As the saying goes, great ideas are immortal. There is also a saying that as long as you live in people's hearts, then you will live in this world forever. Stan Lee passed away in November 2018 at the age of 95. If both of these words are true, then even if Stan Lee waved goodbye to the world, his spirit and works would continue for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Stan Lee co-produced Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk Hulk, Fantastic Four, Black Panther and many other household names, laying a solid foundation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to successfully dominate the big-screen culture of our time.
In his decades of Marvel career, these heroes have been created one by one to make it to the big screen. In his later years, he also frequently appeared in numerous Marvel movies as a special character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has always been active, constantly creating one new story after another. But it's worth noting that he himself doesn't have control over these superheroes.
We recently interviewed Gill Champion, President and CEO of POW Entertainment, who grows its business and oversees copyright, and Bob Sabouni, Chief Marketing Officer. An official answer was given as to how the follow-up company would deal with Stan Lee's legacy, as well as the story he continued to create at the time of his death.
Stills from Spider-Man: Homecoming, Iron Man and Spider-Man in Life
Bob Sabouni also seems to be a little tangled – and understandably – and they will be solved in the form of a comparative draft. "What we're doing is we want Stan Lee to be proud," Bob says. "Our focus is on telling the stories that happen to people, and that's what Stan Lee wants. <b>He writes not superheroes, but superheroes as living people. He'll make you pay more attention to Peter Parker's life, regardless of whether you care about Spider-Man or not. He'll also let you see Tony Stark, who is still a very interesting guy after taking off his Iron Man coat. </b>So we're also trying to create stories like this. Luckily, he left us with plenty to create. ”
"What we're trying to do is to find out where all of this (the ability and spirit of the story's original innovation) came about — how did that come about?" Champion added. "I think the creative team we use is okay. The partners we have chosen are also very good. During the few years we spent with Stan Lee we did research. So I think everything we do should be something he can be proud of, and his fans will be proud and proud, because we let them know how it all started and how it went on, and let them know why Stan Lee is so popular and has become an icon for a generation. ”
According to the two, Stan Lee's creative inspiration and passion have not diminished — at least until the death of his wife, Joan Boocock Lee, on July 6, 2017, and they have been married for 70 years. "Until the very last moment of his (Stan Lee's) life, he was still thinking about new ideas and ideas. He always opens with the phrase ,'I came up with an idea that none of you could have imagined.' Sabouni said, "Come on Stan – everything has been seen." ”
And then after I listened to or looked at his ideas I would say, 'Oh my God, he really came up with a great idea that no one can think of.'" He has always insisted on doing so and has never given up. <b>He may not understand modern high-tech, but he knows how to get those who understand technology to help him solve these problems. His creations have always been very vivid and vivid. ”</b>
Champion said: "He has always been a very disciplined person when it comes to writing. He came to work every day, then sat down, turned on the computer, and started working. This is the diametrically opposed to Stephen King, whom I have worked with before. Stan Lee writes six pages a day, no matter how long it takes him.
He's an energetic man who comes here every day with passion and creates a special story or character that he wants. He can really say that there is no one before, very original, and he has maintained this state until he feels that he has created a work that will satisfy himself and his fans. And if he himself likes what he creates, then people will definitely like it. The same is true when we have seminars. When we walked into a studio or company, all of a sudden there was no one in the room, and everyone was waiting in the hall to shake hands with him and say hello. ”
In addition to traditional film and television business models, such as film and television, POW Entertainment is also expanding its business, developing podcasts for radio dramas and other new media forms of broadcast platforms. At the same time, the company has also extended its tentacles to the East – especially with China. Stan Lee has visited China several times and has had a pleasant trip.
Stan Lee climbs the Great Wall in 2017
"In 2017, I had the privilege of following Stan Lee on a trip to China. One day when we were resting, I got a call from Stan Lee's entourage saying he wanted to go to the Great Wall. Sabouni recalled. Then we rented a car and took him to the Great Wall. What we didn't expect was that the temperature in Beijing was 7 degrees Celsius, but the estimated temperature at the Great Wall was minus 6 or 7 degrees Celsius. Then we put on warm coats, but it was really cold when we got to the scene.
