Justin Bieber Manager Scooter Braun Is Into Making Comic Book Movies Now
The manager of pop superstar Justin Bieber is set to take on superheroes. Scooter Braun is launching a new film studio alongside a Marvel head honcho.
Venturing Into Uncharted Territory
The high-powered music manager has been obsessed with the likes of Superman and the X-Men since he was a kid. However, as he got older, his attention turned to more human heroes.
"I read a book about my mentor David Geffen when I was 19, and he said music was the fastest way in ... I actually always wanted to be in film," he admitted.
It seems he may finally be getting the chance to make his childhood dream come true. Braun, well-known for masterminding the career of Bieber, who was then just a YouTuber with a guitar and a floppy haircut, has joined forces with David Maisel, founding chairman of Marvel Studios, to form a brand new company.
It isn't technically Braun's first foray into moviemaking. He was the executive producer of The Giver, Sundance drama Burden, and several concert documentaries for Bieber, among other various projects over the years.
Notably, it is his first leap into filmmaking, however, as Mythos Studios aims to make its own hit comic book movie franchises, both in live action and animation. With the whopping success of Black Panther, it seems like a no-brainer, however, ticket sales are dwindling with more audiences flocking to streaming services to get their media quotient.
The company won't be starting from scratch, however, as it already owns a 50 percent stake in Michael Turner's Aspen Comics. It's currently working on two comic books adaptation Fathom, a best-seller back in 1998, and Soulfire.
Avengers Assemble
The biggest selling point of Mythos, Aspen aside, is the joining of forces between a music mogul and a film giant. Maisel was an early architect of Marvel's now-legendary plan to stop licensing its characters to Hollywood studios, so it could sustain its own projects starting with 2008 film Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr. playing the titular character.
The company was sold to Disney for $4 billion the following year. Maisel left to develop and produce The Angry Birds Movie, which made a solid $350 million worldwide.
Maisel also happens to be a comic book fanatic. He even wore a Fathom t-shirt to a recent interview about Mythos, showcasing his dedication.
"He has this encyclopedic knowledge of comic books ... with a savant-like ability to take out characters that appeal to him and make them really relevant." said Kevin Huvane, managing partner of C.A.A.
As far as Huvane is concerned, Braun and Maisel joining forces should make an explosive team. It's a bit like Avengers Assemble, only with less costumes and more business meetings.
Super Bieber
As to whether Bieber himself will be getting into candy-colored spandex any time soon, Braun wasn't giving anything away.
"I've already had conversations with certain talent that are very excited about being a part of this," he teased.
He also doesn't see the fact that heroes such as Fathom are less known as a stumbling block because there was a time when even Iron Man wasn't a big name.
Braun recently opened up about how he'd failed Bieber when he was going through issues back in 2014. The manager wished he had taken care of the singer's mental health. He discovered Bieber when he was just 12 years old.
Bieber infamously served two-year probation for egging his neighbor's house aside from other than run-ins with the law enforcement and the press.
