry about Fox's miserable effort, as it is about people using the petition to try and "force" Fox/Constantin to sell the IP back to Marvel. That in of itself is having a very exaggerated opinion of their own importance, and trivializes petitions.

 

[Dasher10]

I signed it. I get that Fox wanted a franchise but at this point, I feel like that ship has sailed and I don't see Fox doing yet another reboot before the rights lapse.

 

[lordofthenerds]

An e-petition with 20,000 e-signatures means nothing and says nothing. It's not going to change a thing.

Does it really matter though? What harm does it do?

 

[Raiden]

An e-petition with 20,000 e-signatures means nothing and says nothing. It's not going to change a thing.

While that may be true, I think the fact that fans are now willing to sign petition to get the rights back to Marvel shows that they have now fed up with lousy FF movies and willing to do something about it. Being passionate about it is better than being indifferent.

 

[TheVileOne]

While that may be true, I think the fact that fans are now willing to sign petition to get the rights back to Marvel shows that they have now fed up with lousy FF movies and willing to do something about it. Being passionate about it is better than being indifferent.

No it doesn't. Not going to see the movie does that and killing it at the box office does that. This e-petition isn't going to make them publicly change their stance.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

No it doesn't. Not going to see the movie does that and killing it at the box office does that. This e-petition isn't going to make them publicly change their stance.

Does the difference between being at 10% on RT and above Catwoman or 8% and below Catwoman make a real difference? No, but it's fun to watch.

Does the difference between having $28 million on opening weekend and being #1 vs $26 million and #2 make a real difference? No, but it's fun to watch.

Does having 100,000 people sign a petition saying: "WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER SEQUEL!!!!!" make a real difference? No, but it's fun to watch.

At this point, I don't check in here because I expect to read an announcement that Marvel has obtained the rights. I check in here for the entertainment value. And watching the number of signatures steadily grow on this petition provides a good level of entertainment for anybody who wants to look past their distaste for online petitions and enjoy it for what it is.

After a year and a half of reading condescending comments from the studio it's enjoyable seeing their customers have their say in any form that takes.

 

[Aztec]

Well Variety and USA today have both reported on the petition so someone cares.

 

[SSJ4_Haruhi]

Well Variety and USA today have both reported on the petition so someone cares.

Nice.

I know petitions don't usually work, but like others have said, it doesn't hurt to sign it!

 

[Val_Zod]

Lets look at the circumstances. This petition is being made during the studio's moment of weakness. If this was say during the initial trailers for the film, then yeah, they are inconsequential, but it is being signed during a PR disaster for Fox, and reputable sites are reporting on it, spreading the word, and making the studio look worse. I say the petition is having an effect, but not directly.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

Board Member #1:Okay, we know the film was a miserable failure at the box office and got completely torn apart by critics. What else should we consider before voting to move forward with a sequel?

Board Member #2: Well, fans are so vehemently against the idea of a sequel that 10's of thousands of them have actually signed a petition that says. "WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER SEQUEL!!!!!"

Board Member #1: I'm talking about relevant things we should consider. Why should we care about something like that?

Board Member #3: Yeah, Board Member #2 is always bringing up things that have nothing to do with the topic.

Board Member #4: Why are you always wasting our time like this, Board Member #2? Couldn't you actually take some time to bring something relevant to the discussion?

Everybody except Board Member #2 Shaking their heads: Idiot.

Actually, considering the last couple years, yeah, I can see that happening.

 

[Flint Marko]

"Furthermore, when you read the petition, you see people saying "give FF back to Marvel!", "Make Fox sell the rights to "Fantastic Four" back to Marvel Studios!", "Because screw Fant4stic and screw a sequel. Give the rights back to Marvel, Fox!" These people are absorbed by their self-importance to the point that they think they can influence a business to make a decision. That's the definition of arrogance."




And again, there is NO need to do this when the box office figures are already speaking for themselves. In fact, people voted with their wallets already. This isn't about being angry about Fox's miserable effort, as it is about people using the petition to try and "force" Fox/Constantin to sell the IP back to Marvel. That in of itself is having a very exaggerated opinion of their own importance, and trivializes petitions.

I'm well aware of what arrogant means, I just think you're being ridiculous. It's an outlet of frustration for thousands of fans, it takes less than a minute to sign, and it harms no one.
Plus, for all the naysayers commenting on how useless it is...

Well Variety and USA today have both reported on the petition so someone cares.

That's certainly something.