DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) I am stoked to be the first to share the news on this site. Disney just bought Lucasfilm for 4 billion dollars, and has greenlit Star Wars Episode VII. I am absolutely speechless. In fact, I thought Star Wars was done when it came to movies. I am so happily dumbfounded, that I will just post what IGN has said. All content below (minus the picture I added) is IGN's, and can be found at http://www.ign.com/a...ii-set-for-2015 The Walt Disney Company Acquires LucasFilm; Star Wars: Episode VII Set for 2015 This is the most amazing thing you'll read all day. by Jim Vejvoda October 30, 2012 UPDATE: Disney announces in an investor conference call after today's announcement that they intend to make more than one new Star Wars movie, beginning with Episode VII in 2015 followed by Episodes VIII and IX "every other year" and then "we'll go from there." UPDATE #2: Holy crap, fanboys! Not only did the news break today that the Walt Disney Company has acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion, but the studio press release also announces that a Star Wars: Episode VII feature film is targeted for a 2015 release! Yes, 2015 will give us The Avengers 2, Justice League of America and now a new Star Wars movie! The original press release as follows: 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. “Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “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.” “For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “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.” Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations. Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future. The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo. Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth. The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders. The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm. Second Related Article With Some New Material (Credit to FOXNews, the article can be found at: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/10/30/disney-buying-tar-wars-maker-lucasfilm-for-405b/ ) Disney buying 'Star Wars' maker Lucasfilm for $4.05B Published October 30, 2012 Associated Press May 25, 2012: Director George Lucas arrives on the red carpet ahead of the screening of the film "Cosmopolis" in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival. (Reuters) LOS ANGELES – A decade since George Lucas said "Star Wars" was finished on the big screen, a new trilogy under new ownership is destined for theaters after The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that it was buying Lucasfilm Ltd. from him for $4.05 billion. The seventh movie, with a working title of "Episode 7," is set for release in 2015. Episodes 8 and 9 will follow. The trilogy will continue the story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia beyond "Return of the Jedi," the third film released and the sixth in the saga. After that, Disney plans a new "Star Wars" movie every two or three years. Lucas will serve as creative consultant in the new movies. "I'm doing this so that the films will have a longer life," Lucas, the 68-year-old creator of the series and sole owner of Lucasfilm, said in an interview posted on YouTube. "I get to be a fan now ... I sort of look forward to it. It's a lot more fun actually, than actually having to go out into the mud and snow." Disney CEO Bob Iger said Lucasfilm had already developed an extensive story line on the next trilogy, and Episode 7 was now in early-stage development. He said he talked with Lucas about buying the company from him a year and a half ago, but they didn't decide on a deal until very recently as Lucas set in motion his retirement. "The last `Star Wars' movie release was 2005's `Revenge of the Sith' -- and we believe there's substantial pent-up demand," Iger said. The blockbuster deal announced Tuesday will see Disney pay half the acquisition price in cash and half in newly issued stock. The company expects it to add to earnings in 2015. Along with the cash, Lucas will end up owning about 40 million Disney shares, which is about a 2.2 percent stake of the 1.83 billion shares that will be in circulation when the transaction closes. The deal includes Lucasfilm's prized high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise. Lucas was hailed as a cinematic visionary when the original "Star Wars" came out in 1977. But he had become an object of often-vicious ridicule by the time he released 3-D versions of all six films in the Star Wars franchise earlier this year. Die-hard Star War fans had been vilifying Lucas for years, convinced that he had become a commercial sell-out and had compounded his sins by desecrating the heroic tale that he originally sought to tell. They railed against him for adding grating characters such as Jar Jar Binks in the second trilogy and attacked him for tinkering with the original trilogy, too. Any revision in special edition or home video releases -- such as making the Ewoks blink or having a green-skinned alien named Greedo take the first shot at Han Solo in a famous bar scene -- were treated as blasphemy. The criticism grated on Lucas, who vowed never to make another Star Wars movie. "Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?" Lucas told The New York Times earlier this year. