First Universal teamed with Marvel to bring THE HULK to life for moviegoers in summer 2003. Now Marvel Studios has entered into an agreement with Universal Pictures to bring two more super heroes to the big screen: Sub-Mariner and Prime. First up is SUB-MARINER, currently in development. The film will follow the adventures of the troubled Prince Namor, a half-man/half-amphibian creature from Atlantis. David Self, best known for his adaptation of the graphic novel ROAD TO PERDITION for DreamWorks, will write the screenplay. Avi Arad and Kevin Misher are producing the film, with Kevin Feige, Stan Lee and David Self serving as executive producers and Ari Arad co-producing. The Sub-Mariner is the first character created by Marvel Comics, making his first appearance in 1939, however his more modern depiction came in Marvel Comics' FANTASTIC FOUR (Vol.1) #4 in 1962. For PRIME, the creative team of Don Calame and Chris Conroy have been tapped to script the tongue-in-cheek story of a teenage boy who, as a result of a government-backed experiment, gains the ability to transform into an adult super hero. PRIME will be produced by Avi Arad and Chuck Gordon. The executive producers for the picture are Kevin Feige, Stan Lee and Scott Rosenberg, with Ari Arad co-producing. These agreements further broaden the relationship between Marvel and Universal. Recently, Marvel and Universal's interactive games division -- Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) -- forged a partnership to create massive multi-player subscription-based online games. Additionally, VU Games will be developing next generation video games based on several Marvel franchises beginning with a line of titles inspired by THE HULK. Marvel and Universal are also currently benefiting from their association in the theme park arena. Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida ranks as the park's most popular destination.
In the midst of SPIDER-MAN mania, Danny Fingeroth caught up with two of the most popular producers in showbiz Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad to talk about box office success.
