h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hiya BB!
I have taken your entry to sub-edit here: A88011065 - please remember to go subscribe!

I'll be back with any queries

>>Can a duck fly?<<

I'm not sure why you've asked that question, although I haven't seen the film so I don't know the context.

If you haven't seen the film I can assure you it isn't worth watching. You won't get that time back.

Anyway, Howard had to fly to the rescue but because he can't fly he ends up piloting a microlight instead.

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I'll take your word for it!

>>Though it had been hoped to be cinematically released in time for the character's 50th anniversary, it spent two years before its general release, which was straight to video.<<
"it spent two years"
I can't make sense of that. Do you mean it was meant to be released in time for the character's 50th anniversary but languished for two years before going straight to video?

>>They sold off the film rights to as many of their characters as they could, on extremely unfavourable terms, in a desperate bid to raise the capital to keep going with film companies able to retain their character rights provided they keep releasing films featuring the characters purchased within a certain timeframe.<<

That's a very long sentence I have added a couple of commas but the last bit: >>provided they keep releasing films featuring the characters purchased within a certain timeframe.<< does that mean the seller or the purchaser? It's a grey area, I find it hard to fathom that a film company could make a film about someone they already sold the rights to,

Feel free to expand - an explanation would be beneficial I think, (in shorter sentences please)

Happy to clarify

Yes, 'Captain America' was meant to be released in time for the character's 50th anniversary but languished for two years before a blink-and-you'll-miss-it very limited cinematic release and going straight-to-video.

In 1995 the market for comic books collapsed, leading to Marvel declaring bankruptcy in 1996. At this stage Marvel were merely a comic book company, and did not become a film company also until 2004. Urgently needing to raise enough money to keep going as a comic business they sold off the film rights to as many of their characters as they could. These desperate deals were on extremely unfavourable terms and Marvel received little profit regardless of how successful the films were. The film companies that purchased the rights were also able to indefinitely renew their rights provided they kept making films featuring the characters purchased within a certain timeframe - typically three or five years. So Marvel would retain the rights to their characters if no films were made in that period, but as long as a new film featuring characters a film company had purchased the rights to, such as the X-Men, was made every three years, the film company would retain the rights for another three years and be able to keep making films featuring those characters.

Does that make sense or is that too long now?

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That's great

OK I have inserted that now, do please check I've done it right (my eyesight is not great)

Other than your read-through and ok I have finished subbing this

I've read through and it looks good to me, so press the button!

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