Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Apr 19, 2015 20:58:20 GMT -6
DINESH SHAMDASANI ON HOW NINE-FIGURE INVESTMENT AFFECTS VALIANT'S FUTURE
In March, Valiant Entertainment announced that Chinese media entity DMG Entertainment has made a major investment into the company, including nine figures of capital to fund an ambitious future movie slate. Earlier this month at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, Valiant CEO and Chief Creative Officer Dinesh Shamdasani joined CBR TV's Jonah Weiland in the CBR Tiki Room to discuss the headline-making funding -- and how it does and doesn't affect the company's path going forward.
Chinese Powerhouse DMG Entertainment Buys Into Valiant For Ambitious Movie Slate
"It means a lot in the long term, but it doesn't mean anything within the short term," Shamdasani said. "We were always well-capitalized, always well-financed. We have a very long-term outlook. The plan that you see us executing is the plan we want to execute. Money doesn't really change that. It's not going to change what we're doing today. It does give us a longer runway. The biggest thing it does is it tells the industry, and it tells the fanbase, we are going to be here in the long run. Now, we've always known that, we've always said that, but I think this public infusion of cash makes people feel very comfortable with us."
Shamdasani explained that the Valiant's preexisting shared superhero universe -- one of comics' few beyond Marvel and DC Comics -- is what attracted investors to the publisher.
"It's a very unique opportunity," Shamdasani said. "Certainly money is a key driver, but so is the opportunity. There is no substitute for what we're doing. There's Marvel, and there's DC, and then there's a gap, and there's us. There's really no substitute. There's not a shared superhero universe. Everyone that's involved is involved because of that."
And though Shamdasani has guaranteed that a Valiant-based film will happen, he said the current focus is still on comic books themselves. "Right now the focus is squarely on comic book publishing and being the best publisher in the business."