Wait, Does This Mean the Fantastic Four Going to Disney?
Yes. There was some concern that the confusing history of The Fantastic Four’s movie rights would exclude it from this deal, but in Disney’s press release of the announcement, the company proudly touted that the deal “provides Disney with the opportunity to reunite the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool with the Marvel family under one roof and create richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love.”
Will the X-Men Meet the Avengers?
Probably. In a call with investors and analysts shortly after the deal was announced, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted that the X-Men characters could be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stating “Bringing Disney and Fox together will combine some of the world’s most iconic entertainment franchises.” Marvel President Kevin Feige and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner have both previously voiced their support for bringing the X-Men into the MCU, Feige telling Vanity Fair, “Would we like to [bring the X-Men into the MCU]? Yeah, of course.”
But don’t think that means that this news will bring Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine. He’s retired for good.
How Will This Affect the Rest of the Media/Entertainment Industry?
With Disney set to dominate over one-third of the entertainment industry, it’s putting rivals on high alert. With five major studios left competing with Disney — and Disney’s biggest rival Time Warner made $1 billion less than the House of Mouse in 2016 — it leaves a desolate environment for medium and small-sized companies.
Comcast’s $13 billion purchase was ahead of the curve by buying a controlling stake in NBCUniversal in 2009 — a partnership that will likely be renewed in the Hulu wars. AT&T purchased DirectTV in 2015 and is working on a $85.4 billion deal to buy Time Warner. Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable in 2016. Lionsgate acquired Starz earlier this year. As rivals scramble to consolidate or buy content houses to compete with Disney’s mammoth company, that leaves smaller and medium-sized companies without many options except to consolidate themselves in the larger studios. This could mean a smaller variety of films, and fewer medium-budget films — as if there are any left.
By Hoai-Tran Bui/Dec. 14, 2017 1:00 pm EST
What Does Disney Get in the Deal?
There’s no telling whether Disney will play a large role in producing the above franchises and TV series, but the company is planning to make use of its ownership of Avatar, having already developed Avatar-themed attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Wait, Does This Mean the Fantastic Four Going to Disney?
Yes. There was some concern that the confusing history of The Fantastic Four’s movie rights would exclude it from this deal, but in Disney’s press release of the announcement, the company proudly touted that the deal “provides Disney with the opportunity to reunite the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool with the Marvel family under one roof and create richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love.”
There was some concern that the confusing history of The Fantastic Four’s movie rights would exclude it from this deal, but in Disney’s press release of the announcement, the company proudly touted that the deal “provides Disney with the opportunity to reunite the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool with the Marvel family under one roof and create richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love.”
Will the X-Men Meet the Avengers?
Probably. In a call with investors and analysts shortly after the deal was announced, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted that the X-Men characters could be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stating “Bringing Disney and Fox together will combine some of the world’s most iconic entertainment franchises.” Marvel President Kevin Feige and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner have both previously voiced their support for bringing the X-Men into the MCU, Feige telling Vanity Fair, “Would we like to [bring the X-Men into the MCU]? Yeah, of course.”
But don’t think that means that this news will bring Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine. He’s retired for good.
In a call with investors and analysts shortly after the deal was announced, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted that the X-Men characters could be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stating “Bringing Disney and Fox together will combine some of the world’s most iconic entertainment franchises.” Marvel President Kevin Feige and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner have both previously voiced their support for bringing the X-Men into the MCU, Feige telling Vanity Fair, “Would we like to [bring the X-Men into the MCU]? Yeah, of course.”
But don’t think that means that this news will bring Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine. He’s retired for good.
In that same call with investors, Iger assured that Disney wouldn’t put their family-friendly stamp on 20th Century Fox’s R-rated properties:
“It [Deadpool] 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.”
So fans don’t have to worry about R-rated Marvel films being watered down while they’re under Disney — as long as they stick to the brand. Ryan Reynolds may have tested that brand a little too early though:
Apparently you can’t actually blow the Matterhorn. pic.twitter.com/2bEAAcZrUv — Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 14, 2017
So fans don’t have to worry about R-rated Marvel films being watered down while they’re under Disney — as long as they stick to the brand. Ryan Reynolds may have tested that brand a little too early though:
“It [Deadpool] 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.”
