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The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios announced they have reached an agreement under which Paramount will transfer its worldwide marketing and distribution rights to Disney for Marvel Studios' The Avengers and Iron Man 3. Paramount will remain the worldwide distributor of the upcoming films, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as the previously released Iron Man and Iron Man 2.

Under terms of the new deal, Disney will pay Paramount $115 million for the transfer of the distribution rights to Iron Man 3 and The Avengers to be paid on the theatrical release dates. These monies will serve as a minimum guarantee against the distribution fees.

"In completing this agreement, Disney will now assume worldwide marketing and distribution of 'The Avengers' and 'Iron Man 3' and leverage these two highly-anticipated films across the multiple global platforms of The Walt Disney Company," said Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. "We appreciate the tremendous momentum that Paramount established with these iconic Marvel characters and look forward to propelling the brand even further in the coming years."

"Five years ago, when Paramount and Marvel made our initial deal, both our businesses were in very different places," said Brad Grey, Chairman & CEO of Paramount Pictures. "We are grateful for the partnership we have had with the terrific Marvel team over these years and proud of the work we have done together. Today, this new agreement is the right deal for Paramount, for Marvel and for Disney. We look forward to working together on 'Thor' and 'Captain America,' and we wish Disney and Marvel the utmost success, in what we know will be a very productive and wide-ranging partnership."

"Paramount has been a wonderful partner in helping Marvel Studios bring our characters to the big screen," said Alan Fine, Office of the President, Marvel Worldwide, Inc. "This agreement makes sense now that Marvel is part of The Walt Disney Company."

Paramount will release Marvel Entertainment's Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger worldwide beginning on May 6 and July 22 of 2011, respectively. The Avengers will be licensed to Epix under Paramount's existing pay television arrangement.

Disney is planning a May 3, 2013 release date for Iron Man 3.

Nearly a year after Disney brokered a deal with Paramount to take over the marketing and distribution of "The Avengers," the Mouse House is curiously missing from the first marketing materials for the superhero pic.

TheDisney's logo wasn't on the teaser poster presented at Comic-Con in San Diego this summer, and the studio also doesn't appear in the first full trailer that went online Tuesday -- just days before New York Comic-Con kicks off Thursday. Instead, it's Paramount that's prominently displayed alongside Marvel Studios.

Knowing Disney wanted to turn "The Avengers" into a franchise and bank on the success of "Iron Man" after buying Marvel for $4 billion, Paramount's brass negotiated a deal in which the studio continues to collect 8% of the B.O. as part of the fee it would have earned for distributing the pic -- as it did with the first two "Iron Man" films, "Thor" and "Captain America." It gets 9% for "Iron Man 3." At the very minimum, it gets $115 million, should the pics not perform at the B.O.

At the same time, the deal granted Paramount placement on the marketing materials for both titles, even though Marvel Studios' films are fully owned by Disney and will be solely distributed and marketed by the Mouse House, Variety learned. Because of the ownership, Disney wants Marvel to get the spotlight, since Marvel = Disney.

Still, pay TV rights for "The Avengers" belong to Paramount's Epix, not Starz, through which Disney releases its pics.

"The Avengers," which assembles the titular superheroes from the "Iron Man," "Thor" and "Captain America" pics, bows May, while "Iron Man 3" is out May 2013.

"In completing this agreement, Disney will leverage these two highly anticipated films across the multiple global platforms of the Walt Disney Co.," studio chairman Rich Ross said Oct. 18, 2010, when the deal was announced.

Unfortunately for Disney, moviegoers will think they belong to Paramount.

To a point: Whenever "The Avengers" is discussed, it's Disney that's managing the superheroes.

Sotiris wrote:Why Paramount, not Disney, gets 'Avengers' Credit
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118044282

Prince Edward wrote:
Will the movies be released on Disney Blu-ray/DVD then?