All this talk on film rights got me confused

[Aman619]

The deals for the rights to all the characters that are not under Disney/Marvel control today will be hard to recoup. Those deals were made back when Marvel had zero clout with the studios. The studios therefore controlled the deals and would have opted for unlimited rights since they could get them. Stan and Marvel had little leverage back when all their films were low rent duds. Sony fought for three years untangling Spideys rights, and it ain't going nowhere.

 

But, with Marvels new clout PLUS Disneys backing, they can go head to head with Sony and Fox and work out a deal likein the old days. Like the way Fox and WB negotiated the Watchmen rights fiasco. The studios compete with each other, but they are all like the cost nostra to outsiders: meaning the talent, agents and other creatives. Meaning: they know THEY will always be around while the creatives power comes and goes.

 

For instance, I think a Spidey/Avengers cameo could be possible. The characters could cross pollinate each others films, Marvel style, in teaser scenes, etc. that way Sony could get the benefit of a promo tie in within the two and three years it takes them to make each film. And the Marvel stable of characters can appear with Sony and XMen. Just have to make the appearances short enough to be a tease and not so meaningful that it affects the story leading to sharing profits.

[Jay1982]

Something I was wondering was what is the extent of the studios rights with relation to associated villians. IE: Which x-men villians were negotiated to sony in the deal.

[Buzzetta]

The deals for the rights to all the characters that are not under Disney/Marvel control today will be hard to recoup. Those deals were made back when Marvel had zero clout with the studios. The studios therefore controlled the deals and would have opted for unlimited rights since they could get them. Stan and Marvel had little leverage back when all their films were low rent duds. Sony fought for three years untangling Spideys rights, and it ain't going nowhere.

 

But, with Marvels new clout PLUS Disneys backing, they can go head to head with Sony and Fox and work out a deal likein the old days. Like the way Fox and WB negotiated the Watchmen rights fiasco. The studios compete with each other, but they are all like the cost nostra to outsiders: meaning the talent, agents and other creatives. Meaning: they know THEY will always be around while the creatives power comes and goes.

 

For instance, I think a Spidey/Avengers cameo could be possible. The characters could cross pollinate each others films, Marvel style, in teaser scenes, etc. that way Sony could get the benefit of a promo tie in within the two and three years it takes them to make each film. And the Marvel stable of characters can appear with Sony and XMen. Just have to make the appearances short enough to be a tease and not so meaningful that it affects the story leading to sharing profits.

 

The closest you would have had was something that all of the lawyers worked out but by the time it was worked out it was too late to include in the Avengers movie. See link:

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/avengers-amazing-spider-man-reference-revealed

[Anfield Fox]

The deals were made when Marvel went into bankruptcy in the 90's. They sold off their characters to the highest bidders to survive.

 

When they saw the success Sony and Fox were getting with their characters they decided to get a loan from Merrill Lynch and make their own movies. They did a deal with Paramount to get the Hulk back but that was only because Paramount didn't succeed with the 2003 movie.

 

In 2009 Disney bought Marvel and CEO of Disney Bob Iger said that Disney would get their lawyers on it to try and get the characters back. Since that hasn't happened and Disney will have had the best legal advice possible then it only means the contracts are ironclad.

 

Since then they have gotten back Blade and the Punisher after it bombed. Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Elektra and X-Men are still at Fox. Spider-Man and Ghost Rider are still at Sony. Some people have said that a new movie has to be made within a certain period of time for the deal to contiune. Others have said there is a clause for the contract to expire regardless. Neither is confirmed but i do vaguely remember reading in Wizard in the 90's when the deals were announced that they would expire after 20 years, which would be at the end of the decade.

[Heronext]

Winners:

 

Merrill Lynch

Disney

Us!

[Marvelfangirl]

The deals were made when Marvel went into bankruptcy in the 90's. They sold off their characters to the highest bidders to survive.

 

When they saw the success Sony and Fox were getting with their characters they decided to get a loan from Merrill Lynch and make their own movies. They did a deal with Paramount to get the Hulk back but that was only because Paramount didn't succeed with the 2003 movie.

 

In 2009 Disney bought Marvel and CEO of Disney Bob Iger said that Disney would get their lawyers on it to try and get the characters back. Since that hasn't happened and Disney will have had the best legal advice possible then it only means the contracts are ironclad.

 

Since then they have gotten back Blade and the Punisher after it bombed. Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Elektra and X-Men are still at Fox. Spider-Man and Ghost Rider are still at Sony. Some people have said that a new movie has to be made within a certain period of time for the deal to contiune. Others have said there is a clause for the contract to expire regardless. Neither is confirmed but i do vaguely remember reading in Wizard in the 90's when the deals were announced that they would expire after 20 years, which would be at the end of the decade.

[Marvelfangirl]

I found this on Rotten Tomatoes:

 

Purely from a business standpoint, it’s unsurprising that Sony is positioning the wall-crawler for another trilogy – since the studio is required to make a new Spider-Man movie every five years (or the rights revert back to Marvel).