More details on Marvel-Disney deal
Newsarama reports from a Disney investor call giving more information about the Marvel-Disney deal, including the following:
- No plans to move Marvel away from Manhattan
- No plans to change Marvel’s creative structure
- Possibilities to exploit Marvel characters more fully via Disney infrastructure.
Click through for the full report. I talked to indie comics creator and comic-book retailer Rob Vollmar, of Norman, to get his reaction to this morning’s report:
“It’s hard to say exactly what the sum impact of Disney’s acquisition of Marvel might be but my initial reaction was not a good one. Disney’s corporate approach to creativity is diametrically opposed to Marvel’s ’shout-across-the-office’ style of doing business. We should expect, of course, better movies and cartoons using Marvel characters, but I suspect the impact on the publishing wing over the next ten years forward will not be a good one. Up to this point, Marvel enjoyed a certain freedom to experiment that gave them a creative edge over DC and I can’t see that freedom not being reigned in by Disney’s desire to maintain a squeaky clean image. More broadly, this is just one more step towards the fewest number of companies controlling the greatest percentage of creative activity in the US and, in principle, I think that is bad for creator and consumer alike.”
Any other local creators, retailers or comic fans who have thoughts on the deal, feel free to comment here at Nerdage or contact me at mprice@opubco.com.
- Matt Price
Raining Sunshine video to debut during iCarly
Because even though there is huge news on the huge Disney acquisition of Marvel today, I’m sure my daughters are even MORE excited about iCarly news. So here’s the latest press release about Miranda Cosgrove’s new music video for the 3-D animated feature “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” also features the voice of Oklahoma native Bill Hader.
From Sony:
CULVER CITY, Calif., August 28, 2009 – The music video for “Raining Sunshine,” the new song performed by Miranda Cosgrove for Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming 3-D animated feature Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, will premiere tomorrow night, Saturday, Aug. 29 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT), on Nickelodeon during the hit Emmy-nominated series iCarly.
Viewers can get a sneak peek of the video on Nickelodeon at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT) Saturday morning during SpongeBob Squarepants.
The song “Raining Sunshine” is currently available for purchase on iTunes as a single, and will also be included on the soundtrack album to the motion picture, together with original score composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, on both iTunes and Amazon on September 15.
“We’re excited to premiere Miranda’s new energetic and colorful music video on Nickelodeon,” said Doug Cohn, Senior Vice President, Music and Talent, Nickelodeon. “Fans will love seeing another side of their favorite Nickelodeon star as she performs her new song ‘Raining Sunshine.’”
In 2009, Columbia Pictures’ and Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will be the most delicious event since macaroni met cheese. Inspired by the beloved children’s book, the film focuses on a town where food falls from the sky like rain.
Bill Hader, star of Saturday Night Live and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, will voice Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of creating something that will improve everyone’s life. Anna Faris, who recently turned heads as the star of the comedy hit The House Bunny, takes on the role of Sam Sparks, a weathergirl covering the phenomenon who hides her intelligence behind a perky exterior. James Caan plays Tim Lockwood, Flint’s technophobic father. Andy Samberg plays Brent, the town bully who has plagued Flint since childhood. Bruce Campbell plays Mayor Shelbourne, who figures out that Flint’s invention can put the town, and more importantly himself, on the map. Mr. T plays the by-the-rules town cop Earl Devereaux. Neil Patrick Harris rounds out the cast as the voice of Steve, Flint’s monkey.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is written for the screen and directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, based upon the bestselling children’s book written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. The film is produced by Pam Marsden.
Miranda Cosgrove stars as Carly Shay, a cool teen who clicks with kids everywhere by hosting her own home-grown web show, in Nickelodeon’s hit, Emmy-nominated series iCarly. The series is currently the #1 live action show on Nickelodeon. In addition, Cosgrove is signed to Sony Music’s Columbia Records and is currently working on her first solo album.
Cosgrove was recently nominated for a 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress and iCarly was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program. In addition, iCarly won a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Show in 2009 and Miranda won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (comedy or drama) – leading young actress. Her other acting credits include roles in Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh and the feature films School of Rock and Yours, Mine and Ours. iCarly airs regularly Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
Disney to buy Marvel for $4b
In this July 24, 2008 file photo, Marvel Comics "Incredible Hulk" looms over attendees at the Comic-Con 2008 convention in San Diego. The Walt Disney Co. said Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.(AP Photo/Denis Poroy, file)
This is coming straight from the wire today
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.
Analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak & Co. said the acquisition will help Disney appeal to young men who have flocked to theaters to seeMarvel’s superhero fare in recent years. That contrasts with Disney’s recent successes among young women with such fare as “Hannah Montana” and the Jonas Brothers.
“It helps Disney add exposure to a young male demographic it had sort of lost some balance with,” Joyce said, noting the $4 billion offer was at “full price.”
Disney said Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash, plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. That values each Marvel share at $50 based on Friday’s closing stock prices.
Marvel shares jumped $10.17, or 26 percent, to $48.82 shortly after the market opened. Disney shares fell 47 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $26.37.
Disney said the boards of both companies have approved the transaction, but it will require an antitrust review and the approval of Marvelshareholders.
Disney last made a big purchase in 2006 when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the creator of the “Toy Story” franchise, for $7.4 billion in stock.
