Disney buys Lucasfilm for $4 billion in cash and stock.

[OdoWanKenobi]

doubleohAHHHHHH!!!!! wrote:

---

Lucas said in a statement, "It's now time for me to pass 'Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers."

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wir...5#.UJA1x2l26D5

No, that time was 1997.

[RoJoHen]

Better late than never.

[TemporalFlux]

doubleohAHHHHHH!!!!! wrote:

---

Lucas said in a statement, "It's now time for me to pass 'Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers."

I hate to be maudlin, but this reads like Lucas just got back from the "you've got six months left" doctor's visit.

I do commend Lucas, though; at least he's thinking about what will happen to the property after he's gone. After he's dead, it could get chopped up and sold to people who would screw it up more than he did. By doing it this way, Lucas chose who got it.

[Gep Malakai]

Given Lucasfilm's longtime presence at Disney theme parks, it makes sense that they would be the ones to buy were Lucas ever to sell -- but I can't believe he actually did. Never in a million years would it have seemed likely.

[Tom]

Disney just raped my childhood!

[MacLeod]

Perhapshe felt Lucasfilm would be best left in the hands of Disney rather than some other company.

[C.E. Evans]

I really thought Lucas wouldn't give up Star Wars unless it was from his cold, dead hand. But with this news, I think he's realized that he's finished with it (and big budget movies) and moving on.

A 2015 release date already established for Episode VII, huh? With Disney behind it, that's definitely possible.

[Roger Wilco]

JoeZhang wrote:

---

From that deadline link:

Hah, wow.

[doubleohfive]

They should hire JJ Abrams to reboot the entire franchise. Every time two lighsabers clash in combat, LENS FLARE!

[auntiehill]

Hmph. I stopped caring about Lucasfilm quite some time ago.

[Christopher]

Fitting, since Disney is already a massive empire seeking to conquer the entire galaxy... and they're now a big step closer. On the other hand, Lucasfilm is probably better off without Lucas in charge.

I'm sure everyone's assuming that the new SW movie will be the start of the long-awaited third trilogy -- Deadline even called it Episode 7, though I haven't seen corroboration of that -- but I'm wondering if it could potentially be something different. Also worthy of note: the Deadline article says they "plan future movies based on the movies’ most iconic franchises," which I assume is a typo for "based on Lucasfilm's most iconic franchises." So this could mean more Indiana Jones without Lucas in charge (potentially a good thing), or... Hmm. Does Lucasfilm actually have any "iconic franchises" other than SW and Indy? I checked their filmography on Wikipedia, and the only other thing they've done that counts as a franchise -- i.e. more than one production -- is American Grafitti. There have been some efforts to get a Willow sequel underway, but I'd hardly call that iconic.

[MacLeod]

It gets better if you're a SW fan according to the BBC news section on it

There are plans for episode 8 and 9 and a new moview after that once every 2-3 years

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20146942

[doubleohfive]

TemporalFlux wrote:

---

I hate to be maudlin, but this reads like Lucas just got back from the "you've got six months left" doctor's visit.

Who knows what his reasons were. Personally, the detail that Disney paid cash and stock was more interesting to me than the wording in his press release. Maybe all those damn action figures and endless revisions to each different edition of the OT aren't paying the bills anymore?

I do commend Lucas, though; at least he's thinking about what will happen to the property after he's gone. After he's dead, it could get chopped up and sold to people who would screw it up more than he did. By doing it this way, Lucas chose who got it.

I must admit - I am also curious about what other filmmakers will do with the property.

[RoJoHen]

Christopher wrote:

---

There have been some efforts to get a Willow sequel underway, but I'd hardly call that iconic.

I think it's probably more iconic than it deserves.

[doubleohfive]

Though, I do think it's going to be really shitty how the majority of nerds on the 'net are going to be concerning themselves more with this than with the repercussions and damage from Sandy.