La Ron S. Readus
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The Disney/Sony Deal Update Explained (VIDEO SCRIPT)
🕑 Added 2019-09-30 20:00:04 +0000 UTC
(Huffs) ...Okay.
_______
Readers, as my luck would have it, a lot has happened news-wise during the week off I took from making videos
Brandon Routh is Superman again in a production that isn’t directed by a piece of shit.
Kevin Feige got a hot-ass knock on his door from his next door neighbor Kathleen Kennedy to produce a Star Wars film
And Joker director Todd Phillips is slowly proving that he’s 5 right steps away from being the second coming of Max Landis.
Y’know, without the sexual assault allegations, BUT JUST AS WORTHLESS WITH THE PRETENTIOUSNESS ‘N SHIT
And while I’d LOVE to talk about ALL of these things, one of the news stories that broke during my absence that’s been on EVERYONE’S list is the current status of Spider-Man in the MCU
You see, previously during this drama between Sony and Disney, renegotiations for the deal they originally struck back in February of 2015 started to happen after the release of the latest solo Spidey film and the last film in Phase 3 of the MCU, Spider-Man Far From Home
That original deal was that while Disney and Marvel would continue to keep the merchandising revenue for Spider-Man because they still owned those rights, they would only get 5% of the first dollar box office gross from solo Spider-Man movies in order to work him into the MCU and keep all the box office profit from the team-up films he’s in
Which was a pretty fair deal in my opinion, since Disney ALREADY MAKES ALL THE MONEY.
So depending on the news sources you’ve read or which worldwide conglomerate you decided to side with during this debacle
You either heard that Disney either wanted a 20-25% increase in the box office cut from solo Spidey films, or a 45% increase
With the latter being absolutely absurd. Because Disney ALREADY MAKES ALL THE FUCKING MONEY.
Because while Box Office numbers are definitely important, merchandising rights are still an important factor to the overall game that people constantly still underestimate; like, why do you think Avi Arad is STILL around the franchise??
Anyway, Sony was like, “lol, no,” no counter-deal was made public at the time, and Spider-Man was out of the MCU just in time for San Diego Comic Con and the D23 expo
/With Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra saying that the door was closed on any discussion of Sony coming to any new agreements with Marvel Studios/ Spider-Man - Variety
Now because at this point in our lives a lot of us are just used to disappointment, so we assumed him saying “The Door Is Closed” meant that all possible renegotiations were just off the table and that they were done talking about it.
But apparently, what “The Door Is Closed” ACTUALLY meant was that they were still talking to Marvel Studios and Disney about working out another deal. But as they entered the negotiation room, they closed the door...in our faces.
Because on September 27th 2019, it was announced that a new deal was finalized by Sony and Disney that would allow Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige to produce one more Spider-Man solo movie and allow him in one last Marvel Studios team-up film/ https://variety.com/2019/film/news/sony-marvel-tom-holland-spider-man-1203351489/
Now there was definitely hints across the internet that Sony and Disney were working out this deal during the time we thought it was no longer a discussion between the two companies.
There was that Instagram post Tom posted of him and Robert Downey Jr. playing with toys of their respective Marvel characters
An Instagram story AMA hosted by Ned Leeds aka my future husband Jacob Batalon saying Spider-Man breaking away from Marvel “wasn’t a big deal”
And then of course there were rumors about talks happening between the two companies after Disney’s D23 Expo that revealed Marvel Studios producing Moon Knight, She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel TV shows for Disney Plus
But what had those of us that still believed that the talks were happening even when peeps said that they weren’t was that with the announcement of the new deal,
/Marvel Studios and Sony already worked a July 26, 2021 release date for the third Spidey solo flick, officially giving MCU’s Phase 4 a film slate of 6 theatrically released movies as opposed to the 5 originally revealed during San Diego Comic Con./ Spider-Man - Variety 2
So outside of this new deal consisting of one last solo Spidey movie produced by Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige and one more appearance of Spidey in a team-up film, what are the terms and conditions of this updated deal?
What agreement did these two conglomerates come now to that they couldn’t come to previously?
And more importantly: What does it say about the companies?
Well, while Marvel and Disney are still in the possession of the merchandising rights and will continue to make money from whatever toys, games, and whatnot made with Spidey’s face -- especially those associated with the MCU
One of the key differences between the previous deal and THIS deal is that Marvel and Disney’s box office takeaway for the last installment in the Homecoming trilogy rose from 5% to 25%
And like I said before, 25% of box office revenue for the next solo movie was one of the numbers that was originally going around regarding the initial renegotiations after the release of Far From Home
And with Sony initially going on record by saying that they wanted to keep the initial agreement they had made with Disney in 2015 going forward after Far From Home with only giving them 5%
It says a lot about how much Disney was asking for during the first set of renegotiations, whether they originally asked for 25%
Or you’re like me and believe that Disney just straight-up wanted to split the earnings 50/50.
And the reasons why I believe they wanted half is because number 1- It’s Disney
And number 2 being the new addition to this updated deal,
/being that in order to properly EARN that 25% box office cut for the new Spidey flick, Disney had to finance 1/4th of the new film’s budget/ Spider-Man - CBR
Which, might I add, is a pretty big deal
/Considering that in the original deal, both Homecoming and Far From Home were 100% completely funded by Sony, and Marvel Studios were just used as a creative consultant./ Spider-Man - Collider
So considering that Disney was already making %5 of the first dollar box office gross of two movies that they didn’t have to invest a PENNY in
While already owning the merchandising rights FOR SAID MOVIES
And could put Spider-Man in properties that were housed in Marvel Studios as a result
Regardless if they originally asked for 25% or 50% of the box office shares after the release of Far From Home. That’s just...th-tha...That’s jus-Pfft!
Personally... (sighs)
But considering how Far From Home ended, this...was necessary.
And while I’m sticking to my guns regarding not sticking in the corner of either Disney or Sony because the former is LexCorp and the latter just...REFUSES to take care of its Avi Arad problem, at least this time around Disney is covering a quarter of the bill
At this point, I’m neither team Disney or team Sony. I’m...I’m just team Spidey. Because he deserves more.
But I digress, Readers; your homework assignment for the day:
Write in the comment section below how you felt when it was announced that Spider-Man would be returning to the MCU
