Practically Perfect Poster...

Now that this is an example of art…

A lot of times of poster falls under the slavish dominion of a marketing department obsessed with stars.  Where poster will convey nothing of the story, no semblance of art or creativity.  Just a bland picture of an actor saying: "see this!".

Now, while this poster does have the stars, it also conveys what it's about in a very creative way.  The shadows beneath each actor represent the persona of each character they're playing without saying a word.  Very good job, marketing department.

Very good indeed…

University Lessons...

The Lamp's latest film was number one at the box office this week...

"Monsters University" beat out a horde of zombies and an Alien from a dead world to be on top in theaters over the weekend.  And if you've seen the film then you know that it didn't blaze the trail with a new concept, just an old fashion story that's been told many times before.  But this time it was told by Pixar.

If you've seen films like "Revenge of the Nerds" or "Real Genius," then you've watched the premise of the film.  But that doesn't mean it's not worth watching.  The way the crew up in Emeryville take the beloved characters from the original film and transfer then into the setting of a college party film is an entertaining little jewel.  It was wonderful fun and a textbook example of why any film from Pixar is better than ninety percent of most live-action films.

John Lasseter and his crew know how to tell a story.  They can take a simple tale and fill it with emotion and narrative that brings characters to life.  They truly live up to the word animate.  The stories that they invite us to watch are compelling examples of life that audiences connect with.  And even though some might decry the fact that this is an unnecessary film, it's not.  So long as it's enjoyable, there is no reason it shouldn't have been made.  Going back to the world of "Monsters Inc." to see the characters we all fell in love with is only part of the beauty of rediscovering this unique world.

If you want original, then the next couple of years will be a feast.  From what I've heard from the Bothans, "Inside Out" is shaping up to be a very original animated film.  And then of course, next year we have the Lamp's take on dinosaurs which I can't wait to see.

And you'll get a glimpse of it this fall...

A3Dventure Is Coming...

Yes, I know Blue Sky mentioned this a while ago...

And we got a lot of serious flack from people saying it was just fanboi rumors and masturbatory dreams, but it wasn't and isn't still.  See, the only way what I said wasn't true, would be if the Lucasfilm Suit that told it to my Bothan was lying to his face.  And this particular Bothan I know very well, and would trust with my life.  He's in the know.  And the Suit I'm talking about is high up, not an underling.  So when Lucasfilm started issuing parsely worded statements, and then outright denial, they're not exactly telling you the truth.  You see, it's not a lie, if they haven't actually done it yet.  Read between the actual words when you hear their press releases.

The powers-that-be wouldn't want to announce it right now anyway, but that doesn't mean it's not in the planning.  The only thing that will stop this from happening is if the box office from the next few Star Wars 3D conversions turn out to be disappointing.  Now, Episode I wasn't a box office bonanza, but remember the film isn't exactly beloved by my most fans.  As each release comes out we'll be able to get a better reaction to the audiences' warming up to the conversions.  I'd think that Sith, Hope, and Empire will get a bigger slice of the box office pie when they come out.  Should they not, the guys in Burbank/Marin County might start having doubts, but second thoughts aren't in the cards right now.

If Kathleen Kennedy and her Lucasfilm Suits get cold feet then the Raiders conversion may be shelved, but as of a couple weeks ago it was still in the planning.  So adventure in the third dimension is up ahead.

It's just not around the corner yet...

Third Time's The Charm...

He is Iron Man, again... 

So we finally have the first trailer for next year's last film for Marvel Studios...

And it looks great, awesome even.  "Iron Man 3" has been highly anticipated by me, mainly because of the director/writer attached to helm it.  Shane Black has been around Hollywood for three decades, but only recently got into directing.  Primarily a writer (creator of the "Lethal Weapon," etc.), Black made his directorial debut with Robert Downey Jr.'s comeback film, "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang," which I loved.

The announcement that he was directing the film, as well as co-writing the screenplay was what perked up for me.  I believe that this film could be the best of all three of Tony Stark's adventures in celluloid, but that's just me.

It appears that this, along with "Thor: The Dark World" are both offering more grandiose adventures that will expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Success has a way of making one bolder, and this trailer makes the film feel like a larger take on the superhero world.

Now, if they want Downey back for another film(s), then they should back the Brinks truck up to his house...

Asking/Getting Directions...

We'll see if this is a good day for the Mouse...

Slowly, we are getting a look at what the new Walt Disney Studios will be...

