Marvel Vs DC

Just the facts

1. Marvel and DC are rival comic book companies.

2. Marvel and DC have teamed up several times in the past.

3. Marvel and DC are like Coke and Pepsi, to the layperson.

4. Pepsi owns Dr. Pepper while Coke offers Mr. Pibb.

Box-office Performance

When it comes to box-office dollars, the Avengers and other Marvel superheroes are mightier than DC Comics.

Films based on Marvel comic books have generated 47 percent more in domestic box-office sales on average than DC Comics movies. The 28 Marvel films dating back to 1998 have averaged $190 million, compared with $129 million for 23 DC Comics movies starting with “Superman” in 1978.

Time Warner is clearly relying on DC Comics to replace (if even possible) the Harry Potter franchise. The Harry Potter films, based on the J.K. Rowling books, ended their run in 2011.“The Avengers,” the 2012 movie featuring Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk, was the highest-grossing film for either comic-book brand, with $1.5 billion in global receipts. The success of Marvel movies has given a boost to Walt Disney Co., which acquired Marvel Entertainment Inc. at the end of 2009 for about $4 billion. Time Warner Inc. (TWX), meanwhile, has hitched its fortunes to DC Comics fare, including the Batman films and this week’s “Man of Steel” release.

Nolan’s Touch

For Time Warner, which acquired DC Comics when Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications in 1990, “The Dark Knight Rises” was its biggest comic-book blockbuster. The 2012 film - the third installment in a series directed by Christopher Nolan - has generated about $1.1 billion in global receipts, according to Box Office Mojo.

Warner has attempted to give “Man of Steel” a similar look and tone to the “Dark Knight” films by hiring Nolan to produce the film. Nolan, the writer and director behind “Inception,” also created the storyline used as the basis for the Superman script.

The movie, starring British actor Henry Cavill as the world’s most famous Kryptonian, is expected to open in the U.S. and Canada with sales of $115 million and take in $357 million in the region during its theatrical run, the film-industry website Boxoffice.com projects. It cost about $225 million to make, according to Box Office Mojo.

Box-office inflation has helped Marvel outshine DC Comics because more of its movies were released in recent years. Marvel has debuted 13 films since 2007, while DC has only delivered seven.

Average ticket prices have tripled since 1980, giving more recent films Hulk-sized dollar figures. The total domestic grosses for Marvel are $5.3 billion, compared with about $3 billion for DC.

In 2009, Time Warner placed DC Comics under its film division, highlighting its growing reliance on using the iconic characters to generate hits. In addition to Superman and Batman, DC superheroes include Aquaman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com

About Christopher Nolan

Gained major funding during the 1999 Hong Kong Film Festival by showing his film "Following" and then asking the audience to donate money to his next film "Memento".

Older brother of Jonathan Nolan.

Nephew of John Nolan and Kim Hartman.

Is red and green colorblind.

Studied English Literature in college.

He is a big James Bond fan, and said to David S. Goyer, that his favorite James Bond movie is "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".

His top ten favorite movies are: "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The Black Hole", "Blade Runner", "Chinatown", "The Hitcher", "Lawrence of Arabia", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), "Star Wars", "The Man Who Would Be King" and "Topkapi", as well as anything by Stanley Kubrick.

Doesn't like CGI in movies and purposely avoided it when he made "Batman Begins".

Following "Insomnia", his next project was going to be a Howard Hughes biopic starring Jim Carrey. Nolan had the screenplay written (calling it "one of the best things I've ever written"), but once it became apparent Martin Scorsese was making his own Hughes biopic, "The Aviator", Nolan reluctantly tabled his script and took up directing "Batman Begins".

Spent his childhood moving back and forth between United Kingdom and the United States. His accent is mostly English, but occasionally varies into an American accent. Nolan is comfortable with and knowledgeable of both cultures.

Has both US and UK citizenship.

He is a big fan of the band, Radiohead.

Resides in Los Angeles with his wife Emma Thomas and their three children.

Always has both his US and UK passports with him at all times, just in case of emergency.

Is of Irish descent.

As of 2012, 6 out of eight films Nolan directed are on the IMDB's top 250: "The Dark Knight", "Batman Begins", "Memento", "The Prestige", "Inception", and "The Dark Knight Rises".

Was doing camera and sound work on training videos before making his film debut.

His film, "The Dark Knight Rises", is the fifth consecutive movie of his to have a role played by Michael Caine.

Considers Stanley Kubrick and Ridley Scott as his primary influences.

Adapted Ruth Rendell's novel, "The Keys to the Street", into a screenplay that he was set to direct for Fox Searchlight after "Insomnia". However, he instead went on to direct "Batman Begins". "Keys to the Street" remains unproduced.

First cousin of Miranda Nolan, whom he gave minor roles in "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises". Miranda's brother Tom had a minor role in "Batman Begins".

The first Director to do three live action Film adaptations of the DC Comics character Batman.

He and "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi are the only directors to do three live-action Comic Book adaptations of the same character.

Prefers shooting on film stock over digital, and has been outspoken against the threat by studios to phase out the use of film as a choice over digital.

Refuses to use Digital Intermediates for his films, instead opting to use the photochemical timing process.

He is one of the few people (also including his brother Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer) to work on films about DC Comics' two most famous characters and two of the most iconic heroes in Comics, "Batman" and "Superman".

Honored with a hand-print and foot-print ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater on July 7, 2012 in Los Angeles.

Father of Flora Nolan, Rory Nolan, Oliver Nolan and Magnus Nolan.

He initially directed his Batman films so he could get funding and support for his bigger films. The one he had planned for years was ''Inception''.

After James Cameron, Christopher Nolan is the second director make 2 films that have grossed more than $1 billion in the worldwide box office (The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises). However, Nolan is the first director to have released both of the billion dollar grossing films in 2D only (James Cameron's Avatar and Titanic have both been released in 3D at some point during their releases).

Always refuses to use a second unit in his movies, preferring instead to oversee every shot himself with DP Wally Pfister.

Was inspired to create the "Dark Knight" trilogy after viewing Richard Donner's Superman Films.

Has directed one Oscar winning performance: Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight".

Source: www.IMDb.com