Skip
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the current arrangement is mutually beneficial for everyone. Anyone who is claiming otherwise clearly has some sort of agenda...
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Uni waiting for Marvel Buyout from Disney?
- Thread starter PrincessNelly_NJ
- Start date
Yeah, the current arrangement is mutually beneficial for everyone. Anyone who is claiming otherwise clearly has some sort of agenda...
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Except that WDW is the most visited vacation resort area in the world with Magic Kingdom being the most visited theme park. In many ways, WDW is the crown jewel of the Disney Parks. With that many people visiting, eventually, the lack of a Marvel presence, especially if Marvel continues their upward trajectory, is going to be an issue they'll need to deal with.
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Well, I'm glad we agree on that point. As I said previously, right now neither Disney nor Uni has any incentive to want to change things. That WILL change in the future.
NormC
Well-Known Member
Maybe but I doubt it. Like I said they have enough IP to last for decades without dipping into the Marvel bucket.
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Yes, BUT, there are some they'd prefer to use over others. Princesses, Mickey & the Gang, Cars, Toy Story, and Star Wars seem to be the big ones they go to. And eventually they will, if not run out of ideas, people will want them to go to something else. Now, as much as some of us might wish otherwise, they most likely will NOT be building attractions based on Gargoyles or Treasure Planet unless there's a fundamental shift in popular culture tastes. So, Marvel is a logical franchise to look to.
You said "inside the parks" so I was assuming you meant Disney World not Disneyland. But I highly doubt if a monorail overlay is breach of contract, I wouldn't be surprised if merch is off limits too.As I mentioned I did see this Iron Man Mickey being sold at The Contemporary...I don't know what the contract stipulates on the Merchandise side of things..
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Some merchandise is apparently allowed. On my last trip, I saw both Iron Man 3 and Phineas & Ferb: Mission Marvel for sale at shops at both Epcot and DHS. And I'd stake dimes to dollars that even if they can't use the characters in the parks, there will absolutely be Big Hero 6 merchandise available everywhere come November to promote the movie.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
71jason
Well-Known Member
I think there's little question but that most of the IP budget for IoA went to Dr. Seuss. They had to settle for Popeye/Bullwinkle/et al because they couldn't afford Loony Toons, and they had to settle for Marvel because they couldn't afford the more iconic DC characters. Remember, Marvel was near bankruptcy at the time, taking whatever money they could get.
As for the specific properties in Toon Lagoon, remember, it was the late 80s. Yeah, Gasoline Alley was dated, but Heathcliff was still a syndicated comic who'd had his own cartoon just a couple years earlier. And newspapers were still a thing; Hagar wasn't anybody's favorite, but you read it on your way to Calvin & Hobbes. Bullwinkle cartoons were still in syndication on independent TV stations in the mornings and afternoons. It's easy to forget how much we view pop culture has changed in 25 year. In 1988, King Features wasn't ideal (tho even Bugs Bunny would look dated by now) but it wasn't the total loser it looks like in 2014.
As for the specific properties in Toon Lagoon, remember, it was the late 80s. Yeah, Gasoline Alley was dated, but Heathcliff was still a syndicated comic who'd had his own cartoon just a couple years earlier. And newspapers were still a thing; Hagar wasn't anybody's favorite, but you read it on your way to Calvin & Hobbes. Bullwinkle cartoons were still in syndication on independent TV stations in the mornings and afternoons. It's easy to forget how much we view pop culture has changed in 25 year. In 1988, King Features wasn't ideal (tho even Bugs Bunny would look dated by now) but it wasn't the total loser it looks like in 2014.
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
At the time, and even now, Marvel characters were FAR more popular and recognizable than DC, with a few exceptions, like Batman. Marvel was near bankruptcy, but that was due to poor business decisions rather than any lack of popularity.
Marvel in the 1990s: We're going to distribute our own comics!
Diamond Distribution: Yeah, good luck with that.
CentralFLlife
Well-Known Member
One interesting thing that may start affecting this situation is that according to an illustrator Marvel is starting to freeze out the other studios that have their film rights. They are no longer going to publish fantastic 4, they are not featuring any Xmen or fan 4 characters during their 75th anniversary. They arent exactly pumping out xmen or any fantastic four merch, instead pushing the things that are wholly owned by Marvel. Would be interesting to see if it eventually comes to affect the parks.
And Uni has no reason to give up their rights. Just like Disney has no reason to buy them. As much as I want them too, super hero island isn't going anywhere for a while.
And Uni has no reason to give up their rights. Just like Disney has no reason to buy them. As much as I want them too, super hero island isn't going anywhere for a while.
BryceM
Well-Known Member
Islands of Adventure was originally supposed to be a "cartoon" park, based on Seuss, DC, classic cartoons, comic strips, etc. With the release of Jurassic Park, Universal decided it would be smart to add it to the park. Then came Lost Continent, Port of Entry, etc. And now we have Islands of Adventure, a park that is not dedicated to the movies, but rather literature. So, therefore, the comics of Marvel are represented in Islands of Adventure, and the movie version of Transformers is represented in Universal Studios.
Gah.