The slim, and disappointing slate of pictures from Rich Ross were a sign of his taste as well as lack of experience when it comes to the film industry.  So to will be the line up of pictures that Alan Horn will line up.  We've seen very few clues as to what will turn into his first projects, but we do have the list of films made under his watch at Warner Bros.  and it's hopefully a promising sign of the future.

Today we have one of the first pick ups that he's put into production: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".   Based on the award winning, classic children's book by Judith Viorst, and directed by Lisa Cholodenko with Steve Carell attached to star, this is one of the first steps in the new direction the Mouse is on with its film division.

The project, which was in turnaround at 20th Century Fox, but supposedly executives got cold feet over the budget.  The book tells the story of a young boy named Alex, who recounts the events of a very, very bad day.  Once Fox let it go, several other studios vied for the rights with Disney finally securing the rights.  It'll be interesting seeing how a full script for a small children's book turns out.  And as always, there is franchise material with two other sequel books.

This is an early glimpse into the mind and taste of Horn.  The full plan for what he'll have in the pipeline for Walt Disney Pictures, and the rest of the studio will likely not be known till early next year, but this is a peek into the window of what Mickey will show us in 2014/2015.

Now, I'm still waiting to know what he thought of Guillermo del Toro's "Haunted Mansion" pitch...

Path To Valhalla...

What you call magic and science, for us are one in the same...





With the recent announcements of casting on the God of Thunder sequel, the story is finally, unintentionally being unwrapped...

Just thinking out loud here. Not that everything is going to happen, but when you look at a map you tend to have an idea as to where something is headed. The characters involved in the film tend to give you a hint as to where the story takes you. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje being cast as Algrim, a powerful Dark Elf that eventually becomes the character Kurse, kind of tells you what will happen. Let us explore the possibilities, shall we?

Malekith manipulates Algrim into fighting Thor, and ultimately becomes a character called Kurse, but in the end he realizes that his real enemy is Malekith. I won't bring into this equation that the Beyonder turns him into Kurse, since that would mean he would be in this sequel - I doubt that will happen.

But with recent news that Kat Dennings will be returning along with Natalie Portman, we know that some part of the real world will make it into this film. So what you can imagine is Portman and Kat's characters will probably get drawn into another realm: the Dark World, the world of the Dark Elves, known as Svartálfar.

This will likely be some trick that Malekith is using to capture Thor. His weakness for humans, and for Jane Foster specifically is the reason she's used for bait. Algrim will be used as a tool to kill Thor and at some point he'll be turned into Kurse to help finish his mission. And as always, Malekith will likely be trying to either take control of his world, or less likely Asgard. To do this, he's going to need some form of power (Casket of Ancient Winters, anyone?) and naturally, someone will be there to give him the tool to achieve his goal. Of course, there will be a price for that power. That price is the death of Thor. Now who would want that? Loki, naturally.

Is this right? Could this be the plot line for the script for "Thor: The Dark World"? Probably. But until we see a trailer it's all speculation and theory. But based on the casting, it has some merit. Each day a page turns, each month another chapter is revealed. And slowly, this dark world gets a little lighter. Now, this brings into speculation another part of Marvel's Nordic mythology that one wonders could be part of this film. Will this story lead up to Surtur for the third film, because that would be truly epic.

And we won't know for sure until the credits roll...

Marvel Month...

Avengers Attack, Avenger Assemble Again, Avengers Avenger...






It appears that Marvel Studios is staking out early summer as their territory...

Next years May 3rd is penciled in for "Iron Man 3" despite a filming delay because of Robert Downey Jr.'s injured ankle. Iron Man, indeed.

Now, Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios have staked out another May day, almost two years to that date for the big follow up to the biggest movie of the year.

May 1, 2015.

The untitled "Avengers 2" film has now put a flag down claiming that day. All other studios beware. When it comes to May the superhero film company is making a statement.

Make mine Marvel...

Willing Hostage...

Wheldon's World, we just occupy space on it...








So the details are finally starting to come out...

Marvel has issued a statement regarding the services of Joss Whedon:

Joss Whedon has signed an exclusive deal with Marvel Studios for film and television through the end of June 2015. As part of that deal, Whedon will write and direct Marvel’s The Avengers 2 as well as help develop a new live-action series for Marvel Television at ABC. He will also contribute creatively to the next phase of Marvel’s cinematic universe.

