It's been the topic of discussion for a lot of people in the showbiz and those who follow the inner workings of the industry. Will it or won't it happen? Well, as of today, it will. Disney has bought a gigantic portion of 21St Century Fox, including their film and television studios, a variety of their sports channels, and one of the largest film catalogs in the business.
So, what exactly does all of this mean? We're going to give a small breakdown of a couple of the massive takeaways from this deal that have people talking.
'Disney's' streaming service could officially be a threat
With the acquisition of Fox's film catalog, this means that any of this could appear on Disney's streaming service along with their television series and their classic movies (hits from decades ago and animated classics from the Renaissance era).
Here’s a chart from @USATODAY which details what Disney gets and Fox keeps (not seen are the regional networks). pic.twitter.com/fF2HUijDsj
— Jeff J. (@JeffJSays) December 14, 2017
Now, films from Fox can be added to this service as well. Initially, Disney only had their content and sports to offer. Truth be told, there wasn't much there that seemed too enticing. However, this Disney-Fox deal completely changes things as they will be able to provide a myriad of choices that Netflix doesn't have, which could potentially make them a tough competitor in the fast-growing streaming business.
And aside from its own streaming service, Disney now has a major stake in Hulu according to a report on Deadline, and with so much control over the direction of its future, has the potential to essentially have two streaming services that will increase in popularity over time.
Are your favorites coming to the 'MCU'?
For Marvel fans, the biggest takeaway from this deal is that the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises are officially going to be back home at Marvel.
People had been clamoring for a proper X-Men movie from Marvel for years, but even more so since they released Spider-Man: Homecoming this summer.
Fans have also stated that Fantastic Four has never been that well received and that maybe Marvel can help people take the superhero foursome seriously. Not to mention the potential for thee characters to not only have standalone movies but also appear in the Avengers movies in the future.
While there are many aspects to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s assets, I am personally incredibly happy about it, for obvious reason.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 14, 2017
Welcome home, old friends. 😭 https://t.co/MpQHEnOTVL
Some people were concerned about how movies such as the R-rated Deadpool would fare under Disney's control, but a report from the Hollywood Reporter stated that Disney CEO Bob Iger has no issue with keeping the film R-rated, and perhaps there is room for a slew of more mature Marvel movies down the road! This deal is clearly a massive change for everyone involved.