Okay, so if youβve been on Twitter, youβll know enough about the Disney-Fox merger to know that a) Star Wars and Mickey Mouse can now work together b) Thereβs a decent shot at a solid Fantastic Four movie now and c) Frank-n-Furter will likely be the next Disney princess.
But besides shoddy Photoshop opportunities, whatβs it all mean? Well, in a nutshell :
Disney take over for Fox, bringing their product into the storerooms with their own. The deal is expected to close in March, with only a few territories β in particular, Brazil has been bullish β lukewarm on the $71 billion buyout. Bob Iger is eager to lock this all down within the next six weeks, at which time we should have a βgoβ date for the merge.
When it happens, and it will, Disney will inherit all of Foxβs Film and TV properties β and thereβs too many of them to list here, but they include everything from the ββDie Hardββ, ββPredatorββ and ββAlienββ franchises, to the Marvel characters theyβve housed for the past couple of decades (like ββX-Menββ), cult classic TV series like ββX-Filesββ, ββBuffy, the Vampire Slayerββ and β21 Jump Streetβ, Oscar winning greats like βWall Streetβ, βTitanicβ and βWorking Girlβ, and most importantly, the βDude, Whereβs My Car?β brand.Heh.
While nothing has been officially announced, there are a number of franchises rumoured to be revving up again once Disney takes over β with some art departments and producing committees even tinkering at the projects before then – and youβll have already read about those plans for βDeadpoolβ (and yes, it WILL be rated-R), the βAlienβ films, and βDie Hardβ. Β Whatβs interesting about Disneyβs future slate is that, because theyβll now be spoilt for choice when it comes to their franchises, the studio will be transitioning some franchises to the small screen instead β turning once-proposed features into TV series (βPirates of the Caribbeanβ and βNarniaβ already rumoured to be going that route).
In terms of film franchises outside of the superhero universe, hereβs a few others that weβve heard are making a comeback courtesy 500 S Buena Vista St.
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Home Alone
Will Ferrell and Melissa McCarthy are being courted to play the new bumbling burglars in a reboot of John Hughesβ classic βHome Aloneβ. βSNLβ star Mikey Day and writing partner Streeter Seidell are scripting a film that will reportedly be set in the same universe as the original films β which means thereβs a wee chance of a Macaulay Culkin cameo.
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Planet of the Apes
Matt Reeves recently concluded his ”Planet of the Apes” franchise at Foxβ with the bravura βWar of the Planet of the Apesβ β so Disney have a clean slate when it comes to a legendary franchise initiated by Franklin J. Schaffner in 1968. Have heard theyβre quite keen to do another βPlanet of the Apesβ but whether thatβs a remake or even a sequel to βWarβ, who knows? Guess theyβll shuffle in a horde of writers to pitch their different ideas and go from there.
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Alvin and the Chipmunks
Classic cartoon series, numerous hit albums, a hit movie franchise for Fox, a successful new Cartoon Network ‘toonβ¦Β of course Disney are going to bring back Alvin, Theodore & Simon! Expect family franchises like βAlvinβ (as well as βNight at the Museumβ and βThe Wimpy Kidβ) to be of the first newly-greenlit projects over at Waltβs pad.
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The Fly
No brainer. Fox have been trying to get a new βFlyβ off the ground for years β and J.D Dillard and Alex Theurer βwrote a cool scriptβ, weβre told – and Disney will continue developing. Such an awesome template to work on. How can Disney release horror and edgy adult fare like this? Itβs called offshoot labels, folks β remember the Touchstone banner that Disney used to release adult fare like βStarship Troopersβ and βShoot to Killβ in the β80s and β90s?
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Speed
βThereβs talkβ of something βSpeedβ happening, Iβm told. One of Foxβs flag-ship action hits, and largely so because of the electric combo of Keanu Reeves and director Jan de Bont, donβt be at all surprised if Disney attempt to at least entice Reeves back into the fold. Fox have been looking at it for years, but couldnβt crack it. Reves does seem very keen on sequels right now, so maybe that was the hold up before? And who wouldnβt want to have a βReeves-frontedβ action franchise in their house right now, with βJohn Wickβ such a phenomenon!?
Gonna be a real interesting time for us movie fans when this kicks in!