So as everyone probably knows by now, Marvel Studios is looking like it will hire five to six writers to form a sort of Hollywood bullpen, who can create pitches and do rewrites. This formation is getting coverage on a couple of different layers and is only right and proper because despite the fact that this sounds like a rather straight-forward idea, there are a couple of different things going on at once.
First, this is great for Marvel moviegoers. It means that Marvel will be able to create a variety of pitches for several different properties. It also means that since Marvel Studios owns the rights to most of their characters (Sony still owns Spider-Man, and Fox still owns the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil franchises) the writers are free to drop mentions or have cameos by anyone in the entirety of the Marvel Univese which should result in the films having a richer, deeper fee for it. And since it would be a small group of writers, it's easier for everyone in the room to be on the same page.
Second, it's a bad thing for Marvel moviegoers. By getting this crew together, Hollywood is about to be bombarded by superhero pitches and with the box office bank of Iron Man and Dark Knight, expect distributors to be very interested. This could lead to a glut of movies and TV shows which will flood the market which could then bore audiences and/or mean that several of the projects will be of lower quality.
Third, it's good for writers. Marvel is looking at bringing in already established screenwriters and writers for Marvel Comics. With the current economy, any work is good work in Hollywood. Of course, this also doubles as bad news for aspiring writers as I'm sure there are many Marvel Zombies who read headlines about this program and started to dream that they'd love to work for Marvel. If so, I hope they already have an agent, because otherwise it's just not going to happen.
Finally, it's horrid for writers. This program is not the most writer-friendly, because it doesn't have to be. With this economy, writers are lining up to be taken advantage of and this deal certainly does that. Before a writer can come in they have to sign a 70-page non-negotiable contract and non-disclosure agreement. What's in the contract? Anything you write in that year is owned by Marvel (a similar clause is what led to DC not having to pay Siegel and Shuster any cash for Superman), plus first look and last refusal on any script written for two years before or after the program.
All in all, I think this is a good thing but I just want to make sure that everyone is cognizant of the deal with the devil that is being struck.
First, this is great for Marvel moviegoers. It means that Marvel will be able to create a variety of pitches for several different properties. It also means that since Marvel Studios owns the rights to most of their characters (Sony still owns Spider-Man, and Fox still owns the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Daredevil franchises) the writers are free to drop mentions or have cameos by anyone in the entirety of the Marvel Univese which should result in the films having a richer, deeper fee for it. And since it would be a small group of writers, it's easier for everyone in the room to be on the same page.
Second, it's a bad thing for Marvel moviegoers. By getting this crew together, Hollywood is about to be bombarded by superhero pitches and with the box office bank of Iron Man and Dark Knight, expect distributors to be very interested. This could lead to a glut of movies and TV shows which will flood the market which could then bore audiences and/or mean that several of the projects will be of lower quality.
Third, it's good for writers. Marvel is looking at bringing in already established screenwriters and writers for Marvel Comics. With the current economy, any work is good work in Hollywood. Of course, this also doubles as bad news for aspiring writers as I'm sure there are many Marvel Zombies who read headlines about this program and started to dream that they'd love to work for Marvel. If so, I hope they already have an agent, because otherwise it's just not going to happen.
Finally, it's horrid for writers. This program is not the most writer-friendly, because it doesn't have to be. With this economy, writers are lining up to be taken advantage of and this deal certainly does that. Before a writer can come in they have to sign a 70-page non-negotiable contract and non-disclosure agreement. What's in the contract? Anything you write in that year is owned by Marvel (a similar clause is what led to DC not having to pay Siegel and Shuster any cash for Superman), plus first look and last refusal on any script written for two years before or after the program.
All in all, I think this is a good thing but I just want to make sure that everyone is cognizant of the deal with the devil that is being struck.