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While Marvel and DC might get most of the notice when it comes to comic book-inspired movies, Dark Horse Comics has had its share of hits movies based off of the company’s comics including Aliens vs Predator, The Mask, Pathfinder and 2007’s smash hit, 300. With upcoming release of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Universal Studios and Dark Horse Comics have signed a three-year deal, which gives Universal Studios the exclusive rights to all comic books published under Dark Horse.

This deal isn’t likely to cover properties licensed to Dark Horse including Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and several anime series.

In the past, Dark Horse, like Marvel Comics, sold its properties to every studio it saw fit. This new deal with Universal insures that Dark Horse will have a solid silver screen outlet for its comics. This deal could certainly become lucrative for Universal as a number of Dark Horses books have been targeted for movie adaptations in the past with still more too come, including the rumored sequel to Frank Miller’s 300.

Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson told Variety: “We’ve done a number of pictures with Universal over the years, and we have a lot of relationships with the people there,” he said. “Since they get the particular genre, it makes sense to go with them.”

Next up for Dark Horse and Universal Studios is Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, which due to be released on July 11, 2008, followed by Sin City 2 sometime in 2009.

Read [Dark Horse Comics] Also Read [IGN] Site [Dark Horse Comics] Also Read [Variety]