Netflix buys Millarworld – The Scottish comic publisher behind Kick-Ass and Kingsman

'Mark Millar is as close as you can get to a modern-day Stan Lee,' Netflix's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, said in a statement

Colin Firth and Taron Egerton in the movie adaptation of Mark Millar's comic book ‘Kingsman’

Netflix has bought comics publisher Millarworld, bringing on board renowned comic book writer Mark Millar and a host of character franchises it can mine for TV shows and movies.

It is the first acquisition by Netflix, the 20-year-old video streaming pioneer, which is building a library of original series and films in a bid to hook new customers around the world.

Two of Millarworld’s best-known comics, Kick-Ass and Kingsman, are not part of the deal, whose terms Netflix did not disclose.

The purchase of a character stable mimics the strategy of Walt Disney, which bought Marvel Studios in 2009 and has churned out blockbuster movies, TV series and toys based on its superheroes. Some Marvel shows run on Netflix.

Mark Millar, a Scottish writer and former Marvel employee, runs Millarworld with his wife, Lucy.

Three of Millarworld’s franchises – Wanted, Kick-Ass and Kingsman - have been adapted into films that have taken in nearly $913m combined at global box offices.

Although Kick-Ass and Kingsman are not part of the deal, it does bring Netflix a range of other franchises across genres from science fiction to fantasy, plus superheroes and real-world characters.

“Mark is as close as you can get to a modern-day Stan Lee,” Netflix’s chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, said in a statement, referring to the 94-year-old creator of comic book franchises such as Spider-Man, Avengers and X-Men.

Millar spent eight years at Marvel, where he developed comic books and story lines that resulted in movies such as Logan and Captain America: Civil War.

It is unclear if Netflix will spend the sums Marvel does on its movies, which can cost up to $250m. Netflix’s development has focused on TV series and smaller budget movies, but it is moving toward big-budget films. It spent $90m on the Will Smith movie Bright, due out in December.

The acquisition of Millarworld is likely financially immaterial to Netflix, Raymond James analyst Justin Patterson said via email. He said his research showed comic book adaptations draw large audiences on the streaming service.

Netflix last month reported a second-quarter revenue of $2.79bn and net income of $65.6m.

Millarworld will continue to create and publish new stories and franchises under the Netflix label, the company said.

Reuters