The Ten Spot: What Disney should buy next

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

With Disney having purchased Marvel and LucasFilm and a pending Hasbro merger as well, there seems to be no limit to what the House of Mouse will take over for the almighty dollar. While I am definitely in the Pro-Disney camp when it comes to these mergers, I am still left wondering what else they could take over. Some of these are realistic while others are pipe dreams, but all would have very interesting results. Be sure to voice your opinion in the talk backs below!

#1 – Fox/Sony Marvel Properties

This is the most obvious one on the list. The best thing about comics is the intermingling of the characters into other heroes story arcs. But, with Sony and 20th Century Fox trying to preserve their franchises, we may never see Spider-man team up with The Avengers. If Disney put their money on the line and paid off these studios, we would potentially have the biggest superhero movie of all time.

#2 – Nintendo

It took Nintendo until the just released Wii U to finally understand video games are not just for kids anymore. Disney recently learned that the only way to be successful would be to embrace the older audiences. With fans of the original NES now in their 30s, Nintendo needs to embrace their franchise characters and finally bring them to the big screen. Disney could harness their vast animation empire and live action resources to bring the proper Nintendo films to us. If anything, there are three games that Disney would knock out of the park: SUPER MARIO BROS, METROID, and THE LEGEND OF ZELDA.

#3 – DC Comics

Yeah, I know it would never happen, but imagine the possibilities! The chance to see the biggest heroes either duke it out or team up is too amazing to not consider. I am picturing Iron Man teaming up with Batman. Maybe even Superman getting into a battle with Hulk. While I have favorites from both DC and Marvel, DC seems a little darker and may not be quite as suited to the Disney mentality. Maybe Disney can use their power and resources to negotiate a deal with Warner Bros for a Justice League vs Avengers mega-event?

#4 – Ghostbusters

A troubled franchise struggling to make another chapter? Already reimagined as a cartoon? Built in fanbase? GHOSTBUSTERS has all of the hallmarks of being another STAR WARS type rescue operation. Plus, with Sony in fnancial disarray, this is a prime opportunity for Disney to swoop in and buy up the rights. Dan Aykroyd would likely never give up enough control over the content of the screenplay, but he may be a little more flexible if Disney gives him the ability to make multiple movies.

#5 – Hammer Horror

This one may seem kind of random, but think about how successful HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA was? The Universal Monsters are a great resource for anything from animated movies to live action re-interpretations. And is there a more well known horror brand after Universal than Hammer? Hammer may not own the rights to characters like Dracula or Frankenstein, but they have a distinct horror style that could very well be meshed with some of the more mature fare Disney has been making as of late. Even if Disney turned them into cute and cuddly toon versions, it would still give them a little more room to market for a larger audience.

#6 – Lego

Lego is literally a building block. The little colored blocks can be built into pretty much anything from STAR WARS to TOY STORY. With the recent popularity of Lego video games for well known franchises (mostly LucasFilm related), Disney would have another marketable resource to expand their empire. Not to mention the fact that if they owned the block format, they could easily remake any of their existing films in a Lego style. While there is already a Lego movie in development, Disney may have missed the boat, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t try.

#7 – Microsoft film rights

I am not really a big Xbox fan, but I am not blind to the sheer cinematic potential of HALO. It basically is a movie already, but seeing a studio realize a narrative film featuring Master Chief would be a dream come true for many fans. There have been several failed attempts to get a HALO movie made, but none have succeeded. Disney would be a prime place to create a franchise like PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN or the new STAR WARS movies that is not watered down for children but still made for a wide audience. It may not be rated R, but it would be a visually top notch production.

#8 – Stephen King

Now, I am not expecting Stephen King to become a physical part of Disney (corporations are NOT people, people!), but Disney could offer the Master of Horror an exclusive contract for his vast array of novels and stories that have not been adapted to the big screen. He could also become a consultant to the studio much in the way Guillermo Del Toro has for Dreamworks Animation. King is a brilliant writer and creative force who could give a very pop culture oriented take that may give the studio a fresh outlook. Can you imagine Stephen King giving pointers or a Pixar film? Not to mention the chance for Disney to give the resources for a proper DARK TOWER adaptation.

#9 – Johnny Depp

Why not just make it official, Disney, and put a ring on it? Depp has already become pretty much synonymous with Disney in recent years. More than half of his films in the last decade were produced by Disney. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, THE LONG RANGER, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND have taken quite a lot of time from Depp, so why not give him an old school studio contract where he will be able to make whatever he wants as long as he churns out some Disney material every couple of years?

#10 – The Moon

Yes, the Moon. THE Moon. Earth is no longer sufficient for Disney. The purchase of LucasFilm should confirm that the studio has their sights set on the stars. With NASA pretty much focusing on Mars, exploration of the Moon will become the grounds for private companies. Who better than Disney? They have the money, so why not become to first company to land on the Moon? While colonization of the Moon is a long way off, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a Lunar Disney resort to stop at?

Source: JoBlo.com

About the Author

6020 Articles Published

Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com's primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.