Upcoming Marvel Movies
MARVEL ANNOUNCES 10 PROPERTIES IN PARAMOUNT DEAL
Changing its name from Marvel Enterprises to Marvel Entertainment, Marvel announced on Monday the completion of a $525 million non-recourse debt facility that will finance Marvel's production of up to 10 films based on such characters as Captain America, Nick Fury and The Avengers.
Paramount will distribute the film slate, with the first theatrical release expected for summer 2008.
Marvel's distribution agreement with Paramount guarantees distribution for 10 films and encompasses two prime release periods each year -- the spring/summer and fall/holiday seasons. Paramount has guaranteed Marvel wide distribution with commensurate advertising and marketing efforts. This is a worldwide arrangement with the exception of Japan, Germany, Australia/New Zealand, Spain and France, which Marvel will sell directly.
The 10 Marvel properties in the arrangement are Captain America, The Avengers, Nick Fury, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Cloak & Dagger, Doctor Strange, Hawkeye, Power Pack and Shang-Chi. Each film is expected to have a budget of up to $165 million dollars and a rating no more restrictive than PG-13.
"The film slate financing enables us to evolve our entertainment operations into film production, an area where we have experienced past success with our partners and which offers significant profit potential for our company," said Avi Arad, chairman and CEO of Marvel Studios.
"The characters involved are some of the most valuable in the Marvel Universe, and we are excited to launch them as consumer brands via feature film releases under our direction. We look forward to working with Brad Grey and the exceptional team he has put together at Paramount and are confident that this will be a successful venture for us both."
Although the financing allows for the production of animated films, Marvel currently intends to use the financing to make only live-action films.
In its release, Marvel also noted that Punisher 2 is expected to join Ghost Rider and X3 as a 2006 release.
from comics continuum