MARVEL GIVES A PIXAR TEASE, SAYS 15 FILM FRANCHISES

[Khephra]

Speaking at an Investment Forum in Philadelphia yesterday, Marvel’s vice chairman Peter Cuneo said that is has met with Pixar (and nearly every other producer) in regard to turning its characters into films, this according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The news has some buzzing due to the animation studio’s recent break with Disney, although Cuneo downplayed the possibility of any immediate deal between the companies, saying that to date, Pixar has had success with creating and producing movies based on its own properties, and a teaming with Marvel would represent a change in their business plan to date. Cuneo said that is is too early to tell if Pixar would be willing to deal with Marvel.

The article in THR quotes Cuneo as saying that Marvel’s plan is to have 15 “James Bond” type franchises active at any given time in both films and licensed products. With that many properties active at once, Cuneo is quoted as saying, there would be a “cushion” for years when there wasn’t a big hit based on a Marvel character, such as Spider-Man.

That said, Marvel obviously has some ramping up to do in terms of franchises. Currently, their active franchises based on characters they own include:

Spider-Man
X-Men
Hulk
Daredevil
Man-Thing
Punisher
Blade
Men in Black

Those in the near future reportedly include the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Captain America, while Namor and Prime are perennial projects that are constantly in some form of development. Elektra and Wolverine are also mentioned as their own projects as well, with filming on Elektra slated to begin later this year.

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