Acclaimed writer Brian K. Vaughn penned the limited series Doctor Strange: The Oath in 2006. Credit: Marvel Entertainment.
Was Walt Disney's (DIS -0.04%) Marvel Studios smart to hire Scott Derrickson to make the long-anticipated Doctor Strange movie? Can it succeed without the support of a monthly comic book, as Marvel's other films have enjoyed? Guest host Alison Southwick puts these questions to Fool analysts Nathan Alderman and Tim Beyers in this episode of 1-Up On Wall Street, The Motley Fool's web show in which we talk about the big-money names behind your favorite movies, toys, video games, comics, and more.
Nathan says that Derrickson has a long history of making movies cheaply and profitably, especially in the supernatural arena where Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme exists. His latest effort -- Sinister, about a true crime novelist plunged into a series of horrific events -- earned $87.7 million worldwide on a mere $3 million production budget. At Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of critics and 61% of audiences rate the film as "fresh."
You might even say that Derrickson's path tracks well with that of fellow director Gareth Edwards, who made a ridiculously profitable independent movie called Monsters before signing on to direct Godzilla, which has made $394.7 million worldwide as of this writing. A sequel is already in the works.
On the question of whether a Doctor Strange movie can work without the support of an associated monthly title, Tim says that the character is well known enough by fans to merit the try. History also says that Marvel will commission a new Doctor Strange series ahead of the movie's release for marketing purposes, just as it did for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. Click the video to watch as Alison puts Nathan and Tim on the spot, and then leave a comment below to tell us what you think of Marvel's plan for Doctor Strange. You can also follow us on Twitter for more segments and regular geek news updates!
