The Walt Disney Co.
and Netflix Inc. today announced an unprecedented deal
for Marvel TV to bring multiple original series of live-action
adventures of four of Marvel's most popular characters exclusively to
the world's leading Internet TV Network beginning in 2015. This
pioneering agreement calls for Marvel to develop four serialized
programs leading to a miniseries programming event.
Led
by a series focused on "Daredevil," followed by "Jessica Jones," "Iron
Fist" and "Luke Cage," the epic will unfold over multiple years of
original programming, taking Netflix members deep into the gritty world
of heroes and villains of Hell's Kitchen, New York. Netflix has
committed to a minimum of four, thirteen episodes series and a
culminating Marvel's "The Defenders" mini-series event that reimagines a
dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters.
Produced
by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios, this
groundbreaking deal is Marvel's most ambitious foray yet into
live-action TV storytelling.
"This
deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our
commitment to deliver Marvel's brand, content and characters across all
platforms of storytelling. Netflix
offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is
Marvel's specialty," said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment.
"This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand
television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and
when they want in what's sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure."
"Marvel's movies, such as Iron Man and Marvel's The Avengers,
are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel
is a known and loved brand that travels," said Netflix Chief Content
Officer Ted Sarandos. "With House of Cards and our other
original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to
global distribution and we're thrilled to be working with Disney and
Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative
project of this magnitude."
This
new original TV deal follows last year's landmark movie distribution
deal through which, beginning with 2016 theatrically released feature
films, Netflix will be the exclusive U.S. subscription television
service for first-run, live-action and animated movies from the Walt
Disney Studios, including titles from Disney, Walt Disney Animation
Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Disneynature and
Lucasfilm. Netflix members can currently enjoy a wide range of Disney,
ABC TV and Disney Channel films and shows across the 41 countries where
Netflix operates.