In a very smart move by the folks behind Iron Man 2 and Thor, Clark Gregg will be reprising his role from Iron Man as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson in both movies, and according to Marc Graser, Marvel is making sure that all the actors they get for those key supporting roles have their schedules cleared to crossover into the other movies. Now that’s some forward synergistic thinking. Too bad comic book editors don’t think the same way. (Source: Variety)
It’s time to get out your calendars, for it’s movie release date updating time! In this edition, Paramount Pictures will be releasing True Grit on December 25 while Footloose will be vacating the June 18 spot due to losing director Kenny Ortega. Am I the only one who thinks it a little funny to like the plot of one movie’s re-adaptation, but not another? (Source: Variety)
Finally, to those of you who are creators and hope to see your creations in print and on film, I urge you: read carefully this seemingly dry piece about who owns the copyright to the Sherlock Holmes character. Currently, the ex-wife of a producer whose husband made a 1954 TV series is battling it out with the non-direct descendants of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, all because Doyle’s oldest son’s widow was able to wrest control away from his youngest daughter back in the 1970s. (Source: The New York Times)
arkonbey says:
Um. Shouldn't Holmes be public domain by now?
Oh, wait, I'm sorry. If a character makes money, it's outside of copyright law! You know, like Mickey Mouse and Superman…
genevievelopez says:
Haha, I *wish* comic book writing was forced to be at least as consistent as even TV writing. It's really confusing to leave comics for a few years, and the next thing you know Spider-Man's sold his soul to the devil to undo his marriage and go back to high school.
The best thing about copyright law and its legal battles is that they don't apply to works of parody.
…That's all I got.
molnek says:
Don't worry I'm sure in a couple years time Wolverine will manage to pop up in as many movies as he does comics. As for Sherlock I think he's just not in the public domain everywhere, I think it has something to do with the author's death or something in the UK I know something along those lines was why League of Extrordinary Gentlemen the black dossier was only released in America because one character wasn't public everywhere.
TrishaLynn77 says:
The article pretty much spells out where he's in public domain and where he's not and it's country-specific. Also, and I believe this applies to the Jack Kirby suit I wrote about not too long ago, a recent act passed in the U.S. allows for creators and/or their descendants/heirs to be able to recover the rights if they've ever passed out of their hands, which is how the Conan Doyle estate got it from the producer guy.
It's all in the article I linked.
Alan Scott says:
In the US, at least, only the final volume of short stories (The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes) is still under copyright. All of the novels, and nearly all of the short stories (including all of the well known ones) are public domain.
molnek says:
Yes I commented before I read the article.