Monday, August 31, 2009
Disney Buys Marvel - Whither Spidey?
Bam! Pow! Like Doc Oc and the Sinister Syndicate, Disney has swooped in and bought Marvel Comics for a paltry $4 billion, perhaps leaving Universal in the uncomfortable position of needing rescue by some unnamed superhero.
The big question for all Islands of Adventure-Universal fans: What will happen to Spider-Man? Indeed, what is the fate of Marvel Super Hero Island?
For it's part, Universal is saying Spidey stays put. But, tellingly, there was no time frame included in the statement by Universal spokesman, Tom Schroeder.
In the Tampa Tribune, Disney execs are quoted as saying that "many third-party licensing deals would remain in effect."
But licensing deals are never open-ended. The time will come when Universal's right to use Marvel properties will expire. That's when things will get interesting.
Disney has a history of doing whatever it can to wrest market share from its nearby competitors (Pleasure Island vs. Church Street Station; Disney-MGM vs. USF; Animal Kingdom vs. BGT; two Disney water parks vs. Wet n Wild). It defies logic to expect the future not to mirror the past.
The big question for all Islands of Adventure-Universal fans: What will happen to Spider-Man? Indeed, what is the fate of Marvel Super Hero Island?
For it's part, Universal is saying Spidey stays put. But, tellingly, there was no time frame included in the statement by Universal spokesman, Tom Schroeder.
In the Tampa Tribune, Disney execs are quoted as saying that "many third-party licensing deals would remain in effect."
But licensing deals are never open-ended. The time will come when Universal's right to use Marvel properties will expire. That's when things will get interesting.
Disney has a history of doing whatever it can to wrest market share from its nearby competitors (Pleasure Island vs. Church Street Station; Disney-MGM vs. USF; Animal Kingdom vs. BGT; two Disney water parks vs. Wet n Wild). It defies logic to expect the future not to mirror the past.
Labels: Disney, islands of adventure, marvel comics, spider-man, universal
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Bye-Bye, Dubai
Another sign of the times:
Too bad. I was sorta hoping Nakheel might be a possible "white knight" for Busch Entertainment.
One positive note:
Busch Entertainment Corp., owner of SeaWorld and other theme parks, has shelved plans to build four parks in Dubai, making the project the Middle Eastern state's latest casualty amid the international credit freeze.
Worlds of Discovery was announced just a year ago with a media spectacle that included performing killer whales and renderings of the parks on a man-made island shaped like SeaWorld's signature Shamu. Busch Entertainment President Jim Atchison touted it as a "momentous occasion" and a chance to put the Busch brands on a "true global stage."
...
Busch and partner Nakheel PJSC, a state-backed real-estate company and leading developer in Dubai, agreed last month to suspend work because of worsening financial conditions. The two companies will reassess the project sometime this summer.
Too bad. I was sorta hoping Nakheel might be a possible "white knight" for Busch Entertainment.
One positive note:
The announcement comes as a number of projects planned for Dubai appear to be halted, though a Universal Parks & Resorts spokesman said Universal's Dubailand park is still a go and scheduled to open in 2012, two years later than the opening targeted when the park was announced in 2007.
Labels: anheuser busch seaworld orlando, dubai, universal, worlds of discovery
