Moana coming to Epcot

Sony Kills Spider-Man Partnership Deal with Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios will not produce any future Spider-Man films due to a standoff between The Walt Disney Company and Sony Pictures.

According to Deadline, the decision stems from “an inability by Disney and Sony Pictures to reach new terms that would have given the former a co-financing stake going forward.” As for the next two currently planned Spider-Man films, both Homecoming and Far From Home director Jon Watts, as well as actor Tom Holland are expected to return. However, Marvel’s involvement in the project is doubtful, as Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has been “essentially nixed” by Sony.

It seems Disney asked for all future Spider-Man projects to be a 50/50 co-financing arrangement between Marvel and Sony but the latter declined. Instead, Sony proposed leaving the current deal untouched, meaning Marvel would continue to receive approximately 5% of first-dollar gross while maintaining merchandising rights, which Disney refused. This, of course, comes hot on the heels of Spider-Man: Far From Home cementing itself as Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time, albeit with Marvel’s help.

Nevertheless, Sony is reportedly optimistic about the future of the Spider-Man franchise, even without the helping hand of Marvel, as the studio believes it’s already set a solid foundation to build off of with Homecoming and Far From Home.

 

CONCEPT ART: First Look at Immersive Guest Transport System for the Star Wars Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

 

No, it’s not the “Black Box” ride, it’s a heavily modified bus. Guests will enter from a jetway which will put them inside the sealed-off center section of this bus. They won’t see a driver, nor the outside world of Central Florida, at least not until they disembark at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

 

A look inside the transport from above reveals a limited number of seats, all facing inwards. It appears as though even this short bus ride will be a rather intimate experience you may never forget.

The inside of the transport is heavily themed, leading guests to believe they are in a space capsule on its way to a day of vacation fun on Batuu

 

The experience is completed by large screens that act as windows out into space. This should make for a pretty neat arrival in Black Spire Outpost starting with seeing Batuu from space.

So, what do you think? Are you excited to visit the Star Wars Hotel at Walt Disney World and take an intergalactic bus ride? Will it be in your budget? Well, you do still have a bit of time to save before it opens in time for the 50th anniversary of WDW.

Sony to acquire Insomniac Games

Sony is buying Insomniac Games, the Japanese company announced Monday, making Insomniac the 14th internal studio under the Sony Interactive Entertainment banner.

The companies did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition, which has not yet closed.

“Insomniac Games is one of the most highly-acclaimed development studios in the industry and their legacy of best-in class storytelling and gameplay is unparalleled,” said Shawn Layden, chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, in a news release. ”We have enjoyed a strong collaborative partnership with the studio for many years, and are thrilled to officially welcome them to the Worldwide Studios family. The addition of Insomniac Games to SIE WWS reiterates our commitment to developing world class gaming experiences that can only be found on the PlayStation platform.”

”Joining the WWS family gives Insomniac even greater opportunities to achieve our studio vision of making positive and lasting impressions on people’s lives,” said Ted Price, Insomniac Games founder and CEO. “We’ve enjoyed a special relationship with PlayStation practically since our inception. Our partnership amplifies our potential, and Marvel’s Spider-Man was a testament to this. We’re excited to take the next step in our growth alongside our longtime WWS partners. Most of all, we look forward to delivering fresh, new experiences for our fans.”

Insomniac was founded in 1994 as Xtreme Software by Ted Price, who is still the company’s CEO today. The studio has been independent until now, although it is best known as the creator of franchises that debuted exclusively on PlayStation platforms, like Ratchet & Clank, Spyro the Dragon, and Resistance. Insomniac’s most recent game is Marvel’s Spider-Man, which launched in September 2018 on PlayStation 4 and has sold more than 13.2 million copies worldwide as of July 28.

JAY-Z Will Reportedly Become Part Owner of NFL Team

It appears JAY-Z will become part owner of a major sports franchise.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told TMZ that the hip-hop mogul will have “significant ownership interest” in a NFL team. The insiders say JAY decided to make the move “because he’s a huge fan, already has a sports business and wants to continue to be a change agent for the NFL.”

It’s unclear what team JAY plans to own or when the deal will be finalized, but sources say it’s happening soon.

This story will be updated.