Stan Lee Signs Deal With Disney

[SamIAm717]

By GARY GENTILE
AP Business Writer

June 7, 2007, 8:31 AM CDT

LOS ANGELES -- Zowie! Stan Lee, the creator of such comic-book superheroes as Spider-Man and X-Men, has signed an exclusive content deal with Walt Disney Studios, it was announced Wednesday.

Under the multiyear agreement, the studio gets first shot at films, TV shows, books and video games devised by the 84-year-old Lee and his company, POW! Entertainment.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Disney Studio Chairman **** Cook said the deal was designed to create characters and projects that can become franchises for Disney.

Lee's characters have made hundreds of millions of dollars for other studios. Sony Pictures produced the Spider-Man series and saw "Spider-Man 3" open in early May with a record $151.1 million weekend domestically.

Twentieth Century Fox made the highly profitable X-Men films. Also in production at various studios are movies about The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man.

Sony Pictures is part of Sony Corp. Twentieth Century Fox is owned by News Corp.

Lee is no longer associated with Marvel Entertainment Inc., which produces comic books and feature films based on characters he created while employed there.

At Disney Studios, part of The Walt Disney Co., Lee will work on developing characters for action films that might also be featured in direct-to-DVD productions, video games, comic books or other formats.

"I've got millions of them," Lee said. "I have file cabinets filled with ideas for movies and television shows and all sorts of things, and I've been waiting to be associated with someone like Disney so I can start tearing into these things."

Some of the characters that Lee developed at Pow! Entertainment, such as the superhero stripper "Stripperella," featuring the voice of Pamela Anderson as "Erotica Jones," won't be made into Disney films, Lee said.

Lee said he isn't concerned that Disney's family image will hurt his projects.

"There is such a big difference between action and violence," Lee said. "I have never been a fan of violence, but I love action and so does Disney."

Well this sounds somewhat interesting?

[nicks10]

Well, lets hope whatever is in the works is better than Spiderman 3...

[WV_Jayola]

If it weren't for the fact that the always brilliant Brad Bird would probably be creating/writing/directing any future Incredibles films, I would say that Stan Lee could definitely add some Zing! to something involving them and their universe! A trademark of Stan's superhero's in the 50's was their real-world problems, and how that those problems would directly affect the Super Hero aspect of their lives. And that is something that comes built in with The Incredibles!

Well, regardless of who works on it, I hope we someday get to delve back into The Incredibles universe, because it was a wonderful film with wonderful characters!

EXCELSIOR TRUE BELIEVERS!

jeff.

[bucknut20]

Im very excited about this news.

[Jetjaguar]

The odds are good that anything Stan comes up with for Disney will be very successful...

[JEV4]

Oh...My...God

[Zipadeedooda]

Disney and Stan Lee! it cant get any better than this! maybe they'll make a spidey- mickey team up lol

[Mickey's#1Fan]

now this is shocking disney and lee it will take some while getting used to!! loli cant picture mickey next to a hunk in spandex spider suit lol but only time will tell and what does this mean for universal ?? they have all the rides based on many of lees characters and i know spidey has been walking around there and not at MK lol!

[Dragonrider1227]

I can't wait to see what Stan Lee and Disney's Imagineers can come up with!

[Creambunni]

Wow how exciting! This is a alliance of my dreams....

I would have never expected anything like this.

[mritty]

now this is shocking disney and lee it will take some while getting used to!! loli cant picture mickey next to a hunk in spandex spider suit lol but only time will tell and what does this mean for universal ?? they have all the rides based on many of lees characters and i know spidey has been walking around there and not at MK lol!

It means absolutely nothing for Universal. As in, zero impact. The deal Disney and Stan Lee signed is for any *new* characters Lee creates. All those already-existing characters like Spider-Man and X-Men are wholly owned by Marvel Comics. Marvel has nothing to do with this deal.

[Mickey's#1Fan]

ahh i see thanks for the clarification i was a little confused at first!!!!