This is uncharacteristic of Marvel. They've shown little loyalty to the directors/writers of their projects. Jon Faveau is the only director to come back more than once and no writer other than Whedon, I believe has worked on multiple films for them. This shows an enormous amount of respect for Joss and his vision for the MCU P2 as it goes forward.

The statement also lets you know that "Avengers 2" will be out before June 2015 since that is when the deal expires. It also talks about how he'll help out on the rest of the upcoming slate of Marvel films. So we could see him contribute to rewrites/polishes on several of the upcoming scripts. Which is great news for fans of the films. I can imagine that he'll be involved in "Captain America: Winter Soldier" because of his past association with it, but "Guardians of the Galaxy" could be something of interest as well since his "Serenity" work.

But the future of Marvel Studios just became a whole lot more positive...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Artwork designed for/by Forbidden Planet.

Whedon Cinematic Universe...

Now, about that rewrite of Cap Am 2...








Bob Iger announced the news geeks have been hoping to hear for months...

Joss Whedon is signed for "Avengers 2." And not just that, but he'll develop a television show set in the MCU, likely the one we heard about last week. Now, Iger didn't reveal any details other than the fact that Whedon would be back. You have to expect the Mouse has got Whedon signed, because to announce that without the ink being dry wouldn't be very smart. And Iger is a very savvy businessman.

Along with being in charge of "Avengers 2," it also means that he'll likely have some say in the Second Phase of Marvel's films, and that is really good news. Joss knows comics, he knows characters and he knows story. So he'll like help guide the narrative of the scripts as they move forward towards the second Avengers film.

Now, if he'll just write that Hulk script I want to see...

Framed Today...

Shave and a hair cut...







Hard to believe it's almost been a quarter of a century...

Twenty-four years ago today, Walt Disney Studios under their Touchstone Pictures banner, released the film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" to audiences across America. The live-action/animated hybrid film directed by Robert Zemeckis was an instant hit and a Disney classic.

With it's glowing reviews and box office success, a part two would be inevitable, right? The sequel with Tom Cruise never happened, but there has been talk that Zemeckis would do a sequel with today's technology. Let's hope if it's made, they don't forget story.

But like "The Rocketeer," if you walk down Buena Vista Street you'll see reminders of that classic film when the Red Car Trolley rolls by. And if you're down near Oswald's, look around at some of the mail boxes there. A certain detective named "E. Valiant" resides there.

Maybe someone will hire him to find out what happened to that sequel...

The Horn Era Has Begun...

If it's not on the page, it's not in the mousetrap...





So Alan Horn has been in charge of Walt Disney Studios and everyone is watching for is first purchase...

Is this it? Well, even if it is his first purchase, there's not much to go on as it's not titles and is only described as an action comedy. The script isn't even written, but it must have gotten the Mouse excited enough to pony up a seven figure sale price. And being as he's in charge now, I can't imagine him having no say over something that is costing a million plus.

Scott Rosenberg(Hauntrepeneur, Pain And Gain) is the one who pitched and will write the script. John Jacobs will produce, but everything else is under wraps. Over the next few months it's going to be interesting seeing what Disney buys and puts into production.

If Horn is able replicate his record at Warner, or even close to it, Disney is about to have a very exciting run...

Disney Legend...

The stuff of dreams...





Now this sounds very interesting...

Could this be the first purchase and beginning of the Alan Horn regime? He's only been on the job for a short while, so we don't know how involved he was in the deal, but if he gave the go ahead for this it shows a promising future for his tenure at the Mouse.

Walt Disney Studios has made a preemptive bid for a series of graphic novels called "The Stuff of Legend" with Pete Candeland (The Beatles Rock Band Commercial) attached to direct and Shawn Christensen (Abduction) attached to write the script.

The story is of a young boy in 1944 who is abducted by the Boogeyman and taken into his closet. The boys dog and toys go into the closet, a land known as The Dark and proceed to do battle with the Boogeyman to rescue the boy. Sounds like a dark twist on Winnie the Pooh, doesn't it?

If this is the first deal under Horn, I look forward to his first slate of films...

Fifteen Or Fourteen And Three...

Rules were made to be broken...






Latino Review has a really interesting rumor on the mystery film that Marvel is planning for 2014...

Everyone pretty much expects the "Avengers" sequel to be one of the two films that Marvel has mentioned as its line up for 2015, but much speculation has surrounded the identity of the other film that will come out that year.