Then the vendors, who were a mile away, saw us and immediately rushed over and crowded around Stan Lee and began to put on his hat and thick coat. They tied him up like Ralphie's brother in The Christmas Story. Then Stan Lee said, 'These people are so enthusiastic!' Then I got the bill, but he didn't know it. (Related reading: Stan Lee Old Master parachuted into Beijing to climb the Great Wall in the cold)
At this point Sabouni paused and laughed. He continued: "But when you get to the Great Wall, you see Stan Lee wearing a huge wool hat and a red coat, like the coat of the Chinese military uniform, and basically all you can see is his glasses and beard." People recognized him and began to gather around, of course some of them were foreign tourists, but a large part of them were Chinese, and they also recognized him. People want to take a picture with us. It was really cold and the scene was so chaotic, I was afraid that I wouldn't suddenly become the murderer of Stan Lee. But he had been standing there, wanting to take pictures with everyone and have a good time together. ”
The Stan Lee Animation Conference was also held in Shanghai last October. Champion says his company wants to make the conference an annual convention in China. And <b>when the time is right, it will also combine the traditional culture of the East with the original ideas of Stan Lee. </b>
"One of the things that we've been interested in over the past decade is that as distribution opportunities increase, the development of the film and television industry around the world and in regions has become increasingly important, and these audiences are the audiences that we can directly own as potential audiences." Champion said. "Our business can grow to India, China, Japan and South Korea, where Stan Lee is well known. He gave us a lot of opportunities to develop these projects because we have a large and active fan base in these countries. When he came back from visiting these places, he said, 'I got another twenty-five thousand Christmas cards because they thought Stan Lee was a Chinese name.' ’”。
Champion made it clear that POW Entertainment is currently working on a project that, while still in its infancy, is likely to become a TV series to be broadcast in China later. Another "Tiger Shadow Man" in production is likely to be a superhero movie, and although he was associated with Li Bingbing in 2015, he may not participate in this time. (Related reading: Stan Lee joined hands with Li Bingbing to create "Tiger Shadow Man")
"The Chinese market is also changing. But we still want to make the movie Tiger Shadow Man. Champion said. <b>I talked to Li Bingbing. She still wants to be on the show. Of course, it also depends on the carrying capacity of this drama after it is completed. We haven't talked about what she does in particular, it really depends on the specifics of the progress of the project, and the director has a lot of say in the selection of actors. There is a very important director who is more interested in this matter. </b>
This project is great, and we've been up and running for years, years ahead of our competitors. Hopefully, it will come back to people's attention. <b>It's really a great opportunity to work together to create a Chinese female superhero who can culturally match young Chinese people. It's going to be an English-language movie, and the scenes are global, but the vast majority of it will be in China. The film has a strong cultural overtone – it is a legend that has been passed down to this day. ”</b>
One thing fans can be sure of, and sooner or later will be on the silver screen, is that <b>the animated movie "The Amazing Stan"</b>, which was officially announced at the recent 2019 San Diego International Animation Conference. "It was the idea that came to mind, and Stan Lee loved it too." Champion said. "He loves the stories of his childhood. And he also likes to talk about it all, from the first time he met Eleanor Roosevelt as a kid, to his bike, how he grew up — and then he used inspiration to string these things together to form this great story.
The film is about the young Stan Lee, who has his own way of seeing the world and who has made him later. The movie is funny, and I don't want to call it a documentary of the character of young Stan Lee. We found someone who had worked on Fei Ge and The Little Buddha (story editor Scott Peterson) as the screenwriter. This movie is in this style, and there will be a diversified story line. Parents and children can watch together and get a lot out of it. <b>It [this film] is definitely a masterpiece that embodies Stan Lee's excellent personality qualities. ”</b>