News Disney and Fox come to terms -- announcement soon; huge IP acquisition

[Darkprime]

Well what ever arrangement Sony has with Marvel to develop animation and video games Disney offer to extend it or make it exclusive if it isn't already so Sony is the only one who can develop spiderman games and animation and in exchange for Disney's percentage of Endemol Sony gives up the film rights for spidey.

 

[Rodan75]

1 of them is not like the others (Sony does not own any video game rights to the character).



As per the 2011 amended contract, Sony has no Video game or animation rights. They have feature film rights (both animated and live action). Disney could develop a SM live action TV show with Tom Holland if they wanted and they wouldn't need Sony's approval to do so. This could have changed in 2015, but I highly doubt it changed in Sony's favor.

That's why Sony's plan to develop TV shows based on spider verse either A) Will need Disney/Marvel's approval or B) Each episode has to be over 78 minutes long.

Fun fact (spoiler for Spider verse just in case)

Spoiler

Peter Porker is a frozen character. Disney/Marvel had to give Sony the OK to use him in Spider Verse







And yes, Spider Ham/Peter Porker is listed in schedule 7A Frozen characters.

Kingpin is a shared character and can freely be used by either party with some small restrictions (i.e. have to notify the other party). So that wasn't a stoppage. Peter Porker is a big question mark and makes me wonder what Disney/Marvel got in exchange for it (probably just money).

I understand the current rights, my point was that Sony sees a lot more value in those rights than they did 4 years ago. No way they sell them off.

 

[AnotherDayAnotherDollar]

Well what ever arrangement Sony has with Marvel to develop animation and video games Disney offer to extend it or make it exclusive if it isn't already so Sony is the only one who can develop spiderman games and animation and in exchange for Disney's percentage of Endemol Sony gives up the film rights for spidey.

Sony struck a deal with Marvel to develop Spider Man PS4 and presumably a few sequels. This is more akin to Star Wars and EA license agreement, if it's even that deep and not a one off. Spider man games have been released for XBox and Nintendo systems as recent as 2014. This license 100% belongs to Marvel.

Sony has exclusive rights to SM feature films (over 78 minutes) in perpetuity if they want. This is true for Live Action and Animation. This is true until either they expire or Disney buys those rights from Sony.

Marvel has full rights to SM episodic tv shows (live action and animated). Sony sold the rights back to Marvel in 2009 prior to the Disney acquisition for some vis a vis Live Action movie rights amendments IIRC.

Marvel has full rights to all SM merchandise, including movie related merchandise. Sony had 50% rights to all SM merchandise until Marvel sued them for 25% and then Disney bought out the other 25% in 2011.

I understand the current rights, my point was that Sony sees a lot more value in those rights than they did 4 years ago. No way they sell them off.

I can see that, I'm just saying the game does not belong with the movies as Marvel/Disney can make Spider Man 2 or 3 or whatever an XBox exclusive if they want.

It also shows how limited they are in their plans though (Marvel had to give the okay for a character to be used in their movie and they'll need Marvel's permission to develop a TV show based on the property).

 

[Darkprime]

Interesting. But damn if contracts arent complicated.

 

[brodie999]

After Venom, Spider-verse and the Marvel Spider-man game, those Spider-man rights are worth everything to Sony. No way they give them up.

Actually, Marvel's been getting more and more creative control over the Spider-Man movies and this license was repeatedly renegotiated to make that happen. So it's inevitable that Marvel will eventually get the rights to Spider-Man and the Hulk within the next few years, so by that time, Marvel will have regained the rights to all their characters.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Agree with Hulk Comcast hasn’t done anything with Hulk, and they rudely refused to let Disney & Marvel make Hulk films for the MCU.

 

[brodie999]

Agree with Hulk Comcast hasn’t done anything with Hulk, and they rudely refused to let Disney & Marvel make Hulk films for the MCU.

I agree. So hopefully, they'll finally reach their breaking point when Disney/Marvel asks them to give the distribution rights back to them, so they can make another Hulk movie. They're at their strongest position to do so. It's all a window we're in right now where Marvel regains all of the rights to their characters in the next year or two. Mark Hughes said that. So it'd be interesting to see if Mark Ruffalo will re-up his contract to star in two more Hulk movies. He should've been cast as Bruce Banner in the MCU from the beginning. In the 2008 Incredible Hulk movie.

 

[BrianLo]

What's the desperation to have Spiderman back in-house?

Sony and Marvel are already cooperating well enough to incorporate the hero to the MCU.

Meanwhile Sony is also giving us fantastic product like Spiderman for PS4 or Into the Spiderverse.


On the opposite end of things, who the heck cares about the Hulk rights. Kevin Feige seems to have no desire to do a solo Hulk movie. That would be a step backwards after the likes of Thor Ragnarok. Bruce/Hulk are very complimentary to any other franchise.

 

[mab7689]

Obviously I can't verify it but I've read that reportedly when Marvel and Sony made the Spider-Man film rights deal in the 90s Marvel inserted a clause that if Sony Pictures would ever be sold then they would automatically revert back to Marvel. If true that's the only hope we have of it happening right now. Saying that Variety have reported that Apple are interested in buying Sony Pictures, for the same reason Disney have gone for 21CF. I'll try and find some Marvel clause evidence (which again is difficult to verify as true).

