Hollywood Reporter says that Disney is now seeing a potential for movie development in graphic novels. They’re getting into the business by creating Kingdom Comics with a plan to adapt certain works into films. Disney signed a deal with Ahmet Zappa, exec Harris Katleman, and Christian Beranek (writer/editor) to oversee their new venture.
The studio will pluck titles, putting them into development on a case-by-case basis.
“Some of these exciting publications will be inspired by films and characters in the vast and storied Disney library, while other original graphic novels are sure to spark great ideas for future Disney classics,” studio president Oren Aviv said. “Our vision for Kingdom Comics is to bring a fresh, contemporary approach to Disney properties.”
The creation of Kingdom Comics positions the studio as a player in the scorching comic book scene. Many studios have aligned themselves to the big companies — Warner Bros. owns DC Comics, Marvel has a distribution deal with Paramount, Universal has a first-look deal with Dark Horse Comics — leaving very few players up for grabs. It also will put the company in business with established and untapped talent in what essentially will be a R&D division, letting it develop possible franchises in a way that will cost less than a low-end spec.
No writers or artists have yet been announced, but they are on the hunt for talent to create the books. Kingdom Comics will be located on the Disney lot with a first-look deal with Disney Publishing Worldwide to distribute.
