Sony Expands Spider-Man Universe
In the deal that made Marvel 1.5 billion dollars, plus another $200 to 500 million every time they make a movie about an Avenger, Sony is following in the footsteps of the landmark deal.
Before Marvel started producing movies themselves, other studios were able to license the rights to certain characters. For example, FOX gained the rights to X-Men/Wolverine and Sony gained the rights to Spider-man. Now Sony recently announced that they are hiring a team of writers to form a ‘brain trust’ to create a franchise plan to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continous tone and thread throughout the films.
…Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard [will] collaborate on overseeing the developing story over several films that will be produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.
The five writers, along with the two producers and Marc Webb, have formed a franchise brain trust to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films. Under the deals, the studio announced that Kurtzman & Orci & Pinkner are writing the screenplay for The Amazing Spider Man 3, which the studio hopes Webb will return to direct; the film will go into production next fall for release on June 10, 2016.
In addition, the team will build on the cinematic foundation laid by Webb, Arad, and Tolmach in the first two movies. They will expand the franchise as Kurtzman & Orci & Solomon will write the screenplay for Venom, which Kurtzman will direct; also, Goddard will write, with an eye to direct, The Sinister Six, focusing on the villains in the franchise. Hannah Minghella and Rachel O’Connor will oversee the development and production of these films for the studio. [press release]
Kurtzman and Orci are capable of making great films. Such as JJ Abrams first Star Trek, Mission Impossible 3, The Proposal, The Ender’s Game, and Now You See Me.
