After voting to return Deadpool, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to their rightful owner late last month, the pending merger between the House of Mouse and 21st Century Fox has the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom in a state of frenzy. After all, the amalgamation will almost certainly see the integration of said intellectual property into the highest grossing film franchise of all-time. Sadly, however, the fusion of the entertainment conglomerate and the mass media corporation could very well spell the end of 20th Century Fox.
According to The Wall Street Journal, while Disney does intend to explore both the big and small screen potential of their recently purchased property, including “Avatar, Kingsman and Planet of the Apes” – in addition to the aforementioned superhero IP – the Mouse House will be looking to “scale back production of costly movies that don’t fit its family-friendly, franchise-focused formula,” which may signal the end for each and every horror-related franchise presently under the Fox banner, like Predator and Alien.
Unfortunately, the report doesn’t stop there. It’s noted that although Disney does plan on releasing any film currently “complete or in production at the time of acquisition,” it’s hard to imagine The New Mutants opening wide. Regrettably, Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting is expecting the Josh Boone-directed feature to get dumped onto a streaming service or VOD platform. From there, the article does nothing but add insult to injury.
Earlier this week, Chairman and CEO, Bob Iger stated Disney would “continue to allow” Fox Searchlight – the four-time Best Picture-winning production company – “to do what it does best.” Alas, the same cannot be said for 20th Century Fox. The Wall Street Journal suggests Disney may even shut them down for good, putting 2,300 people out of a job and effectively ending the film studio’s 83 years in business. And what a shame that would be.