It'll probably end up as one of the biggest deals in film history, but not only is the deal for Disney to purchase Fox going ahead, it looks like it could be closed and ready by Christmas.
Variety is reporting that both Disney and Fox have set a team of bankers on the task of working out the fine print and coming together with a price for certain assets of 20th Century Fox, which would include purchasing the film and television studios, rights to the likes of X-Men, Planet Of The Apes and countless others, the National Geographic channels, all of Fox's overseas assets and a 39% stake in Sky. The only things that Disney AREN'T buying is Fox Sports, Fox News, and the Fox Broadcasting Co., and their owned-and-operated stations.
The price-tag for all of what Disney's looking to buy? Variety's analyst put it at $74,000,000,000. That's seventy-four BILLION.
To bring it down to what films could be made, Marvel chief Kevin Feige has reportedly spoken about the prospect of taking X-Men into their hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, and according to Deadline, is more than eager to get his hands on the rights to begin work.
Currently, Fox have The New Mutants, Gambit, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Deadpool 2 and X-Force in the pipeline as Marvel properties. While Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants seem more closer to completing production than, say, Gambit or X-Force, there's still a while yet before we'll see these characters turn up alongside their counterparts in the MCU.
Between closing the deal, raising the money, getting regulatory approval from the US government and fine-tuning the whole thing, it could be at least two years before things are officially completed - and maybe another year and a half, maybe longer, before you see any kind of completed film.
In other words, it could be as late as 2021 before you see X-Men Vs. The Avengers - if not longer. So, what do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments!
Via Variety / Deadline
