The New York Times yesterday profiled David Maisel, the chairman of Marvel Studios:
Mr. Maisel is actually 45, but the movie-mogul life he describes is true enough. Until recently a little-known deal maker trained by the former kingpin Michael S. Ovitz, Mr. Maisel has quickly become a serious Hollywood player. No longer content to leave the actual moviemaking (and most of the profits) to the studios, Mr. Maisel is able to green-light movies of his choosing at budgets up to $165 million, backed by $525 million of financing. “I don’t think there’s been a new studio making $100 million movies since DreamWorks,” he said. “We’re going Hollywood, but in a smart way.”
Whether Mr. Maisel’s claim proves true or merely another example of Hollywood hubris will be determined over the next several years, beginning in May and June of 2008 with the release of its first two self-financed films, “Iron Man” (starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow) and “The Incredible Hulk.”
Related: The Houston Chronicle on Marvel’s movies
