At Comic-Con, the Oscars of the comicbook industry the Will Eisner Aewards were handed out. BUFFY creator Joss Whedon took home one of the top prizes for his work on ASTONISHING X-MEN in the Best Continuing Series award.
The full list of winners include:
Best Short StoryTEENAGE SIDEKICK, by Paul Pope, in SOLO #3 (DC)
Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)SOLO #5, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
Best Serialized Story
Continuing its strategy to independently develop and produce a new slate of feature films, Marvel Studios has signed director Louis Leterrier (TRANSPORTER 2, UNLEASHED) to helm a new big screen adaptation of THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
At San Diego Comic Con in Booth #719, Marvel Comics and Planetwide Games will unveil new content for Planetwide Games original Comic Book Creator interactive entertainment software. Under the terms of the agreement between the two companies, Planetwide Games has the right to create and publish versions of the interactive software and content booster packs for Comic Book Creator based on classic Marvel s characters such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, The Punisher, Captain America, Thor, The Avengers, and Dr. Octopus to name a few.
Paramount Pictures and Marvel Ent. will kick off the 2008 summer movie-going season on May 2, with IRON MAN, the first motion picture to be produced by Marvel under its alliance with Paramount. Jon Favreau will direct.
Marvel Ent. Inc. has entered into a new arrangement with Avi Arad to independently produce films for Marvel under his own production company banner, Avi Arad Prods. Arad will remain actively involved in Marvel's upcoming film slate, including IRON MAN and HULK, the first two films anticipated to be financed and produced by Marvel under its new film financing slate.
As part of its overall slate of self-produced films based on Marvel superheroes, Marvel Studios has tapped director/actor/writer Jon Favreau (ELF) to direct the big screen adaptation of IRON MAN. In addition to helming, the ZATHURA director will develop the script with the writing team of Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway (CONVOY).
In its fourth quarter report, Marvel Ent. Inc. revealed that it has regained the film rights to the Incredible Hulk character and is very aggressively developing a sequel to the HULK feature film. Marvel Studios head Avi Arad said in the Earnings Conference Call that Universal would still distribute the sequel.
As Marvel Studios moves into a production unit of its own, the house that superheroes built has promoted Kevin Feige to president of production, Ari Arad to evp production and Craig Kyle to vp creative development, animation, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Hasbro Inc. and Marvel Ent. Inc. announced a license under which Marvel has granted Hasbro toy and game rights to its superhero universe that includes franchises such as SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, X-MEN and CAPTAIN AMERICA. Through the agreement, Hasbro has obtained the rights to develop products based on Marvel's globally-known universe of more than 5,000 characters in a wide range of toy and game categories including action figures, role play and preschool toys, board games and puzzles.
Due to New Lines stalled development of an IRON MAN feature, Marvel has regained the film rights to the comicbook franchise, reports VARIETY. After the project was in development hell for more than two years, the franchises option expired this summer and Marvel opted not to renew with New Line. Now the feature will start from scratch at Marvel with a new script, which will either be produced in-house or licensed to another studio.
Michael Helfant joins Marvel Ent. Inc. as president/coo of the company's Marvel Studios division based in Beverly Hills.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. announced the completion of a $525 million non-recourse debt facility, which will finance Marvel's production of up to 10 films based on characters from its stable of comicbook characters, including Captain America, Nick Fury and The Avengers. Paramount will distribute the film slate, with the first theatrical release expected for summer 2008. This arrangement gives Marvel complete creative control, the ability to build a film library and greater profit potential than it has received from films licensed to other studios.
Konami Digital Ent. Inc. announced a multi-year agreement with Marvel Enterprises Inc. and Upper Deck Ent. that gives Konami exclusive worldwide interactive rights to develop games for current and next-generation videogame systems based on Upper Decks best-selling Marvel Trading Card Game. This is the latest addition to Konamis collection of interactive trading card based properties, which also includes the tremendously successful YU-GI-OH! series.