 

[seascape]

Obviously I can't verify it but I've read that reportedly when Marvel and Sony made the Spider-Man film rights deal in the 90s Marvel inserted a clause that if Sony Pictures would ever be sold then they would automatically revert back to Marvel. If true that's the only hope we have of it happening right now. Saying that Variety have reported that Apple are interested in buying Sony Pictures, for the same reason Disney have gone for 21CF. I'll try and find some Marvel clause evidence (which again is difficult to verify as true).

I hope it's true but if it is there is no one who would pay Sony what the Studio is worth. On the otherhand if someone really wants to buy Sony Pictures and Disney wants the Spiderman rights back it would be in their interest to go in on the deal and offer a couple of billions for those rights and back movies. But it is not going to happen.

 

[mab7689]

Here we go. If this is genuine then there's hope.

 

[AnotherDayAnotherDollar]

What's the desperation to have Spiderman back in-house?

Sony and Marvel are already cooperating well enough to incorporate the hero to the MCU.

Meanwhile Sony is also giving us fantastic product like Spiderman for PS4 or Into the Spiderverse.


On the opposite end of things, who the heck cares about the Hulk rights. Kevin Feige seems to have no desire to do a solo Hulk movie. That would be a step backwards after the likes of Thor Ragnarok. Bruce/Hulk are very complimentary to any other franchise.

Again, the game has nothing to do with the movie license.

Obviously I can't verify it but I've read that reportedly when Marvel and Sony made the Spider-Man film rights deal in the 90s Marvel inserted a clause that if Sony Pictures would ever be sold then they would automatically revert back to Marvel. If true that's the only hope we have of it happening right now. Saying that Variety have reported that Apple are interested in buying Sony Pictures, for the same reason Disney have gone for 21CF. I'll try and find some Marvel clause evidence (which again is difficult to verify as true).

That's not true unless it was amended in 2015. It is possible that was one of the things Disney required to be amended in 2015 though.

2011 contract excerpt:

23.a. SPE’s Right to Assign. Subject to Section 23.b hereof, SPE shall be free to assign or license any or all of its rights hereunder, and/or to delegate any or all of its duties, obligations and liabilities, at any time and from time to time, to any person or entity. Upon such assignment, SPE shall be released and discharged of and from the delegated duties, obligations and liabilities if such assignment and/or delegation is to: (i) a person or entity into which SPE merges or is consolidated; or (ii) a person or entity which acquires all or substantially all of SPE’s business and assets and which assumes such obligations in writing; or (iii) a financially responsible entity which is controlled by, under common control with, or controls SPE which assumes such obligations in writing; or (iv) a “Major Studio“ (i.e., and expressly defined as limited to: Warner Bros., Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal, or DreamWorks) or United States television network, which assumes such obligations in writing. Any purported assignment by SPE in violation of this Section 23 shall be void ab initio.

23.b. Limitations. SPE may not assign this Agreement in its entirety except to (i) a person or entity into which SPE merges or is consolidated, or (ii) a person or entity which acquires all or substantially all of SPE’s business and assets and which assumes such obligations in writing, or (iii) a person or entity which is controlled by, under common control with, or controls SPE, or (iv) a Major Studio which assumes such obligations in writing. SPE may not assign its right to produce any Production to, or enter into a co-production agreement with, any entity except (i) any of the entities described in Section 23.b(i) - (iv) hereof, or (ii) in connection a transaction pursuant to which (A) SPE has creative control over the applicable Production, and (B) SPE initially controls all United States distribution rights with respect to the applicable Production and either controls or has the right to obtain (e.g., through the exercise of one or more options) such United States distribution rights for the entire term of copyright. Upon any assignment or delegation permitted under Section 23.b(i) - (iv) above, SPE shall be released and discharged of and from the delegated duties, obligations and liabilities.

Here we go. If this is genuine then there's hope.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

So should we get the infinity gauntlet, and infinity stones?

 

[Lafayettecalboy]

When the deal was first announced in December 2017, I thought the deal would go smoothing easily with just US DOJ approval, then the Comcast issue came up and had me worried but then they back out. US DOJ gave it approval and shareholders then approved it. It was around that time I discovered that it required international approval also and I kind of made fear it could be rejected by one of them and so far none of them have. I just hope to god that Brazil and Mexico can approve it because I want the X-Men and FF in the MCU.

 

[Slpy3270]

When the deal was first announced in December 2017, I thought the deal would go smoothing easily with just US DOJ approval, then the Comcast issue came up and had me worried but then they back out. US DOJ gave it approval and shareholders then approved it. It was around that time I discovered that it required international approval also and I kind of made fear it could be rejected by one of them and so far none of them have. I just hope to god that Brazil and Mexico can approve it because I want the X-Men and FF in the MCU.

FF and X-Men in the MCU was an afterthought to Disney. This was always about content offerings.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

If they don't there's going to be a angry mob of Marvel fans that would send threats to Brazil & Mexico.

 

[MisterPenguin]

None of the objections have been over theatrical films. Disney has already been reorganizing their entertainment and Fox's entertainment divisions. Feige can go ahead and fold in Fox-Marvel characters (as if he didn't already have a plan to do so from a year ago) knowing that anything that hits the public will be long after the merger is complete.

 

[Darkprime]

At&t also had trouble getting approval in Brazil. Took them a few months to get it.

 

[brodie999]

At&t also had trouble getting approval in Brazil. Took them a few months to get it.

That's right. That's no different from Disney and Fox. Although, they're working things out with Brazil much faster than AT&T and WarnerMedia in order to get approval from the country.

 

[Darkprime]

I think there's a good chance it will close within the next 3 weeks now that the U.S government will temporarily reopen. Disney will want to close it while the government is open.