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
While I doubt that Marvel is just going to stop publishing FF and ESPECIALLY the cash cow that is anything that has the letter X in it, I HAVE noticed that Marvel is slowly transitioning the Inhumans into a role that had been previously filled by mutants, and Marvel Studios DOES have film rights to those characters, with the possible exceptions of Medusa and Crystal, who were members of the FF.
CJR
Well-Known Member
I don't see why Disney would pay to have the East Coast theme park rights. They can do anything they want on the west coast and have limited it all to Innoventions. I'm sure things are coming, but as nothing has been announced, you can bet it's at least five years off and that's for the first attraction(s).
Also, if Disney really wants to invest in superheros in Florida, they can do it without Marvel. They already have The Incredibles, Wreck-it-Ralph, Hercules (loose, but it's very much a hero film). They also might be able to get away with Big Hero 6 since Marvel isn't involved with the production and it's their own take, just like how they did Tangled. So, Disney already has plenty of heroic characters they could use and haven't really tapped into. The fanbase isn't as strong as Marvel, but it doesn't really need to be as long as Disney continues to cash in on Universal's land (although they don't make much for the rights, they probably make a ton in merchandise).
Believe it or not, Disney and Universal don't hate each other as much as they're often portrayed. If Disney wanted to use a certain Marvel character, it's likely just a negotiation away. I'm going to say that Disney not paying Universal for a particular character or right is by choice as I'm sure Universal wouldn't flat out say "no" if asked. Everything has a price, but DIsney just don't have a need for it right now. Still, it's been proven a boost to either Disney or Universal is good for both places. It's not all about Universal blocking Disney, but how both sides can benefit from it.
Also, if Disney really wants to invest in superheros in Florida, they can do it without Marvel. They already have The Incredibles, Wreck-it-Ralph, Hercules (loose, but it's very much a hero film). They also might be able to get away with Big Hero 6 since Marvel isn't involved with the production and it's their own take, just like how they did Tangled. So, Disney already has plenty of heroic characters they could use and haven't really tapped into. The fanbase isn't as strong as Marvel, but it doesn't really need to be as long as Disney continues to cash in on Universal's land (although they don't make much for the rights, they probably make a ton in merchandise).
Believe it or not, Disney and Universal don't hate each other as much as they're often portrayed. If Disney wanted to use a certain Marvel character, it's likely just a negotiation away. I'm going to say that Disney not paying Universal for a particular character or right is by choice as I'm sure Universal wouldn't flat out say "no" if asked. Everything has a price, but DIsney just don't have a need for it right now. Still, it's been proven a boost to either Disney or Universal is good for both places. It's not all about Universal blocking Disney, but how both sides can benefit from it.
IAmFloridaBorn
Well-Known Member
Who are your sources? lolSomeone mentioned to me today that once Diagon Alley & the Citywalk expansion are completed Universal will begin focusing attention back on IOA. (Which was apparent anyway with King Kong heading that way.)
But what got my attention was when they said that Universal is anticipating that Disney will buyout the Marvel contract and already have plans in place to bring in DC Comics.
I'm not sure if I believe a word of it, especially because Six Flags has the rights to DC.
But then it was pointed out to me that Uni has been selling DC merch for quite sometime.
All this could mean we would possibly see Marvel hit Disney World after all.
Anyone heard anything about this?
*Not sure which thread this was appropriate for so feel free to move*
Sassagoula-Rvr
Well-Known Member
The way I understood it...Big Hero 6 and the like, can be used by Disney anywhere...The Uni marvel contract seems to stipulate that if they only have rights to the hero's they have used...and the characters in the same "families" as them.
(Now I could be off base...or Big Hero could use characters from the same families and invalidate my claims...but just because it's a Marvel property doesn't mean Disney cannot use it).
(Now I could be off base...or Big Hero could use characters from the same families and invalidate my claims...but just because it's a Marvel property doesn't mean Disney cannot use it).
It's a bad source because six flags made sure they followed their DC contract to the letter when they were in bankruptcy. The courts and all their creditors even let them because they know the value of those rights. Universal will have a hard time buying those rights because if they did buy out six flags the DC poison pill kicks in and the rights go away. Then any theme park would have to make a new deal for them. Who would pay the most or who DC would agree to sell to. They could also break up their characters to several theme park companies
Now I don't think six flags is for sale or would be interested but looking at the companies that have the financial ability to buy out six flags and not have to worry about losing the DC.rights. Oct parks would be my first choice. China would love to get into the US market. Oct parks is also the company most likely to move up the rankings. China is the fastest growing area and if they did buy out six flags they would probably pass Merlin in a year or two. One last thing, if they did buy six flags maybe the Jackson NJ park would get some Pandas. The second would be Merlin due to their size and what the addition could mean to all their parks and to keep their number 2 ranking. Third would be Sea World which could lower their dependence and their Sea World properties and the problems they are having.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Plus the source makes it sound like Uni would just be a bystander to whatever decision Disney might make. I have always thought it is Uni that would be proactively trying to offload the IP. The mouse is in the catbird seat and smiling like a cheshire cat.
IMO.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Universal doesn't have to pay to give up the rights.Plus the source makes it sound like Uni would just be a bystander to whatever decision Disney might make. I have always thought it is Uni that would be proactively trying to offload the IP. The mouse is in the catbird seat and smiling like a cheshire cat.
IMO.