Disney CEO Robert Iger said the latest acquisition combines Marvel’s ”strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters” with Disney’s “unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties” and ability to maximize value across multiple platforms and territories.
Marvel earned a net profit of $206 million last fiscal year, up 47 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of $676 million, as it took movie production in house instead of just cutting licensing deals.
Monday movie quote challenge #43
“There’s no coffee in Nilbog. It’s the devil’s drink.”
Identify who said the above quote in what film in the comments!
New Swamp Thing movie may be in 3-D
LOS ANGELES — At the press conferences for “Whiteout,” producer Joel Silver talked briefly about another comic-book movie that has been long in development. When asked what movies might work well in 3-D, he mentioned a new version of the DC Comics property “Swamp Thing.”
“I’ll hopefully do Swamp Thing, which is a movie we’ve had for a long time,” Silver said. “We think that would definitely be great to do in 3-D.”
Silver said some movies do work well in 3-D, and others might not, and it’s still early enough in the development of new 3-D technology that it’s important to pick and choose.
“Certain movies fit really well into that situation, and others don’t need it,” he said.
Len Wein said in 2004 he was working on a script to a “Swamp Thing” film.
“Swamp Thing” was created by Wein and Bernie Wrightson. Alec Holland was transformed into a crusading force for the swamp in moody, atmospheric comics by Wein and Wrightson in the 1970s. Writer Alan Moore turned the concept inside out during his influential run on the character in the 1980s.
The character inspired two films and a TV series, in which the muck monster was played by Dick Durock.
- Matt Price
Whiteout clips online
I’m in Los Angeles covering the press conferences for the “Whiteout” film starring Kate Beckinsale. Several clips have hit the Web showing an early look at this frosty thriller. See all seven clips at CinemaBlend. “Whiteout” is based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber.
Today is Jack Kirby’s birthday
Jack Kirby, co-creator of Captain America, The Fantastic Four, the Hulk and much much more would have been 92 today. If you’ve read a comic book, you’ve probably read something he created, worked on or influenced. Read through The Kirby Museum online to find out more about one of comic books’ all-time greats.
- Matt Price
Blackest Night putting retailers in the black
WORD BALLOONS
DC Comics announced this week that it has sold out of “Blackest Night” No. 1, which kicked off the zombie-thriller superhero tale by Geoff Johns.
A second printing will be in stores Sept. 16, along with “Blackest Night” No. 3. “Blackest Night” No. 2 is in stores now. Local stores say the issue is moving well from their shelves as well.
“It’s our bestselling comic,” said Brian “Buck” Berlin of New World Comics in Oklahoma City. He said the black ring promo, which allowed stores to order a plastic “Black Lantern” ring with every issue, helped raise awareness of the series.
“We’ve ordered more of it than any other comic, and we’re still selling out of it,” said Eric Neal, an owner of Second Chance Books and Comics in Warr Acres.
DVD review: Smallville Season 8
Young Clark Kent moved closer to his eventual fate as Superman in the eighth season of “Smallville.” Clark Kent (Tom Welling) becomes a regular reporter for “The Daily Planet” and begins to have feelings for Lois Lane (Erica Durance).
The eighth season of “Smallville” was the first without show creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, or Clark’s former girlfriend Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk). The show also had to replace Michael Rosenbaum, who had played Lex Luthor on the show since its inception. While the shadow of Lex still looms large over Smallville, two new players held their own as villains of the piece.
The new head of Luthorcorp is Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman), a marine biologist turned hard-hitting executive with ties to Green Arrow’s secret ID, Oliver Queen (Justin Hartley).
Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer) is an EMT who develops a crush on Clark’s best friend, Chloe (Alison Mack). Chloe, however, is engaged to Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore). But the reasons that Bloome is drawn to Chloe may be something more sinister than a simple romantic spark, as Bloome’s character darkens as the season progresses.
The season starts strong and has a great run through episode 11, “Legion,” written by Geoff Johns, who has written some of the best “Superman” comic books of the past decade.
The midseason arc with the return of Lana Lang slows down the Lois-Clark romance and puts a hiccup into the season-long momentum. Some of it is regained in “Eternal,” as Tess figures out Bloome’s secret, but the season doesn’t finish quite as strongly as it began.
- Matthew Price
Ted Kennedy comic-book biography scheduled for November
Bluewater Productions, who announced a tribute comic about Michael Jackson shortly after his death, again find themselves dealing with a news figure’s recent passing. Hours before Senator Edward Kennedy’s death, the company announced a biographical comic about the politician.
In a release, the company said the timing of the announcement was not based on Kennedy’s health, and that the book had been in the works since March.
The timing of our announcement of a biography comic based on the life of Ted Kennedy was in no way tied to the Senator’s declining health and ultimate passing. When Bluewater planned out the first year of biographies, Kennedy’s name was always at the top of the list. In fact, this issue has been in production since March and was solicited to retail shops through our national distributor in June. We will, of course, pay final respects to this American icon by adding a page to the completed issue to close the last chapter of his remarkable life.
Bluewater’s “Political Power” line of biographical releases features U.S. leaders including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Colin Powell and Ronald Reagan. The issue is written by Brent Sprecher and illustrated by Alejandro Figueroa. The cover artist is Patricio Carbajal. The comic is set for November release.
- Matt Price