Iron Man 3 - May 3, 2013

Thor 2 - November 8, 2013

Captain America 2 - April 4, 2014

Untitled Marvel Film - May 16, 2014

Avengers 2 - rumored 2015


While it has been widely speculated that the mystery film would be the adaptation of "Ant-Man" by director Edgar Wright based on his twitter feed and the comments of Kevin Feige, it now may appear otherwise. The Black Panther may be be the untitled 2014 film if Latino Review's trusted sources turn out to be correct.

But what if there are three Marvel films to come out that year? It's not likely, but Feige has been open to the possibility of having three films out in one year. The current plans call for two a year, but if you look at that schedule there is a huge gap between the second one and the end of the year. A release date change could happen where they schedule the film later in the year, but until then it leaves room for another production if the dates don't move.

Could an Avengers sequel come out in 2014? Doubtful, but with several projects in the fire right now, might the studio take a plunge and give us a holiday release of, say "The Incredible Hulk 2" or "Doctor Strange" even? While the odds are against it, the gap between Marvel film in 2014 and 2015 is awfully long. Could one of the many films on its development slate wind up being a surprise gift at the end of that ?

In a world where a man can turn into a giant green monster you never know...

Films Of Future Past...

In This Issue, everyone dies...


Not all of Marvel's movies will be released by Disney over the next decade or so...

After "Blade", one of the first films to bring on this new age of heroes was "X-Men" from 20th Century Fox. That series ended with a mediocre entree that Brett Ratner directed, only to be rebooted as the fantastically entertaining "X-Men: First Class". There has been very little news about the sequel to Matthew Vaughn's reimagining of the comic set in its original time frame.

Now it appears the sequel may not just be in a different time frame, but multiple time frames. Over at Ain't It Cool News they're reporting that the studio registered the title"Days of Future Past" with the MPAA Title Registration Bureau. For those of you that don't know what this means, just ask a comic geek/Marvel geek and you'll get a very detailed explanation.

The short of it is that that title is the name of a famous two-part story that is now a classic piece of comic culture. It involves the X-Men time traveling to the future and back to prevent the assassination of a Senator Robert Kelly. His death sets into motion a series of events that cause mutants to be hunted down and killed or put in internment camps. Mutants on the run are hunted down by large, killer robots called Sentinels. It's an awesome story that they used as a throwaway scene in the third X-Men film as a battle in the Danger Room.

If Vaughn is going to use this story, or at least parts of it, then it'll be interesting seeing how he portrays this tale of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and their battle with Charles Xavier's gifted youngsters. Key players will be missing (like: Wolverine, Kitty Pride, etc.). So structurally, it'll be different, but the story is fertile ground for a great film.

I guess if Disney via Marvel won't have control of some of these properties for a while, it's nice to know that there will be great and exciting stories at least in the meantime...

BIG EVENTually...

Let's hope he makes franchise appear like Harry Potter and Batman...






From the reactions coming in from all around Hollywood, it appears Iger made a great decision...

If fact, it's the exact opposite reaction people had to Rich Ross' hiring a few years ago. The results from just about every insider either on the record or off the record that has been talked to is extremely positive. Take a look at some of these quotes/articles:


"The studio couldn’t have made a better choice." Forbes Hollywood Entertainment writer Dorothy Pomerantz, - Disney Makes A Smart Move Hiring Alan Horn To Run The Studio

“He has a profound understanding of the film making process as well as the ability to bridge the creative and business sides of a studio. He’s been a part of some of the most popular films produced in the last decade, and we’re very happy for him." Warners chairman and CEO Barry Meyer - What Hollywood Thinks of Alan Horn as Disney Chairman

The Los Angeles Times has an very positive article entitled - Alan Horn could revive Walt Disney Studios' Magic as well as a questioning article - Alan Horn: Can Disney's new boss reinvent the studio?

And in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, he talks about his early plans for making the film unit into the kind of success that he and Iger want. His plan to release six to eight live-action titles a year with two to three of those being "Big Event" films. It's far more ambitious than Ross' record at the studio, which was extremely anemic. He also seems to have been talking to Disney/Iger for several weeks and has a direct plan and clear vision for how he wants to run the division. It will be interesting to see the first projects he green lights to see what route the Mouse takes forward.

Looks like Iger is going to let branding take a backseat to story, now imagine that...

Tooting A Horn...

Get us some great movies worthy of the Disney name Alan...






Well Bob Iger finally got around to naming a successor to his failure with Rich Ross...

