Paramount Says, ‘Make Ours Marvel’

Over the last few years, there's been no doubt that Marvel has been the kings of the comic book movie, with the likes of Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Daredevil and Blade raking in the billions at the global box office. However, deadly rivals DC/Time Warner have upped their game of late, with the likes of Batman Beginning, Superman Returning and Wonder Woman, erm, Womaning over the next couple of years. Not ones to be left behind, though, Marvel today showed it means business by signing a deal with Paramount Pictures, under which Marvel will effectively, and for the first time, fund its own movies without studio assistance (Paramount will, instead, market and distribute the movies). The deal, once completed, will see Marvel make ten movies based on its extensive back catalogue, to be released over an eight-year period, with the first release set for 2007 or 2008. And we're not talking small fry here, either