Walt Disney Buys LucasFilm
by Shannon Keirnan
Geeks all over the Internet are up-in-arms over this big piece of movie news.
Walt Disney has purchased LucasFilm for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, giving themselves access to all beloved George Lucas films—most especially, “Star Wars.”
And they’re quick to make use of their brand new shiny toy. In 2015, expect to see another “Star Wars” hitting theaters—the first since 2005’s “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” It will pick up where that installment ended.
Lucas released this statement:
"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.”
He added, “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."
Disney is already promising that we can expect “Star Wars” movies to come back, hitting the big screen every two to three years. And, representatives are hinting that they also think “Star Wars” has a great potential for making it to television…
What?
But before fans panic about Mickey Mouse pod races, remember that Disney also bought Capital Cities/ABC for $19 billion, Pixar for $7.4 billion, and Marvel for $4.2 billion. Last years’ “The Avengers” didn’t do too badly for secretly being a Disney flick, did it?
What do you think? Are you ready for more "Star Wars?"