After the experiment of letting a young Suit with nothing more than television experience be put in charge of the film division, it appears adults are now in charge.

Alan Horn, a seasoned veteran of Warner Bros. has been put in charge of all the Mouse's film slate. Unlike Ross, he's got a deep history in Hollywood and knows his way around the town and has the respect of talent across every spectrum. He also had a hand in Warner while films like "Batman Begins" and the "Harry Potter" franchise were created. It would be nice if he were to develop films that were that iconic and successful with the Mouse.

There are rumors that Iger dangled the carrot of possibly being suggested to succeed him in a few years as CEO/Chairman. I hope that's not the case, as much as I think Horn is a great fit for the job, I would prefer to see Tom Staggs get that title. Not that I would think he would be bad for the job, just my personal preference. I wouldn't be complaining unless Jay Rasulo got that job because I'd have to believe that ancient Mayan curse was true, just a few years late.

Here is the press release:

BURBANK, Calif. – May 31, 2012 – Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, announced today that Alan Horn has been named Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios effective June 11. Horn will oversee worldwide operations for The Walt Disney Studios including production, distribution and marketing for live-action and animated films from Disney, Pixar and Marvel, as well as marketing and distribution for DreamWorks Studios films released under the Touchstone Pictures banner. Disney’s music and theatrical divisions will also report to Horn.

Horn has been a prominent figure in the film and television industry overseeing creative executive teams responsible for some of the world’s most successful entertainment properties including the Harry Potter film franchise and the hit television series Seinfeld among others.

“Alan not only has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience in the business, he has a true appreciation of movie making as both an art and a business,” said Iger. “He’s earned the respect of the industry for driving tremendous, sustained creative and financial success, and is also known and admired for his impeccable taste and integrity. He brings all of this to his new role leading our studio group, and I truly look forward to working with him.”

“I’m incredibly excited about joining The Walt Disney Company, one of the most iconic and beloved entertainment companies in the world,” said Horn. “I love the motion picture business and look forward to making a contribution as part of Bob Iger’s team working closely with the dedicated and talented group at the studio.”

Horn was most recently President and COO of Warner Bros. Entertainment where he had oversight of the Studios’ theatrical and home entertainment operations, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Warner Premiere (direct-to-platform production), Warner Bros. Theatrical Ventures (live stage) and Warner Home Video. During his 12 year tenure, Warner Bros. Studios was the global box office leader seven times.

Among the numerous critically acclaimed films and box office hits released during his tenure are all eight films in the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Happy Feet, Sherlock Holmes, The Departed, Batman Begins, Million Dollar Baby, the second and third Matrix films and the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy. Horn is also an executive producer of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Before joining Warner Bros., Horn co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He oversaw the creation of many critically acclaimed and beloved films including Best Picture Oscar nominees A Few Good Men, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile as well as When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, In the Line of Fire and the most successful show in television history, Seinfeld. Horn has also served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and was Chairman and CEO of Embassy Communications.

He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the American Film Institute and the Museum of Broadcasting. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute; as a Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); is a co-founder of the Environmental Media Association (EMA); on the Board of Trustees for the Autry National Center in Los Angeles; and on the board of Harvard-Westlake School.

Horn received his MBA from Harvard Business School and served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Now all we have to do is wait for late 2014/early 2015 to find out if this works...

Villains Too/Two For 2...

Of thunder and rock and roll...




In a few Months, "Thor 2" starts production in England...

Unlike many in the Marvel Universe, Thor doesn't have a large rouge's gallery of villains. Characters like the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man or the X-Men have a great deal more respected and credible villains, the Norse god's enemies are not as well known. There are a few that might wind up being potential opponents in a cinematic environment.

While Loki is the most known/best foil to Thor, several other villains could play a role in the upcoming sequel. Many are asking what villain will confront the Norse god in the new film? Who could the actor hired to play him be portraying? Well, he could be playing Atum, the God Eater, a being created to consume the gods. Or maybe Desak the God Slayer of an unnamed world. Then again, Ego the Living Planet might be him, but doubtful. Kryllk the Cruel a Asgardian Troll Leader? All are possible, but I don't believe any are the villain.

In fact, if you look at the actor cast to play the lead villain, he bares a striking resemblance to a certain villain that has been a pain in Thor's side since the 80's. Mads Mikkelsen is a very tall, lean actor with piercing tiny eyes. He's capable of playing a villain with cold blooded intensity. He's a charismatic Danish actor and has a Scandinavian appearance that would go with many of the villains that come from Norse mythology which Stan Lee adapted into comic form. Out of all these villains, one seems to stand out.



