Walt Disney Company to acquire LucasFilm, release new StarWars in 2015

[ForkLifter]

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD. | The Walt Disney Company

Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

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We also expect to create significant value in the film business. We plan to release the first new Star Wars film in2015, and then plan to release one film every two to three years. These films will be released and distributed as part of our target slate of 8-10 live-action films per year, and will augment Disney's already strong creative pipeline for many years to come. Lucasfilm has not released a Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith in 2005. However, adjusted for inflation, as well as growth in both international box office and 3D, we estimate the three most recent Star Wars films would have averaged about $1.5 billion in global box office in today's dollars. This speaks to the franchise's strength, global appeal and the great opportunity we have in the film business.

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I know there are a lot of star wars fans out there, so is this good or bad for the franchise?

[RedskinRat]

Can't wait to see the Bambi Deathstar!

[los panda]

should be good for the franchise if they make the next 3 movies. i have read synopses of episodes 7-9, no worse than 1-3

[Alvin Walton]

Now we get to see the star destroyer factory!
:headbange

[mbedner3420]

Originally Posted by ForkLifter

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD. | The Walt Disney Company

Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

.....

We also expect to create significant value in the film business. We plan to release the first new Star Wars film in2015, and then plan to release one film every two to three years. These films will be released and distributed as part of our target slate of 8-10 live-action films per year, and will augment Disney's already strong creative pipeline for many years to come. Lucasfilm has not released a Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith in 2005. However, adjusted for inflation, as well as growth in both international box office and 3D, we estimate the three most recent Star Wars films would have averaged about $1.5 billion in global box office in today's dollars. This speaks to the franchise's strength, global appeal and the great opportunity we have in the film business.

Click Link for full story..


I know there are a lot of star wars fans out there, so is this good or bad for the franchise?

This should be cool. I'm not a huge star wars fan, but new movies should be fun if nothing else.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by los panda

should be good for the franchise if they make the next 3 movies. i have read synopses of episodes 7-9, no worse than 1-3

I love Mark Hamil as he's an excellent Joker but if he's going to make a cameo he needs to get in decent shape.

[JoeRedskin]

Move over Ariel, Leia is the new Disney Princess in town.

[Monkeydad]

Well at least we might get a different story or a quality effort this time. Lucas just releases crap after crap and people keep buying it.

Or, with Disney, we might get Jar Jar Binks times a thousand.

[mredskins]

I always thought Lucas Films and Disney were teamed together. Seeing that Disney has a Stars Wars attraction in DW.

[MTK]

The last trilogy was pretty bad, Star Wars is in desperate need of a quality re-boot.

Looking forward to seeing where they go with the next 3. In the right hands a new trilogy could be pretty cool.

[skinsfanthru&thru]

Ever since Disney got involved with Marvel's properties you've seen a rise in quality, most notably the Avengers, because they've helped put some of the right pieces in place as they have with their internal studio with Pixar. I'm excited especially if they use some of the books. The only area of concern for me is casting ie what do they do with the returning key characters like Luke, Leia, and Han with them all really showing their age now. I hate the idea of recasting but you almost have to which if done Nathan Fillion for Han Solo please. This is such a treasured part of a lot of our life's or at least childhoods so fingers crossed this goes right.

[MTK]

I would think they will definitely re-cast. You almost have to given how old everyone is now. Maybe bring a couple of them back in cameos.

[los panda]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I would think they will definitely re-cast. You almost have to given how old everyone is now. Maybe bring a couple of them back in cameos.

well, it is supposed to pick up decades after where ep. 6 left off. but i think luke is the only one who plays a major role in the final 3 episodes. likely cameos for the rest, who knows about mark hamill.

[Dirtbag59]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I would think they will definitely re-cast. You almost have to given how old everyone is now. Maybe bring a couple of them back in cameos.

Well FWIW:
Star Wars sequel trilogy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At a 1997 Special Edition press conference Lucas remarked, "[E]veryone said, 'Well, are you going to do sequels to the first three?' But that was an afterthought; I don't have scripts on those stories. The only notion on that was, wouldn't it be fun to get all the actors to come back when they're 60 or 70 years old and make three more about them as old people. That's how far that has gone, but the first six will definitely get finished."

[los panda]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag59

Well FWIW:
Star Wars sequel trilogy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

like the many star wars books, there are many conflicts to what lucas has said he would or wouldn't or wants to or doesn't want to do w the final 3 episodes.