21st Century Fox COO Says Studio Can't Just Make Comic Book Movies

21st Century Fox COO Says Studio Can't Just Make Comic Book Movies

James Murdoch, COO of 21st Century Fox, has come out saying that the studio can't rely on comic book movies. What does he propose? Read on to find out!

By Hulksta - May 18, 2015 06:05 PM EST
Filed Under: X-Men: Apocalypse
Source: Deadline

Are many of you looking forward to Deadpool? X-Men: Apocalypse? or X-Force? Well, if you are, you may want to level your expectations as 21st Century Fox COO, JAmes Murdoch, talked to investers at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference.

At this conference Murdoch said, “We don’t want to be a place where people say, ‘If it’s not a comic book movie, or something else, then I wouldn’t even take it to them.'” Murdoch then went on to propose that the studio needs to release more original content.

Obviously Days of Future Past was a critical and commercial success; and with the studio set to release both X-Men: Apocalypse, Deadpool; as well as the proposed New Mutants and sequel to The Wolverine. This also doesn't include the sequel to Fant4stic which was greenlit before the films release. it would seem to contradict the COO's statements.

While Murdoch thinks that the X-Men and Fantastic Four films ans spinoffs are still worth mining, he argues that “[they] don’t want to be a film business that’s only making one type of picture, [they] want to be a film business that has a real diversity of output.”

So what do you all think? Should Fox stick with mining the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises? Or should they aim for more original content? The article points out that the studio had a banner year with Gone Girl and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. What films would you like to see Fox make?

For all news about Fox, X-Men, and Fantastic 4. Keep reading CBM.com (or don't, watch me care).
DEADPOOL: Ryan Reynolds Had To Pay The Movie's Writers To Be On Set When 20th Century Fox Wouldn't
Related:

DEADPOOL: Ryan Reynolds Had To Pay The Movie's Writers To Be On Set When 20th Century Fox Wouldn't

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Star Olivia Munn Reveals Battle With Breast Cancer: We Caught It With Enough Time
Recommended For You:

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Star Olivia Munn Reveals Battle With Breast Cancer: "We Caught It With Enough Time"

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

1 2
TucksFrom2015
TucksFrom2015 - 5/18/2015, 7:08 PM
COO!
MrCBM56
MrCBM56 - 5/18/2015, 7:18 PM
And that's the damn problem. EVERY ONE wants comicbook movies and comicbook movies only! [frick]ing square
SuperiorMrGod
SuperiorMrGod - 5/18/2015, 7:23 PM
Marvel doesn't want to JUST make CBM movies either they want it derivative of the source material and at the same time have substance and relevance to the audience.

I'm interested in this approach. With 41 CBM movies being made in 4 years time I think a lot of studios will be trying an approach similar to this in order to not over expose the material and burst the CBM "balloon".
BigFoster
BigFoster - 5/18/2015, 7:23 PM
Then why not establish a devision that soley focuses on cbms
Kurban
Kurban - 5/18/2015, 7:28 PM
Isn't that what they were doing, anyway? Since when did FOX start to rely on CBMs? They haven't, they're merely releasing MORE. That doesn't mean they're NOT making other films alongside those, that's stupid.
SuperiorMrGod
SuperiorMrGod - 5/18/2015, 7:28 PM
Obviously Fox just recently wised up and realized that they have a gold mine of characters with this franchise. I'll wait to see what they do with X-Men: Apocalypse before I judge their direction for these movies.
Gnyah123
Gnyah123 - 5/18/2015, 7:30 PM
I am probably the only one who cares but
FOXS owns the rights to Dragonball z
I would love if they did a reboot! It's not a comic book movie
But it can be a franchise for sure if done right
Cause Dragonball evolution was just horrible
Reboot it....do it right...it can make fox billions
It can be their Harry potter...5-9 films of DBZ

Am I the only one who wants a live action movie??
MCUsDarkKnight
MCUsDarkKnight - 5/18/2015, 7:30 PM
Is X-Force still even happening? haven't heard anything about it in awhile
Darkknight2149
Darkknight2149 - 5/18/2015, 7:34 PM
How is this a problem? How is this news? Fox is a vast studio that covers a variety of film, not just comic book movies. Fox is not a comic book movie studio. OF COURSE they aren't just going to make comic book movies.
m0th3r
m0th3r - 5/18/2015, 7:57 PM
@darkknight2149 Totally, but i have to wonder what percentage of overall production budget goes to CBMs vs other films. For Sony ASM2 was a huge chunk of the overall budget...I still contend that both Fox and Sony's ROI is better NOT doing CBMs...Fox put out 350m+ for DoFP and the article a few weeks ago showed they made about 77m..thats HORRIBLE ROI
BlackIceJoe
BlackIceJoe - 5/18/2015, 8:01 PM
I have no desire to see Fantasic Four, but I know some people do. Some people want more comic book movies and some want less. I'd fall into the group wanting more though. I Understand what he's saying that they need more then comic book movies, but there's lots of great comics that aren't superhero type stories. I'll give some examples Y: The Last Man, Fables and Atomic Robo. The comic book genre is big. Some things are more adult and there's stuff for younger kids. Who ever gets to make a Calvin and Hobbes movie will get lots of praise from me.

