Netflix, the world's most popular VoD service, has just acquired its first-ever company. And one look at what it does is enough to be sure that even more superhero cinema awaits us.
After reaching the milestone of over 100 million paying customers, the time has come for Netflix to look around the market and buy itself something nice. And since the service, which owes its success to its own productions (while also not sparing billions on licenses), needs new inspiration like a parched field needs rain, it reached for a company that can supply it with plenty of ideas for new series.
We are talking about Millarworld, whose acquisition Netflix officially announced yesterday. Millarworld is a publishing house founded by a veteran of the comic book world — Mark Millar. Together with his wife, Millar managed to introduce many new superheroes and comic book characters into pop culture, and some titles published at Millarworld have even received their own screen adaptations. These include Wanted, Kick-Ass and Kingsman, whose second film installment we will soon be able to see on the big screen.
Why Does Netflix Need Millarworld?
You don't have to be a nuclear physicist to answer that question. This publishing house is a forge of new ideas, stories and characters that cry out to make it onto screens, of course as part of Netflix Originals.
The current, nearly decade-long, unabating trend for "superhero cinema" is something Netflix cannot ignore. Suffice it to mention that films featuring Marvel characters, from the first Iron Man to today, have generated nearly USD 11 billion in revenue, and that is only box office takings. Reed Hastings is aware of this, which is why Netflix offers plenty of series, either its own or licensed, featuring characters from the Marvel universe.
But why pay for licenses when you can have your own superhero forge? Although Millarworld is not Marvel or DC, it has managed to promote several high-profile titles. What's more, the publishing house is to operate as before, and consequently continuously supply new content that Netflix will be able to use freely.
It is also worth remembering that ideas for series are not everything. The "superhero" industry also means gadgets, games, toys, clothes and everything on which readers'/viewers' favorite character can be plastered. Netflix will also be able to manage licenses for other studios.
Netflix did not disclose how much it paid for Millarworld, but we will probably soon have the opportunity to see the fruits of this deal in the form of completely new productions based on the publishing house's comics.
