Disney Could Spend Up To $500 Million On 'Star Wars' And Marvel Content For Disney+
The Walt Disney Co. is planning to spend "real money" on its original Star Wars and Marvel titles for its upcoming streaming service Disney+. The highly anticipated streaming platform already has titles like The Mandalorian and the Loki and Scarlet Witch shows under its umbrella, but Disney may reportedly spend up to $500 million on original programming this year.
Spending Super Bucks on Marvel and Star Wars
A Variety report takes a deep behind-the-scenes into the upcoming launch of the upcoming Disney+ service, including the challenges and basic details facing the House of Mouse as it prepares to launch its upcoming streaming service plans. A TV agent tells Variety that Disney is "spending real money" on shows based on Marvel and Star Wars properties, worthy of the formerly big-screen properties heading toward the digital platforms.
RBC Capital Markets senior media analyst Steven Cahall estimates that Disney could spend up t0 $500 million on original programming in 2019. "Disney spends more on content than anyone else globally. It has decades of experience in making excellent content, it has a huge balance sheet with low leverage and it's a brand that's known the world over," Cahall wrote in December.
Could Disney rival Netflix's rampant spending on its original titles? Disney has stated that its new streaming service will try not to compete with the streaming giant in terms of creating new content. However, The Mandalorian and the Loki and Scarlet Witch series are proving to be big selling points for Disney+. And the House of Mouse is planning to invest more than just money in these titles.
Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar Creatives Will Be Behind the Original Content
Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger has said that he plans for the creative teams at Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar to develop the original material for Disney+. With the Disney-Fox merger coming to a close, Fox is also expected to add to the stream of original content to the service. Disney Channels Worldwide, which has long produced telepics, also has other projects coming to the service.
It won't just be original shows either. Original films like the upcoming Lady and the Tramp adaptation are expected to be a major part of Disney+. An industry source told Variety that Disney is open to making projects with a wider budget range of $20 million to $60 million for the service.
We'll learn more as Disney+ prepares to launch later in 2019.