The Walking Dead is based on a comic book. There's been two Red films. There's a Peanuts films coming out soon. There was a movie called Road to Perdition. 300 is another great non superhero comic film. A History of Violence is another great movie. Call me crazy, but I think theres lots of different subjects from comics.
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 5/18/2015, 8:24 PM
Stupid article, doesn't mean shit. He's saying Fox is a movie company not just a comic book movie company.
XMenMarvelFan
XMenMarvelFan - 5/18/2015, 8:33 PM
@CaptainAmerica Yup
String
String - 5/18/2015, 8:33 PM
This is sort of what should had been expected. Outside of Marvel Studios, ALL the other studios have a lot more than the superhero genre to make movies of. This does not mean that FOX, same as WB, isn't going to continue making superhero movies -it's that they aren't going to be known as a studio that specializes on superheroes. Nothing has changed. So I don't know why this is suddenly 'news'.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 5/18/2015, 8:48 PM
He's right. Do both. Have bevy of different films
speedyg33
speedyg33 - 5/18/2015, 9:05 PM
Possibly a preemptive strike to soften the blow when FF doesn't deliver at the box office.

The cbm war is an arms race and WB/DC and Disney/MCU are pushing hard. Fox may just not be willing to keep up.
HarveyBull0ck
HarveyBull0ck - 5/18/2015, 9:13 PM
Then... *drumroll*............... give them back to Marvel?
SAMURAI36
SAMURAI36 - 5/18/2015, 9:23 PM
Yeah, the only company that seems to only be making comic style material is Disney. Fox & WB have always put out diverse content, while Disney has pretty much been a one-trick pony, both before & after acquiring Marvel.
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 5/18/2015, 10:02 PM
Stfu @YoungThanos, you think anyone cares what a Marvel Zombie has to say about Fox films? Lol
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 5/18/2015, 10:03 PM
@XMenMarvelFan, oh shit nice avatar, didn't recognize you lol
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 5/18/2015, 10:04 PM
X-Men and Fantastic Four will stay at Fox for atleast the next 10-15 years whether Marvel Zombies believe it or not.
TheBritAvenger
TheBritAvenger - 5/18/2015, 10:45 PM
James Murdoch is a backstabbing, power-hungry scumbag, and his daddy is even more of a prick, so I couldn't care less what he thinnks about comic book movies. Read Hack Attack, it'll tell you everything you need to know and more.
LifeDayFan
LifeDayFan - 5/18/2015, 10:53 PM
It's 20th Century Fox. Not 21st Century Fox.
Foolsgoldfinger
Foolsgoldfinger - 5/18/2015, 11:25 PM
When the comic book movie bubble pops (and it will) remember when we had so much content, that we had the luxury of being able to bitch and moan about everything that came along. Remember that when the time comes where we'll be LUCKY to get one, or two comic book films a year. If that! Same goes for TV.
Bulldawg2014
Bulldawg2014 - 5/19/2015, 5:09 AM
@batmannightwing while I would disagree with it being the best of last year, (I have it behind winter soldier and even with guardians of the galaxy)DOFP was a heck of a movie and really restored my faith in Fox's ability to adapt the x-men. I'm really looking forward to apocalypse and have it currently sitting at third on my most anticipated list for next year behind Civil War and BVS which are 1a and 1b respectively.
Lem1
Lem1 - 5/19/2015, 6:30 AM
This is the son of the guy who actually defended the poorly casted, 'whitewashing' of Exodus: Gods and Kings, isn't it? I wouldn't speak publicly anymore for shame, were I him.... ;)
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 5/19/2015, 7:22 AM
Fox should keep X-Men and let go of F4.
Trickwil
Trickwil - 5/19/2015, 8:00 AM
No one is making original content, everything is based on a book, or a remake of a movie, or a prequel or sequel of a movie, or making a movie version of a TV show. It's honestly pathetic.
SAMURAI36
SAMURAI36 - 5/19/2015, 8:08 AM
@Trickwill:

I don't think the issue is original content, it's more about finding different genres to draw from. Fox simply doesn't wanna be a one trick pony, like Disney, & honestly who can blame them?
1 2
View Recorder