Malekith the Accursed.

For those of you that don't know who he is, Malekith is the ruler of the Dark Elves in the Asgardian Nine Worlds. And his story would work with Thor 2 taking place mainly within the other realms of Thor's chronology. Since we know that Loki would play a part in the film, it also makes sense. Because in the stories, Malekith makes a pact with Loki that involves him ruling the lands of Asgard and could bring about an epic adventure that could lead to a truly "Lord of the Rings" type film for "Thor 3" if they follow the Surtur storyline. Who is Surtur? Click on the link and see the Walt Simonson run on the book as well. We now know that Thanos won't be in this film, so there won't be a plot line involving The Infinity Gauntlet. But perhaps Thor's sequel will feature The Eternal Flame? Now, if some reporter will just ask Kevin Feige this question we can see if he tries to squirm out of answering it.

But if all this turns out to be true then the sequels to Thor could be a quite interesting and radical direction that differentiates Odin's son from the rest of his underwear wearing friends on Earth...

Luxo In Tights...

With "The Avengers" ready to pass a billion dollars by the end of the weekend Marvel Studios has become an amazingly successful studio...

The only other current studio with that track record is the Lamp. Pixar, is similar and different at the same time, but the success model of control, and the autonomy to create their own projects is something that they share. To be fair, they both have different content: Pixar creates original properties that become pop-culture stories and Marvel takes pop-culture properties and creates original stories. Both are well written and follow a focused plan for success.

The many division of Walt Disney Studios operate almost as separate kingdoms (no pun intended) within a larger kingdom. The irony of this is the crown jewel, Walt Disney Pictures (the live-action division) is the one division that is run by the old Hollywood model. It's also the one which is the least successful in terms of hits, both critically and financially. And it's lead by... no one really. As of right now, it's a rudderless ship adrift in a sea of high concept confusion. The failed experiment that was Rich Ross is now gone. Hopefully, Sean Bailey will get the nod to take over in the near future if Iger wants to make a smart move. He's a smart guy and with the right amount of autonomy could generate some positive creativity at the Mouse.

While at the other divisions, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar have John Lasseter to guide it, Marvel Studios has Kevin Feige to lead it to the current state the comic book company finds itself in. I'm not saying that Feige is as creative as Lasseter, but he is as business smart and as deeply concerned about the characters and stories that he tries to bring to the silver screen. Disney's last division, Touchstone Pictures is essentially a label used to distribute DreamWorks films, and those are controlled by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider respectively.

All this has come about with what are many of Marvel's second tier characters. Since the heavy hitters like "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Fantastic Four" and "Daredevil" are controlled by other studios, the studio has been limited in the direction they can take their stories, but that direction has followed a laser like focus. I try and imagine how films of the Web-Head, Mutants and Super-powered Misfits would be handled if Marvel actually controlled their presence on the screen.

I wonder if Bob Iger is somehow trying to work out deals to end all, or at least most of the agreements made with other studios for Marvel properties? If the buyout of Paramount Pictures was worth the investment, after the Avengers is it worth it to attempt to take back control of other properties? I can only imagine how a "Fantastic Four" film under the Marvel Studios banner would look compared to the weak attempt that Fox tried to make. With the disappointment of the latest "Ghost Rider" film, that property will likely fall back to Marvel just as the Punisher has now done. Spider-Man and X-Men could take a decade or more unless Iger is able to pull together a business deal that will make sense both financially and legally.

But with at least two Marvel films a year for the foreseeable future, it looks like we're going to get used to seeing men in tights for a long, long time. We have "Iron Man 3" and "Thor 2" in 2013 and "Captain America 2" and an untitled Marvel film (Uhhhant-man!! Excuse me) in 2014. The first film that will be coming out in 2015 will likely be "Avengers 2" and at least one other film later in the year. Maybe after the success of this superhero team, the Hulk will get another chance to shine in his own film again? And may I ask that Joss Whedon write the script since he seems to get the character better than previous versions. But the future looks bright for the Marvel way.

And being a DC Guy, that says a lot...

The World Of Tomorrow (Films)...

It's amazing, it's astouning, it's the world of tomorrowland...








Time passes so quickly that you tend to lose perspective of what has happened...

Or what could happen. The middle of the decade is only about three and a half years away. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at where the Mouse will likely be then.

