The Walt Disney Company have announced they are acquiring 21st Century Fox, at the cost of $52.4 billion. The deal means Disney have added 20th Century Fox to its number of film production companies, as well as FX Networks, National Geographic, The Simpsons, and a controlling stake in Hulu. Other Fox channels, including the Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News, Fox Business, and their various sports networks are being spun into a company simply called New Fox.
In comics circles, a lot of attention has been focused on how the purchase allows the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Deadpool to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney CEO Bob Iger reassured fans in a conference call that they are still interested in making R-rated superhero films, noting:
“It clearly has been and will be Marvel branded. But we think there might be an opportunity for a Marvel-R brand for something like Deadpool. As long as we let the audiences know what’s coming, we think we can manage that fine.”
That still leaves the question of what happens to the Marvel film and TV projects Fox have in development, which Newsarama have put together a helpful list of. In the meantime, the return of the Fantastic Four rights will presumably lead Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter to permit publication of their comic again.
However, as Quartz notes, the deal was primarily made to help Disney build a library for a streaming service to rival Netflix. Variety stated if federal regulators block the deal, Disney will have to pay a $2.5 billion breakup fee to 21st Century Fox.
Graphic Policy have asked BOOM! Studios what this could mean for their relationship with Fox: the corporation have a financial stake in the publisher, getting right of first refusal on film adaptations of their comics, while licensing out properties for comic book tie-ins. BOOM! responded they don’t know any more than we do, but:
“There will be no immediate changes to how we operate day-to-day. Fox is a valued partner but they are also a minority shareholder, meaning we will continue to operate independently and pursue the same opportunities that have made BOOM! Studios such a success for over twelve years.”
ComicBook.com have listed the film rights Disney have gained through Fox, which also include James Cameron’s Avatar, Alien, Predator, Kingsman, Planet of the Apes, and the lifetime distribution rights to Star Wars: A New Hope. They also raised the issue of the 1990s Power Rangers films, which Fox distributed.
Via Simpsons executive producer Matt Selman, Matt Groening has reacted with this cartoon:
— Matt Selman (@mattselman) December 14, 2017
