Amy Pascal to Step Down as Sony Studio Chief

[Keeper of the Crows]

What do you think this means for the future of the Spider-Man films? Ms. Pascal was heavily involved in the franchise from the beginning. Is this welcome/unwelcome news?

Source: The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/bu...hief.html?_r=0

[Songbird/Diamondback]

[Kevinroc]

We all know Pascal was forced out because of the Sony hack a few months back. She's falling on the sword.

How big an impact will this have on the Spider-Man films? Probably a pretty big one. I personally hated the last few Spider-Man films, so a change in direction is welcome. (Whether that means Spider-Man joining the MCU or not.)

[cyberhubbs]

She'll still be working for Sony. Just not the same position?

There's probably gonna be a lot of deck-clearing so they can start from scratch.

[normanosborn]

Probably for the good of the Spidey films.

[Kevinroc]

She'll still be working for Sony. Just not the same position?

There's probably gonna be a lot of deck-clearing so they can start from scratch.

Sony is still very much a Japanese company. This is basically a way that a Japanese company gets rid of an executive (by putting them in an ineffective role) while still saving face.

[cyberhubbs]

Sony is still very much a Japanese company. This is basically a way that a Japanese company gets rid of an executive (by putting them in an ineffective role) while still saving face.

Yeah, getting dishonored. Like that matters to Americans!

[Keeper of the Crows]

I think it’s very interesting timing—considering the purported Spider-Man summit that was supposedly scheduled for the end of January.

In one of the links in a previous thread, the hacked emails showed that Ms. Pascal (and Sony, by extension) still hadn’t settled on a direction for Spider-Man post-TASM2, and the future of the character was very much up in the air. Who would decide on such a future now?

I also wonder how this affects the chances Sony could return Spider-Man to Marvel, as I believe it was Ms. Pascal who said Sony would “never, ever ever” sell Spider-Man back to Marvel. Will her departure alter the equation? (http://www.forbes.com/sites/davegonz...nd-spider-man/)

[Mwriteword]

I just hope this is the start of Sony getting its shit together (in regards to Spider-Man).

[MCBT]

Tom Rothman is among the candidates up for chairman. We all know what happened with X-Men 3.

[Heisennerd]

Probably for the good of the Spidey films.

yeah, but still need to get Avi Arad's agency & lack of vision far away from Spider-Man

[Spidey5640]

What do you think this means for the future of the Spider-Man films? Ms. Pascal was heavily involved in the franchise from the beginning. Is this welcome/unwelcome news?

Source: The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/bu...hief.html?_r=0

Hopefully it means they'll sell Spidey back to Disney/Marvel to make a good film.

[cyberhubbs]

I'm not sure why people think there'd be any kind of incentive to sell back to Marvel. The Spidey films still make crazy money for Sony.

[Kevinroc]

I'm not sure why people think there'd be any kind of incentive to sell back to Marvel. The Spidey films still make crazy money for Sony.

Because Sony is in a bad position right now, financially speaking. (Yes, we know the Playstation 4 is selling really well. Sony is more than just the PS4.)

Because the new Spider-Man films are costing more, and making less, than the Spidey films from a decade ago.

Because Disney really wants Spider-Man back in house and is willing to make deals with them.

Sony may not actually make a deal with Disney. But given their current situation, it wouldn't be completely out of left field if they did.

[cyberhubbs]

Because Sony is in a bad position right now, financially speaking. (Yes, we know the Playstation 4 is selling really well. Sony is more than just the PS4.)

Because the new Spider-Man films are costing more, and making less, than the Spidey films from a decade ago.

Because Disney really wants Spider-Man back in house and is willing to make deals with them.

Sony may not actually make a deal with Disney. But given their current situation, it wouldn't be completely out of left field if they did.

According to the Forbes article linked above, AMS saved their first quarter profit for 2014. Yeah, it didn't make as much as the original films. 700+ million worldwide is still 700+ million worldwide, even including distribution expenses and other such monetary details that I have no idea about beyond that they exist in some nebulous form.

I get that we as fans want them to sell the rights back to Marvel? That makes sense. I even agree, though I also agree that Marvel wouldn't exactly have time for it until way down the line. I just find the reasons justifying that kinda fan-wish to be a little flimsy.