When we get to 2015 you have to wonder where the Walt Disney Company will be. What will the film business be like? The theme parks division? How will the events and advances in technologies change or advance the Burbank entertainment company? In this post, I thought we'd look at the film division.

Walt Disney Studios -

This division is divided into five branches that includes Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Touchstone Studios.


Walt Disney Pictures:

The live action family division of the Mouse at the middle of the decade will have released "John Carter," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," probably "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" and various others. A "TR3N" will likely have been released if the reception to "Tron: Uprising" meets the Suits approval. And should many of those films be successful, then you can imagine sequels to several of them would be on the way. Another John Carter would be close to production or already being filmed based on how much box office receipts came in in 2012. A sixth, and likely final Pirate film starring Johnny Depp would undoubtedly be in the making as well. The likelihood of Rich Ross still being in charge will depend on the success of many of these films as well as several comedies recently approved. Should we get more stinkers like what has come out with over the past year, another head of the studios could be in charge by the middle of the decade. Success in this business has a way of leveling out and rolling heads.

Walt Disney Animation Studios:

The heart and soul of the company will look dramatically different come a few years. The output of films will have been of a consistently better quality for the good part of a decade by then (Pixar bought in 2006, "Bolt" two years later). With Lasseter making sure stories count more than bean counter opinions, audiences will hopefully have started to regain faith in the brand by then. Also the variety of films will have broadened. While princesses and queens and kings will still be present, stories that you wouldn't normally think of coming from Disney will have come or be soon coming from Disney. By 2015, you can expect "Wreck It Ralph," "King of the Elves," and likely "Snow Queen" to be out come the middle of decade. But the most interesting ones are yet to come from the trailers of what Dean Wellins and Don Hall have planned. By this time WDAS will have likely rebuilt a reputation that war torn down over the late 90's/early 2000's.

Pixar Animation Studios:

Up north in Emeryville, Disney North will be passed all the announced films that we know will continue through 2013. Next year is "Brave" which presents a princess tale from the Lamp's point of view. Afterwards, "Monster University" will roll into theater the following year. 2014 and 2015 have yet to be announced, but one of those films is likely to be by Pete Docter, and there are four or five other projects that are in various states of active development up there and anyone of them could be moved on the production slate. It all depends on which ones Lasseter believes are ready to move into production. I would expect an expansion of the slate of films from Emeryville to be announced within the next year or so. We're about due for another list.

Marvel Studios:

Disney's latest sibling has a much fuller and more open slate over the next few years. Now, this is a list of films the studio is producing itself, not the characters that have been licensed to other studios. But by 2015 expect to see "Avengers," "Iron Man 3," "Thor 2," "Ant Man," "Captain America 2," and possibly a "Runaways," film, a "Doctor Strange," film and a "S.H.I.E.L.D." film. This isn't even counting several other projects that are gestating like "Iron Fist" and others that the comic book powerhouse are planning for the silver screen.

Touchstone Pictures:

Over at the adult live-action division, which has basically become a distribution house for Steven Spielberg, will have just had the five year/thirty picture deal expire the year before. Should DreamWorks and Disney seem to be enjoying the marriage at this time, you could expect a similar five year plan to be announced. Films like "Lincoln," "Robopocalypse" and several others will have been released within this time frame. That would mark a decade worth of relationships with Spielberg and his company. Hopefully, some of his talent will be used in other areas of the company throughout these coming years.

The many divisions of the studio focus on different aspects of the market. Walt Disney Pictures concentrates on the live-action family entertainment. Walt Disney Animation Studios concentrates on classic animated entertainment. Pixar Animation Studios concentrates on cutting edge animated entertainment. Marvel Studios concentrates on live-action adventures of its vast catalog of characters. Touchstone Pictures which used to be another label of Disney produced/non-Disney stories will now concentrate on the new mission of being a simple distribution label for DreamWorks. It's come a long way from where it was as a small, animation company that made shorts for RKO Pictures to play in front of their features.

It's going to be interesting to see where it after the the middle of this decade...

May Is Marvel Month...

On the heels of the announcement that Disney will distribute all films come 2012 they give us this as well...

The release date of the next Iron Man film. It looks like Marvel is staking a claim to the month of May. Notice a pattern here?

Thor released on May 6, 2011

Avengers released on May 4, 2012

Iron Man 3 released on May 3, 2013

The only question now is what will be released in May,2014...