Monday film news roundup: Disney acquires Marvel; Justin Baldoni joins 'Barry Minkow' cast

Here are the latest film news from across the Web and the trades for Monday, Aug. 31, 2009:
• Big news this morning, as Walt Disney is set to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. As Variety points out, this deal will give Disney ownership of more than 5,000 Marvel characters. At this stage, the deal still requires an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.
• Justin Baldoni is set to star in Bruce Caulk's upcoming "Barry Minkow." Written by Jonathan Meyers, the plot follows a teenage entrepreneur who ends up in prison after running a Ponzi scheme. After his time in jail, he becomes a pastor working with the FBI. James Caan, Armand Assante, Mark Hamill and Ving Rhames co-star.

Franck Tabouring