When Disney acquired Marvel earlier this month, one of the comforting refrains was "Disney owns Miramax, and they do edgy stuff all the time. They won't whitewash Marvel." But comic book nerds might have to start finding reassurance elsewhere. The LA Times had a piece over the weekend speculating on the fate of Miramax following the departure of exec Dick Cook, who had been a "staunch supporter" of the studio division even when its films repeatedly failed at the box office.
There's not really any evidence that Disney would ditch Miramax entirely, other than that the division doesn't bring in a lot of money and that Disney just acquired Marvel, which will presumably be a lot more profitable. Quoting a Disney PR person who flatly denied that Miramax would be sold, the article speculates that downsizing, rather than straight-up closing, would be the likeliest outcome. But if Disney eases up on Miramax, does that signal a renewed commitment to the blandest, family-friendliest of content? And would that get the fanboy handwringing over Marvel started all over again? You pull on one thread of the sweater, and all kinds of disasters can unfold.
