There is an interesting story over at Deadline regarding the current state of Daredevil as a movie property and movie licensing. According to Mike Fleming, 20th Century Fox has just lost David Slade as the director of the movie reboot. While it isn’t surprising that a movie loses its director, it is interesting that by losing the Slade, the studio may have put their claim on Daredevil in jeopardy.
I don’t know the exact details of the deal with Marvel, but it looks like Fox will lose the movie rights this Autumn (officially starts September 22, 2012) if they don’t get the movie in to production. In production is the weird part, as I interpret that as meaning principal photography with the director, but others at Major Spoilers think it could mean anything having to do with a camera, location, actors, and the property.
While I have talked for years on property rights and keeping movies in production to retain those rights, this might be one of the first times in recent memory where this stumble could be a big win for Marvel and Disney. On the other hand, it won’t surprise me if Fox finds any ol’ director to get this project off the ground and not give two shakes about the end result.
Why can’t David Slade direct? The NBC show Hannibal has gone into production, and he won’t be available for a while.
Let’s put our tinfoil hat on, shall we? David Slade directing for NBC. NBC just sold the A&E Network to Disney for $3.03 billion. Seems like there could be a little behind the scenes stuff going on to force Fox’s hand and revert the property to Disney this way.
Nah… that would never happen… would it?
Of all the recent comic book movie stories, this is one we will be watching closely.
5 Comments
Imagine the possibilities! This is one property that got shafted by being done by the wrong people at the wrong time.
I hope Marvel does get it back. It could open the door for a sweet movie with other street level characters like Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
This is the same situation Sony had when they canned Spider-Man 4, and the end result was pretty uninspired.
Still think Shang Chi Master of Kung Fu would have been better.
Think about it: another marvel franchise like the avengers, tied in to the already existing Marvel frame work.
MARVEL KNIGHTS would be just as boomin as the AVENGERS if they play their cards right. Make Daredevil dark, gritty and deep like the Dark Knight series; with the criminal mob element, and unlike Dark knight who starts with the Italian mob and the Black and Russian mobs are just introduced outta nowhere in the second film, you introduce the diversity of crime through other heroes in their own movies (ie Power Man, Iron Fist, Sheng Chi, Moon Knight, and any other street heroes they’re willing to give their own movie). Then you reveal that the Kingpin is behind it all in their ‘coming together’ movie ‘The Marvel Knights’. Between subsequent adventures in the currently running Avengers framework, this could all lead into a massive Civil War movie/trilogy.
All-in-all I’m super stoked to see a good Daredevil movie series, a movies searies tied in with other super heroes, and some recognition for a super-hero long over due for a popularity boost. DD rocks!