Paramount Studios signs Marvel movie deal!

[The Clown Prince]

From Variety and Comingsoon.net/Superhero Hype...


Paramount has signed a lucrative, exclusive distribution deal with Marvel for films (http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=9365#) based on the comic book (http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=9365#) publisher's remaining characters, reports Variety.

According to a Dow Jones report Wednesday night, Marvel has already amassed a half-billion-dollar war chest to make a slate of movies (http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=9365#) with budgets as high as $180 million, drawing on its remaining 5,000 comic-book characters.

Among the first of its superheroes headed for the silver screen: Captain America (http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=9365#) and Nick Fury.

Marvel has never produced a movie (http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=9365#) on its own until now. To fund its slate Marvel arranged a seven-year $525 million revolving credit facility with Merrill Lynch Commercial Finance Corp., secured against the movie rights to 10 comic-book characters, including Captain America, says the trade.

Paramount isn't putting up any production money; it will receive a fee for marketing and distributing an initial 10 movies, the first of which is expected to hit theaters in two years. To ensure the maximum possible audience, none of the movies will be R-rated.

I wonder what the other franchises are that didn't have homes until now. Anyone?

The Clown Prince

[halinar]

I've read that they are pushing hard for a silver surfer movie, and a Namor one also. Not really sure why though, the would take some serious work to make those two desirable to the mass public.

[Knightmare]

Wait did I miss something didn't Artisan have the rights to Captain America and didn't those rights transfer over to Lions Gate when they bought Artisan. I mean that is how Lions Gate got the rights to Punisher, Man-Thing and don't they also have Deadpool and Morbius too?

Paramount? I don't know they can make good movies, but what was the last really good sci-fi,horror or fantasy movie from them?

[Lord Dalek]

Paramount? I don't know they can make good movies, but what was the last really good sci-fi,horror or fantasy movie from them?We'll see in July.

[RayChuang]

I for one want Marvel to do a movie version of the award-winning graphic novel Marvels. :cool:

[Enrique]

Paramount? I don't know they can make good movies, but what was the last really good sci-fi,horror or fantasy movie from them?
You might want to pay closer attention when reading. Paramount isn't making the movies, they're just distributing. I figure Paramount does a well enough job of distributing since they've been in the top ten distributors for a long time.

As for Lions Gate/Artisan, movie rights eventually expire. When a studio gets movies rights, the contracts say "Studio X will produce movie Y within Z years , at which point they can pay more $$ to keep the rights or lose the rights altogether". I don't know what happened with Lions Gate's rights on Captain America, but I'm guessing they expired, since it'd been in development for at least 7 years.

[Cogliostro]

I think it's ridiculous that even before anything is done for the movie they have a rating for it. Captain America of course is a PG-13 movie but Nick Fury has a potential R rating, lots of fans loved his max- comic book series which was set for more mature readers. I'm sure they could make a good PG-13 movie as well but just bugs me that they have a rating before anything else.

[Michael24]

Here's hoping for a good Captain America movie, and I also hope they do the right thing and leave the story in a WWII setting, but they probably won't. But they should. :)

[randomguy]

Interesting news. On one hand, it's kind of exciting because it frees up Marvel to make their movies free of Hollywood influence, which could presumably mean more risk-taking and more fidelity to the original comics.

On the other hand, Marvel has no experience making movies, which isn't terribly encouraging. Tough to call this one, but it'll certainly be an intriguing situation to watch unfold.

[Sandoz]

Among the first of its superheroes headed for the silver screen: Captain America (http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=9365#) and Nick Fury. Hmm, interesting. I wonder if David Hasselhoff will reprise the role of Nick Fury? :p

[Enrique]

...On the other hand, Marvel has no experience making movies, which isn't terribly encouraging...
I think the fact that Marvel actually HAS made movies before is even MORE discouraging... they did after all produce the awfully cheap-looking 1991 Captain America as well as My Little Pony: The Movie. On the other hand, Marvel also produced the Spiderman cartoon that ran 81-87, as well as most of the other Marvel cartoons. Fortunately, it looks like Marvel had nothing to do with the 89 Punisher movie :P

[The Clown Prince]

We'll see in July.
If you're talking about Fantastic Four, that one is being done by 20th Century Fox (X-Men, X2, Daredevil, Elektra).

The Clown Prince

[Chris Wood]

Yeesh, somebody stop Marvel while they're ahead (sort of). They need to slow down and stop putting out mediocre stuff like Elektra and Blade:Trinity.

[halinar]

aw common... everyone wants to see HERBIE (not the love bug) but the true life drama of the real 5th memeber of the FF. :)

Maybe the iron fist movie will get out of the mothballs now and get moving.

[Spider-Man]

I'm not happy that every movie has to be PG-13 but it looks like all of these movies are being looked at as potential franchises. I'm interested to see what will get looked at after Captain America and Nick Fury. I wouldn't be surprised if we finally see that Black Panther movie make some progress.

[Stu]

I'm interested in seeing what the 10 movies could actually be. I know the following are currently being pitched around, but aren't sure if they're at Paramount or not.

Thor
Deathlok
Iron Fist
The Black Panther (Wesley Snipes was attached at one point!)
Deadpool
Luke Cage

I'm sure they're are others, and I know Silver Surfer is at FOX and Iron Man is at New Line but I'm struggling to think what the others could be. The lower tier characters are a big liability, especially if Marvel is footing the bill themselves.

[Chris Wood]

Word has it Jamie Foxx has signed as Luke Cage. Don't ask me what he's thinking. Having finished with Ray Charles, maybe he's caught disco fever this time.

[Cogliostro]

I would love it if they made a Deadpool movie. I can't remember who exactly but someone was interested and was going to try and get a Deadpool going but decided that it would be "too hard." Deadpool has the potential to be a success if done right (well that goes for all movies) but Deadpool is a mix of action and comedy which tend to be hits like Rush Hour. *Sigh* Well I can dream.

[Spider-Man]

I would love it if they made a Deadpool movie. I can't remember who exactly but someone was interested and was going to try and get a Deadpool going but decided that it would be "too hard." Deadpool has the potential to be a success if done right (well that goes for all movies) but Deadpool is a mix of action and comedy which tend to be hits like Rush Hour. *Sigh* Well I can dream. I remember when he was doing press junkets for Blade: Trinity Ryan Reynolds said he would love to play Deadpool if a movie ever came about but plans kept falling through. I think Deadpool could be great if they just got the right people onto the movie who could understand how much fun that property could be.