It's finally happened: after weeks of rumors, today Disney has purchased the bulk of 21st Century Fox's film and TV empire. This is big. For the Mouse House, along with a bigger hold on the movie industry, a major focus will be adding value to the streaming service they plan to launch in 2019; it gives them access to the Fox Vault, and you can bet some of their acquisitions will be a major draw to the new service. But what exactly have their bought?As the ink dries, we're going to take a look through all of the most important franchises, and call out key movies that will no doubt be essential to Disney's future. It's worth noting that we're choosing to ignore films where Disney only own distribution rights as these are frequently divided into US or international markets.Ongoing Franchises (This Page)
Alien/Predator
Disney has always had a reputation for being child-friendly. As a result, fans of the troubled Alien franchise are concerned about what the deal would mean for the Xenomorphs. Dig a little deeper though, and it may not mean the end of the sci-fi horror Alien and Predator franchises. Disney has always allowed subsidiaries like Miramax and Touchstone to make more mature offerings; in fact, Kill Bill was a Miramax film. It's possible a number of Fox properties to align with this kind of approach.
Related: What Will Alien: Covenant's Sequel Be About?
The real question is whether or not Disney will add this content to their streaming service. The Fox Vault definitely contains a lot of contents that aren't geared towards children. If Disney do wish to capitalize on these films, they'll need to set up some kind of parental controls. It would allow them to market the streaming service to a range of different audiences though, making it potentially more profitable. We'll have to wait and see what approach Disney choose to take.
Avatar
Disney view James Cameron's Avatar franchise as the "crown jewels" of the Fox purchase. The first Avatar film grossed almost $3 billion in the global box office, and Cameron is working on a series of sequels.
Disney has long shown a lot of confidence in the Avatar films. In September 2011, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Avatar would be coming to the "Animal Kingdom" theme park at Disney World. He hinted that the company intended to build more of them at international parks, capitalizing on the fact three-quarters of Avatar's box office takings were earned overseas, with the openings intended to coincide with the release of the sequels.
Related: Can Avatar 2 Smash the Box Office in a Post-Marvel World?
The timings have slipped since that initial announcement, and Cameron is still at work on the next films. Meanwhile, the first "World of Pandora" theme park recently opened. It became something of a gamble, opening some seven years after the last Avatar film's release, but seems to have been something of a success.
Outside of parks, Disney has a lot riding on this franchise; with those four sequels on the way, they're clearly hoping for a sci-fi blockbuster series to stand alongside Star Wars.
The Die Hard Franchise
The popular all-action Die Hard franchise has been struggling in recent years, although casting recently began for the sixth film that aims to return the series to prior heights. It will be interesting to see whether or not Disney continue with the current plans, or choose to relaunch the franchise in some form.
Fantastic Four
Marvel fans have been particularly excited about the prospect of seeing the Fantastic Four enter the MCU. Fox has struggled to make the franchise work, with Josh Trank's 2015 film earned heavy criticism from fans and critics alike. Whether the deal would include them, however, was up in the air. It was widely accepted that they may not; the distribution rights aren't actually owned by Fox at all. Instead, they're owned by Constantin Films, who typically partner with Fox for production. However, from the press release, it looks like this was cleared and the properties now live at Fox.
Related: Will X-Men: Dark Phoenix Reboot The Fantastic Four?
Kingsman
If any franchise indicates the complexity of the Fox purchase, it's Kingsman. The films are hardly your standard Disney fare, yet remain tremendously popular; this year's Kingsman: The Golden Circle grossed nearly $400 million at the global box office, with a third expected to be on the way. There's precedent for Disney to allow adult films to be made by subsidiaries like Miramax, branded separately so as not to damage Disney's own family-friendly brand. We'd expect that to happen with Kingsman.
The Martian and Artemis
Based on a novel by author Andy Weir, 2015's The Martian was a critical and box office success. And, almost unique among sci-fi films, it had a solid basis in scientific fact, and essentially acted as Weir's love-letter to science. Needless to say, when Weir began work on a second novel, Fox scooped up the film rights. Artemis is a complex crime story set on a Lunar colony, and the movie is sure to be every bit as exciting as the recently-released novel. Presumably, the right pass over to Disney in the deal.
