DMG Entertainment acquires Valiant Entertainment

 

The first shot in the Consolidation Wars of 2018 has just been fired: Valiant Entertainment has been wholly acquired by DMG Entertainment, the Hollywood Reporter was the first to report this morning. DMG, producer of such films as Looper and Chappaquiddick, already owned a 57% stake in the company but will now own the whole kit and kaboodle while former owner Dinesh Shamdasani transitions out of the company. DMG founder and CEO Dan Mintz is the new main man.

DMG hopes to takes Valiant’s large library of characters- including Ninjak, Bloodshot, Quantum & Woody, Archer and Armstrong and XO Manowar –  to all the places media can go.

“This is about taking it to the next level,” says Mintz, a former filmmaker-turned-entrepreneur. “I am not looking on expanding from a publishing standpoint but from a motion picture standpoint.”

[snip]

The writers and artists who will stay to continue working the comics, without skipping a beat, Mintz insists, will now have their eyes on other platforms.  

“You can expect more strong storytelling with a defined road to other platforms,” he says. “I’m also looking forward to bringing the writers close to the filmmaking process, which is something that is also important, and not keeping them siloed into the comic book area.”

First off, a big thank you to Shamdasani who ran Valiant as a class company (and has been a large supporter of this site). He was a gracious and thoughtful executive who I hope we’ll hear more from in the comics industry.

Next, here comes the IP. With various comics companies and lines getting scooped up – Millarworld to NEtflix, etc – this is just the latest shot in owning and controlling an established and marketable line of characters. Valiant has a long history and a loyal fanbase and getting them to the next level shouldn’t require herculean efforts.

2018 is going to see a LOT of changes in the direct market; this is the first move in a new year but it won’t be the last.