As discussed earlier today, the bidding war between Disney and Comcast continues to heat up, with one company set to take the back catalogue of 21st/20th Century Fox. But who will be the victor?
Whoever eventually wins the bid, should the deal go through without any problems, then the victor will bag a HECK of a lot of content. In fact, here are just some of the big names that the winner could walk away with, either through film, TV or Fox’s current distribution deals:
- 24
- Alien
- American Dad!
- Archer
- Bob’s Burgers
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Deadpool
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- Die Hard
- Fantastic Four
- Family Guy
- Firefly
- Futurama
- Ice Age
- Independence Day
- Kingsman
- Planet of the Apes
- Predator
- The Simpsons
- The X-Files
- X-Men (including Legion & The Gifted)
The above examples are really just a slice of what is potentially on offer – with some of the most notable names being highlighted to demonstrate the depth of the deal. In addition to the above list of properties, Disney or Comcast would also gain a packed portfolio of films that dates back to the mid-1930s.
Films under the 20th Century Fox banner include the likes of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Home Alone, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Greatest Showman, Moulin Rouge!, Minority Report, Titanic, The Omen, Night at the Museum, Big, Doctor Dolittle, Young Frankenstein, The Cannonball Run, The Fly, The Princess Bride, The King and I, Edward Scissorhands and Fight Club, amongst many (many) others.
And then there’s the subject of Star Wars. And this is important – so pay attention.
Image: Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox
Currently, 21st Century Fox owns the rights to the original Star Wars movie (aka A New Hope). This is all to do with a deal that George Lucas made with Fox in order to get Star Wars off the ground.
So, while Disney currently owns Star Wars (the brand) it doesn’t own the original movie, this is owned by Fox indefinitely. If Disney wins the bidding war with Comcast, then it will finally own Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
But…
If Comcast wins the bidding war, then Comcast will obtain the rights to the original Star Wars movie. Disney will still maintain its ownership of the Star Wars brand, but A New Hope will have slipped through its grasp.
Of course, Comcast owning 20th Century Fox would also mean that Disney – the owners of Marvel – would also let the X-Men and the Fantastic Four slip through its grasp too. So Disney stands to lose out a fair bit if it does not win this bidding war.
The next couple of months should prove very interesting…
It's A Stampede! 
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