Disney Buying LucasFilm For $4.05 Billion, Promises New Star Wars in 2015 (UPDATED)
Get ready for more Star Wars, and possibly further incarnations of your favorite George Lucas properties: The Walt Disney Company is buying LucasFilm for $4.05 billion, with plans to release Star Wars: Episode 7 in 2015. Great idea, or "Nooooooo!" worthy? Weigh in, Movieliners! [UPDATE: Disney head Bob Iger says Disney's planning Star Wars 8 and 9 to follow.]
Disney CEO Bob Iger discussed the deal in a press release:
"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas. This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”
Lucas addressed the sale and what it means for the Star Wars franchise, which will continue under Disney in 2015:
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."
I can't imagine classic Star Wars fans are excited about the prospect of the franchise chugging along without its guiding creator, but then, who among us would take a bullet for the last trilogy? We all knew it was too big not to continue along in countless spin-offs and sequels and various other merchandising opportunities, so handing the reins to fresh voices while Lucas goes off and makes his smaller personal projects could work out just fine.
[UPDATE: According to Iger, Disney's LucasFilm deal includes Star Wars 8 and Star Wars 9, to follow the 2015 debut of Star Wars 7, along with plans to incorporate the Star Wars brand into Disney's theme parks.]
The sale, however, also opens the door for Disney to potentially revive Lucas's other Lucasfilm properties. I'm not talking Indiana Jones here. Is the world ready for Howard the Duck 2.0? (I'm not even sure if that's a possibility, just trying to prepare you for the inevitable Lucasfilm catalog cash-grabs.)
The Disney-Lucasfilm merge also calls to mind the first great collaboration between a (current) Disney entity and Lucas's world: Namely, the Star Wars episode of The Muppet Show.
"It seems we've landed on some sort of... comedy-variety show planet." More of this, I can get behind.
[via press release]
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Comments
Just...wow. This is huge. More Star Wars is better than no Star Wars. Just no rebooting the old or even the new trilogy. I just want more adventures in the same universe. There's some great material in the Expanded Universe too which is worth a look.
Maybe they'll let the guy who directed John Carter make the new ones.
Well, considering how its "guiding creator" has treated it, I don't think Disney could do much worse!
Honestly, though, I'm just completely shocked by this. I never thought Lucas would release his death-grip on his stuff. Isn't he all about independence and crap? Anyway, I'm intrigued, nervous, and astounded.
Now he's free to be independent elsewhere while the cash rolls in. I'd rather this than more Lucas-led Star Warses. I hope he goes off and makes more Red Tailses to his heart's content!
Well the guy is nearly 70yrs old and probably wants to do some other projects,but I can't imagine what episode 7,8,9, could be about unless it might be the skywalker grandchildren carrying on the legacy!
I still don't know how to take this, I'm mostly saddened but perhaps this is a new hope for the franchise. The biggest question I think is who will play Han Solo? The other cast are easily replaceable but they need to get han right.
I am amazed no one else has said it but this is potentially great for two reasons:
1) No more pointless tinkering by Lucas
2) Maybe now we will get the original version of the films on Blu-Ray with any special edition crap added.
I do not care about 7,8 and 9. If they turn out to be good then fine. If not then I can pretend that they never happened like 1, 2 and 3.
The only potential downside to this news is that Lucas has been very open towards fan films and the fan community in general. I hope Disney does not change that.
Two words: Christopher Nolan.
I'm sure I'm not the only person to think of him, but I would really like it if these next three were shot on film (and I'm very much a digital guy) and Nolan would push for it. But let's hope we get a better screenwriter than whoever wrote those batman scripts. Those things were awful.
- Jake
It was Nolan and his brother who wrote that crap, so you kinda contradict yourself.
Ever heard of David Goyer? And yes, I'm suggesting that Nolan and his brother not co-write them with Goyer because all three batman movies were reduced in greatness by the same stupid twist of a second antagonist that was always dumber than the more interesting antagonist, thus making all three movies less interesting than their potential. I'll never know who's fault it was, but I'll put it on Goyer since memento, inception, and the prestige were so well written.
Any other dumb comments? Or are you just passing through?
Honestly, though, I'm just completely shocked by this. I never thought Lucas would release his death-grip on his stuff. Isn't he all about independence and crap? Anyway, I'm intrigued, nervous, and astounded.I am beautiful woman and I love good man…..inter racial romance is my dream… so I joined —blackwhitePlanet.С0M—–it's where to- connect with beautiful and excellent people!I still don't know how to take this, I'm mostly saddened but perhaps this is a new hope for the franchise. The biggest question I think is who will play Han Solo? The other cast are easily replaceable but they need to get han right.
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