Apparently you can’t actually blow the Matterhorn. pic.twitter.com/2bEAAcZrUv
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 14, 2017
It turns out that Disney will lease the lot for seven years as part of their acquisition of Fox. This means that no one who works on the lot would be relocated in the near future and a historic lot won’t become condos. Yet.
Does Rupert Murdoch Now Own Stock in Disney?
What Happens if the Government Blocks the Deal?
What Will Happen Now That Disney Basically Owns Hulu?
Nothing will change immediately for Hulu in the wake of the deal — the streaming service’s agreement with Comcast/NBCU prevent any major structural changes to Hulu. But industry insiders speculate that Disney could consolidate Hulu with its own planned streaming service — making one giant mega service. For now, Iger is telling shareholders that Disney intends to keep the two services separate, with Hulu focused on adult-oriented shows and movies, while Disney’s service will be for family-oriented content. Iger said :
“Owning a third of [Hulu] was great but having control will allow us to greatly accelerate Hulu into that space and become an even greater competitor to those already out there. We’ll be able to do that not only by putting more content in Hulu’s direction but by essentially having control to the extent that managing Hulu becomes a little bit more clear, efficient and effective.”
What Does This Mean for Disney’s Upcoming Streaming Service?
Earlier this summer, Iger announced that Disney would spend $1.58 billion to gain a majority ownership of BAMTech, a live streaming platform, which would propel Disney’s streaming service and ESPN-branded sports service. Iger emphasized that “direct-to-consumer plays are a priority” for Disney, meaning that the company will likely launch even more streaming services to appeal to every demographic.
This includes international audiences, who would see a huge surge in Disney-curated content thanks to Disney’s impending $15.7 billion takeover of European pay-TV giant Sky, formerly under Fox. The Sky deal is not yet wrapped, but is expected to be closed by June 30, 2018.
How Will This Affect the Rest of the Media/Entertainment Industry?
With Disney set to dominate over one-third of the entertainment industry, it’s putting rivals on high alert. With five major studios left competing with Disney — and Disney’s biggest rival Time Warner made $1 billion less than the House of Mouse in 2016 — it leaves a desolate environment for medium and small-sized companies.
Comcast’s $13 billion purchase was ahead of the curve by buying a controlling stake in NBCUniversal in 2009 — a partnership that will likely be renewed in the Hulu wars. AT&T purchased DirectTV in 2015 and is working on a $85.4 billion deal to buy Time Warner. Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable in 2016. Lionsgate acquired Starz earlier this year. As rivals scramble to consolidate or buy content houses to compete with Disney’s mammoth company, that leaves smaller and medium-sized companies without many options except to consolidate themselves in the larger studios. This could mean a smaller variety of films, and fewer medium-budget films — as if there are any left.
Comcast’s $13 billion purchase was ahead of the curve by buying a controlling stake in NBCUniversal in 2009 — a partnership that will likely be renewed in the Hulu wars. AT&T purchased DirectTV in 2015 and is working on a $85.4 billion deal to buy Time Warner. Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable in 2016. Lionsgate acquired Starz earlier this year.
As rivals scramble to consolidate or buy content houses to compete with Disney’s mammoth company, that leaves smaller and medium-sized companies without many options except to consolidate themselves in the larger studios. This could mean a smaller variety of films, and fewer medium-budget films — as if there are any left.
How Will This Affect the Rest of the World?
Will People Lose Their Jobs?
In the announcement, Disney’s press release stated, “The acquisition is expected to yield at least $2 billion in cost savings from efficiencies realized through the combination of businesses.”
While there are many aspects to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s assets, I am personally incredibly happy about it, for obvious reason.
Welcome home, old friends. 😭 https://t.co/MpQHEnOTVL
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 14, 2017
What Does Hollywood Think of this Deal?
But beyond the fervent fan discussions of superheroes, there are real chilling implications for the deal, which the Writers Guild of America called attention to in a scathing letter opposing the deal. The deal will only harm the creatives, who will have a harder time getting fair wages — a battle writers have been fighting in Hollywood for years — the WGA argued. The letter continues:
We’ll keep you updated on the ins and outs of this deal as more details get reported.
