HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Netflix Inc.
announced today it acquired Millarworld, the comic book publishing
powerhouse founded by Mark Millar,
the legendary creator of such iconic characters and stories as
Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Old Man Logan, and one of the most
important voices in comics.
Together, Netflix and Millar will bring Millarworld's portfolio
of critically and fan-acclaimed character franchises to life
through films, series and kids' shows available exclusively to
Netflix members globally. Millarworld will also continue to create
and publish new stories and character franchises under the Netflix
label.
The acquisition, the first ever by Netflix, is a natural
progression in the company's effort to work directly with prolific
and skilled creators and to acquire intellectual property and
ownership of stories featuring compelling characters and timeless,
interwoven fictional worlds. Terms of the transaction weren't
disclosed.
"As creator and re-inventor of some of the most memorable
stories and characters in recent history, ranging from Marvel's The
Avengers to Millarworld's Kick-Ass, Kingsman, Wanted and Reborn
franchises, Mark is as close as you can get to a modern day
Stan Lee," said Netflix chief
content officer Ted Sarandos. "We
can't wait to harness the creative power of Millarworld to Netflix
and start a new era in global storytelling."
"This is only the third time in history a major comic book
company has been purchased at this level," said Millar. "I'm so in
love with what Netflix is doing and excited by their plans. Netflix
is the future and Millarworld couldn't have a better home."
Millar, who runs Millarworld with his wife Lucy Millar, is one of the most consistent
hitmakers in the graphic novel and comics world. In his eight years
at Marvel, he developed the comic books and story arcs that
inspired the first Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil
War, and Logan (Wolverine), which collectively
grossed over $3 billion in worldwide
box office. Since Millarworld was started, the company and its
co-creators have given birth to eighteen published character
worlds, of which three, Wanted, Kick-Ass and
Kingsman, have yielded theatrical films that together have
grossed nearly $1 billion in global
box office.
"Mark has created a next-generation comics universe, full of
indelible characters living in situations people around the world
can identify easily with," added Sarandos. "We look forward to
creating new Netflix Originals from several existing franchises as
well as new super-hero, anti-hero, fantasy, sci-fi and horror
stories Mark and his team will continue to create and publish."
About Netflix
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the
world's leading Internet entertainment platform with 104 million
members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours
of TV shows and movies per day, including original series,
documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as
they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any internet-connected
screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without
commercials or commitments.
About Mark Millar and
Millarworld
Millarworld is an entertainment company run by
Mark and Lucy Millar where the
company and each of the superstar artists it partnered with owned
all of the comic-book characters they created. These projects have
achieved huge success as global franchises ranging across
publishing, cinema, clothing, video-games and toys over the past
fourteen years. In his years at Marvel, Mark wrote some of the
biggest-selling books of this generation, massively influencing the
Marvel Cinematic Universe. His book, The Ultimates, was named by
Time Magazine as Comic Book Of The Decade and his Superman opus,
Red Son, remains the best-selling
Superman graphic novel of all time.
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SOURCE Netflix