Planet of the Apes
The Planet of the Apes franchise has proved a strong one for Fox since Franklin J. Schaffner's first film, released back in 1968. The latest trilogy has essentially served as prequels to the original movie, with Caesar's story coming to a tragic end in War for the Planet of the Apes. War's disappointing domestic box office performance was compensated by a stronger overseas showing, and the film grossed $490 million worldwide. Quite what the future of POTA is right now hasn't been made clear, but there's evidently still something worth mining.
Red Sparrow
Next year's Red Sparrow will see the potential birth of a new franchise, based on the novels by Jason Matthews. As a former CIA operative, Matthews' writing is rooted in the real world practices of spy agencies. Matthews sold the movie rights to Red Sparrow before the book was even published and is already contracted for the sequel too.
Star Wars
Disney may already own Lucasfilm, but distribution rights for the classic movies have previously been with Fox. Those rights would have mostly reverted in 2019 in any case, with the exception of A New Hope: the first Star Wars film was financed by Fox, and as a result of Lucas' dealings distribution would have sat with them in perpetuity. Now, though, we can expect Disney to return distribution rights to this franchise back to Lucasfilm.
Read More: What D0es A Fox/Disney Merger Mean For Star Wars?
Some fans are speculating that Lucasfilm will finally choose to release the original, unedited versions of the Original Trilogy. That still seems doubtful though. Lucasfilm has consistently insisted that releasing these would feel disrespectful to George Lucas. Worse still, the release would divide fans. It may be safer for Lucasfilm to shy well clear of this course of action.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise is possibly the most complex issue for Disney as part of this purchase. Fans eagerly expect mutants to appear in the MCU, but there are a lot of complications with that idea that need ironing out first. Absorbing the X-Men into the MCU likely means that we'll go back to getting a single X-Men film every two or three years, rather than a constant flow of superhero films featuring Marvel's merry mutants. Meanwhile, Fox's recent successes have demonstrated that the franchise can work best in films that are very different to your typical Marvel Studios offering. There's no way Marvel Studios would have made the raunchy comedy that is Deadpool, the bloody and brutal Western that is Logan, or the promising horror of the upcoming New Mutants trilogy.
Whatever happens, the X-Men in their current form still have a future, with New Mutants, Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Gambit on the way.
Alvin & the Chipmunks
The Alvin & the Chipmunks movies are definitely standard fare for Disney, and would surely be a perfect fit for the streaming service. The franchise has proved less profitable in recent years, with 2015's Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip grossing just shy of $86 million. We doubt Disney will view this as a high priority for a cinematic relaunch, but it's also possible they'll pass the franchise on to their animated division. Alvin and his furry friends made their debut in animated TV series, and perhaps they'll return to this format.
Doctor Dolittle
The character of Doctor Dolittle was created by Hugh Lofting back in 1920, and became the star of a series of popular movies aimed at children, returning to the big screen several times. Obviously, the franchise would seem to be a comfortable fit for the Disney streaming service, but it's possible Disney will choose to create a modern adaptation. The core concept - a man who talks to the animals - certainly seems to bear all the hallmarks of a Mouse House outing.
Home Alone
What '90s child doesn't have fond memories of Home Alone? Macauley Culkin shot to fame as a result of the first film, which sired a whole range of sequels. These are all widely considered top Christmas fare, and families gather to watch them again every year. There's no way Disney will ignore the potential of the Home Alone franchise.
Related: Home Alone Fan Clips Add Blood and Carnage
Naturally, it'd be expected for the Home Alone movies to appear on the streaming service, and it's even possible that Disney will attempt a relaunch. The core concept is an entertaining and timeless one, and the kind of slapstick humor you find in these films still works well.
Ice Age
The Ice Age films are one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, grossing over $6 billion in revenue. The movies would definitely be a major draw for the Disney streaming service, so are very likely to be included in the package. It wouldn't be surprising to see Disney sign up for Ice Age 6, depending on how they handled Blue Sky Animation Studios in general. At the very least, they're sure to take advantage of merchandising.
Night at the Museum
The Night at the Museum film series is so Disney in feel it's amazing they weren't behind it. The trilogy came to an end in 2014 and all three films are ideally suited to Disney's streaming service. Of course, it's also possible that Disney will choose to revisit the idea, which seems perfect for the House of Mouse.
Percy Jackson
Fox has produced two films based on Rick Riordan's popular novels, but neither saw the hoped-for box office success. Those source books are still tremendously popular though, and there's clearly potential if a studio can get the right director on board. It's likely that, sooner or later, Disney will return to the Percy Jackson franchise.