Activision Inc. has extended its license with Marvel Enterprises to expand their long-term, broad-based strategic alliance through an additional license agreement for a non-persistent role-playing game (RPG).
Coinciding with the release of the FANTASTIC FOUR live-action feature, the complete FANTASTIC FOUR animated series recently arrived on DVD in a four-disc set (Buena Vista Home Ent., $49.99). The 30-minute series aired from September 1994 to February 1996 as part of the MARVEL ACTION HOUR along with IRON MAN. Produced by Genesis Ent., Marvel Prods., New World Ent. and TMS Ent., 15 of the 26 episodes were direct remakes of episodes of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera FANTASTIC FOUR series.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. and Paramount Pictures announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Paramount will distribute a slate of feature films to be produced by Marvel, which include titles such as CAPTAIN AMERICA and NICK FURY. Marvel also announced a new, non-recourse financing facility to be provided by Merrill Lynch Commercial Finance Corp. that will allow the company to produce its own slate of feature films based on its renowned comic book characters.
Moonscoop has signed a far-reaching deal with Cartoon Network at MIP-TV 2005. The broadcaster is to co-produce Moonscoops action comedy series FANTASTIC FOUR based on the classic Marvel characters and has acquired the worldwide broadcast rights outside the U.S. French commercial broadcaster M6 has also picked up the show which is currently in production.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. has entered into major licensing agreements with four of the world's leading publishing houses: DK Publishing, Harper Collins, Meredith Books and Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books as part of a strategy to increase the presence of its leading character franchises in various mass market book publishing formats.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Stan Lee is entitled to 10% of the profits Marvel has received since Nov. 1998 from studios for the right to produce and distribute motion pictures and television productions based on Marvel's characters, and from movie-based toys manufactured and sold by Marvel itself.
Marvel Comics has brought Mark Paniccia on board as a senior editor to significantly bolster the publishers presence and success in the hot teen graphic novel category. He will also recruit a new generation of comicbook writers and artists.
New Line Cinema and Marvel Studios have signed Nick Cassavetes (THE NOTEBOOK, JOHN Q) to direct the highly-anticipated big screen adaptation of IRON MAN. The film is scheduled to be a 2006 tentpole release. The project, which is being produced by Marvel Studios' ceo Avi Arad and Angry Films' Don Murphy, is based on a script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and David Hayter. The studios will begin casting immediately.
Three months after suing The Walt Disney Co. in a dispute over royalties, Marvel Enterprises Inc. wants to take the copyrights to Marvel superheroes away from the Mouse House, reports REUTERS. In a suit filed on Oct. 29, 2004 in Los Angeles federal court, Marvel requests a judge to declare that Disney never legally assumed copyrights to Marvel characters when it bought the original licensee, Fox Family Worldwide, in 2001.
Isaac Perlmutter, 61, has been promoted from vice chairman to ceo of Marvel Enterprises, effective Jan. 1, 2005. He will replace president/ceo Allen S. Lipson, 61, who has decided to retire after more than five years with the company.
Perlmutter has been actively involved in the management of Marvel since acquiring its predecessor in 1990. He has served as a director since 1993, served as chairman of the board from 1993 to 1995, and was named vice chairman of the board in 2001. All Marvel division heads will report directly to Perlmutter.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. has entered into an agreement with acclaimed France-based animation leader Antefilms Prods. to produce an animated television series based on Marvel's THE FANTASTIC FOUR. Under the terms of the agreement, Antefilms will commence production immediately on 26 30-minute 2D/3D animated episodes. The initial episodes are expected to be completed for worldwide distribution in late-2006.
Marvel Enterprises has announced that Alan Fine, president/ceo of Marvel's Toy Biz division, will take on the additional role of president/ceo of Marvel Publishing. Fine is replacing Gui Karyo, who left his post as Marvel Publishings president/cio to pursue new business opportunities.
