It could be weeks or even longer before we get an idea of what this Disney/Sony break up entails. We may never find out the whole story about how these negotiations broke down either, especially with the varied reports that are out there seemingly contradicting one another a little.
Last we heard everything pointed to greedy Disney as the bad guys here, they asked for too much money and were rejected, and they then wouldn’t budge on Sony counteroffers. However, the latest from THR tells a very different story, which slides much of the blame closer to Sony’s door.
According to the outlet, Sony boss Tom Rothman has decided that Sony has learned the lessons they need from Marvel and Kevin Feige, and that this is evident in both Into the Spider-Verse as well as Venom.
“Tom is thinking ‘Okay, we’ve learned everything we need to from Kevin’s playbook. We did Venom on our own and we did Spider-Verse,’” comments a Sony insider.
Now, if Mr. Rothman truly does believe this, then Sony hired the wrong guy in my opinion, because he’s wrong. Venom for me was a bit of a freak success, but it was critically panned as being fairly rubbish (depending on who you read) on the whole and seemed to do well despite the movie’s quality. Perhaps it was the inspired choice of Tom Hardy, who wouldn’t have been cheap? Alternatively Into the Spider-Verse was a critical darling and yet was not a massive Box-Office smash, probably because it’s animated and that’s just not what some fans want from a movie? Either way, these movies do not I think in any sane person’s mind quantify evidence that Sony does not need Marvel. The success of Far From Home I think highlights exactly the difference between a Sony led movie and as Marvel led movie in fans eyes.
The report also states that their sources say Marvel went down and were only looking for 30% of the revenue, and whilst that’s still high, it’s a far cry from the previous story that Disney wanted half and wouldn’t budge from that standpoint. Kind of makes me feel less sympathetic to Sony as I did yesterday, although which reports are we to trust here? Is there a PR battle going on over this perchance?
Lastly, the outlet says that Holland has the OPTION of one more movie with Sony, which could mean he chooses not to activate that option. They also claim that director Jon Watts doesn’t have any ties holding him into a third Spider-Man movie and is free to pursue other projects. Well, if this is all true, then it looks even worse for Sony, because they basically have to scrap this version of Spider-Man and reboot AGAIN. Does Sony really feel they fans will flock to see a third version of Spider-Man in the last 20 years, especially when the previous one was as popular as the character ever has been? The same Sony insider told THR,
“The big test will be two years or so from now, when an eventual Spider-Man movie is made.”
That will be the test for sure, and if Sony fails that test they are up shit creek without a paddle. Surely the suits at Sony won’t be daft enough to listen to Rothman on this one? Since joining Sony, Rothman has presided over several flops including the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, along with the success of Venom which he is said (rumor)to have forced unnecessary changes into. When at Fox, Rothman was heavily involved with the likes of X-Men: The Last Stand and Wolverine: Origins. I guess I’m trying to stay that when compared to Kevin Feige, well, I don’t think it even needs to be said does it?
RELATED: Disney Vs. Sony: Who Was In The Wrong And What Happens With Spider-Man Now? | LRM Roundtable
Were Disney greedy, or were Sony just activating their long-planned Order 66? We may never know, but one thing is for certain no matter who is at fault. Sony needs Disney far more than Disney need Sony, and if it proves to be more Sony’s fault, then I think they’ll see a huge backlash off fans that their investors won’t take too kindly too.
Sigh, this is all a little depressing, to be honest, but it is what it is. Share any thoughts you have about this in the usual spot below. I know you guys have been debating and discussing this a lot so far in the comments, I can assure you we here at LRM have been talking about this non-stop since it broke as well.
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SOURCE: THR