Related: Disney's Weird New Princesses Created By Buying Fox
The X-Files
Nothing illustrates the diversity Disney has gained better than the realization The X-Files will likely appear on the Disney streaming service. Again, this underscores the need for an adult section if Disney are really to capitalize on the Fox Vault.
Streaming aside, this is definitely another franchise Disney could consider exploring. The recent X-Files relaunch wasn't particularly successful, although a Season 11 in 2018 promises to shake things up. Regardless, Disney has a reputation for turning franchises around.
Many Award Winning Movies
It may not be as big as some things, but Disney has purchased a catalog that runs back to 1935. It includes some of the most beloved films of all time, and a whole host of award-winners such as How Green Was My Valley, The Sound of Music, Titanic, and Moulin Rouge! These movies would definitely add a certain degree of prestige to Disney's streaming service.
The Chronicles of Narnia
While Disney co-produced the first two Chronicles of Narnia films, the third came from Fox. With the films now united under the Disney banner, it seems likely they'll be paired up. Unfortunately for future movies, the C.S. Lewis Company has since moved on; The Silver Chair is being made by the Mark Gordon Company, Sony's TriStar Productions, and Entertainment One. Unless Disney can reach a fresh agreement with the C.S. Lewis Company, we're unlikely to see the House of Mouse co-produce and distribute further Narnia films.
Related: Disney Buying Fox Would Be Bad News For Hollywood
Fight Club
As incredible as it may seem, Fight Club has become a Disney property. It's worth remembering that this is one of the most controversial films of the '90s, inspiring unsanctioned fight clubs all across the US. Some argue that the movie even inspired pipe bomber Luke Helder. Whatever your opinion on those claims, Fight Club underscores the case for an adult version of the streaming service if it's to be included online.
Independence Day
Although 1996's Independence Day is rightly viewed as a classic sci-fi disaster movie, Fox's attempt to establish this as a full-on franchise didn't go so well, with the sequel bombing in 2016. It's doubtful that Disney will revisit this, so we'll have to settle for seeing the iconic aliens destroy monuments on the streaming service instead.
M*A*S*H*
It's worth calling out that Disney now owns the distribution rights to M*A*S*H*, one of the highest-rated shows in US television history. Running from 1972 to 1983, the series followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at a military base in South Korea during the South Korean War. Quite how Disney would opt to handle it is hard to say, but it's undeniably powerful to an entire generation.
The Maze Runner
This is an odd one. Maze Runner: The Death Cure will close off this franchise in January 2018, and given the delay it getting it to the big screen as well as the books signifying a finite end, that means it's pretty much over with little room for extension. However, it does have its audience and so definitely can slot into the back catalog.
Related: Maze Runner: The Death Cure Trailer
Key TV Shows
Under the terms of the Disney/Fox deal, 21st Century Fox retains its commercial broadcast network, Fox. However, Disney now owns the company that produces, co-produces or distributes many of the Fox series. We'll possibly see them switch channels to those owned by the House of Mouse, and they'll surely appear on the Disney streaming service.
And TV is the real core of the deal here. Rival streaming service Netflix consistently invests more advertising its TV shows than its movies. This is because the episodic nature of a series leads to repeated engagement with the streaming service, whereas most viewers only watch the same movie every now and again.
Disney's purchase includes countless iconic TV shows, ranging from Family Guy to The Simpsons. The adult nature of their humor reinforces the case for parental controls. Other ongoing shows affected by the sale include The Gifted, Legion, American Horror Story, The Orville, NBC's This Is Us, and ABC's Modern Family. Meanwhile, the streaming service could also gain an impressive catalog of shows, include 24 and Prison Break.
It's also worth noting that Disney now owns a 60 percent stake in Hulu, giving the company controlling ownership of a rival streaming service. It's possible that Disney will use Hulu as a home for programs that don't fit its plans for its own service. Unfortunately, there may be a risk of violating antitrust laws, which could force Disney and Fox to leave the venture. We'll have to wait and see what happens there.
Related: A Fox/Disney Deal Could Finally Cancel The Simpsons
One further wrinkle is the fact that Disney is also purchasing Fox's share in the European pay-TV giant Sky TV. Fox has made repeated attempts at taking over Sky, but British regulators have been reluctant to approve this. Analysts believe Disney would be better positioned than Fox to purchase the remaining shares. That move would give Disney a whole new distribution channel in Europe.