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," the fourth film in another lucrative franchise, subjected Lucas to even more barbs when it came to the big screen in 2008. Fans of those films were especially outraged about an opening scene that featured Indiana Jones crawling into a lead-lined refrigerator to survive a nuclear bomb blasting. Lucas was fed up by the time he released "Red Tails," a movie depicting the valor of African-American pilots during World War II, earlier this year. He told the Times he was ready to retire from the business of making blockbusters and return to his roots as a student at USC's film school, where he once made a movie about clouds moving in a desert. Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become the division's president and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. She will serve as executive producer for the new movies. Directors for the new movies have not yet been announced. In the YouTube video, Lucas said the decision to continue with the saga wasn't inconsistent with past statements. "I always said I wasn't going to do any more and that's true, because I'm not going to do any more, but that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy to do more," Lucas said. He said he has given Kennedy his story lines and other ideas, "and I have complete confidence that she's going to take them and make great movies." Kennedy added that she and Lucas had discussed ideas with a couple of writers about the future movies and said Lucas would continue to have a key advisory role. "My Yoda has to be there," she said. The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC, all companies that Disney has acquired over the years. A former weatherman who rose through the ranks of ABC, Iger has orchestrated some of the company's biggest acquisitions, including the $7.4 billion purchase of animated movie studio Pixar in 2006 and the $4.2 billion acquisition of comic book giant Marvel in 2009. Coincidentally, Lucas owned the startup that later became Pixar, before he sold it to Apple's Steve Jobs in 1986 for about $5 million. When Jobs sold Pixar to Disney, he became Disney's largest single shareholder with a 7.7 percent stake. Those shares are now held in a trust. Disney shares were not trading with stock markets closed due to the impact of Superstorm Sandy in New York. They closed on Friday at $50.08. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/10/30/disney-buying-tar-wars-maker-lucasfilm-for-405b/#ixzz2AplWCcPr Edited October 31, 2012 by DanielVT 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburger Helper Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I am absolutely DONE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 I am absolutely DONE. Is that good or bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navep9 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING MEEEEE!!!!!!!! **Gather's breath** I never thought George Lucas would do this. Star Wars was meant to be 6 films. It was supposed to be a saga telling the tale of the Skywalkers and their struggles. Now that PRICELESS ending to Return of the Jedi means NOTHING. And worst of all, its owned by Disney. George Lucas, you bastard, you finally blew it... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parker Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I'm not really that excited, to be honest. Star Wars seemed fine like it was it seems like each film after the originals just get worse and worse. Maybe Disney can do something amazing but I'm not going to get excited just yet. Parker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlteredFormula Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 As far as I'm concerned there are only 3 Star Wars films. Episodes 1-3 pale in comparison to the originals. I kind of saw it coming, what with George completely selling out (even more than usual) the franchise to sell other peoples products over the last few years, I had an inkling a sale was coming. Disney will destroy whatever few beautiful memories remain. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING MEEEEE!!!!!!!! **Gather's breath** I never thought George Lucas would do this. Star Wars was meant to be 6 films. It was supposed to be a saga telling the tale of the Skywalkers and their struggles. Now that PRICELESS ending to Return of the Jedi means NOTHING. And worst of all, its owned by Disney. George Lucas, you bastard, you finally blew it... Actually, contrary to popular belief George Lucas did indeed work on scripts for Episodes VII, VIII and IX. He just stuck with the story that he only planned 6. In fact, VII, VIII, and IX are reportedly set when the charachters are much older (kind of like how Carrie, Mark, and Harrison are now! lol) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BeautifulTorment Posted October 30, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted October 30, 2012 Well, Disney is going to destroy Star Wars. They need to take a step back and realize they're about to destroy the nostalgia of it all. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 I'm not really that excited, to be honest. Star Wars seemed fine like it was it seems like each film after the originals just get worse and worse. Maybe Disney can do something amazing but I'm not going to get excited just yet. Parker I have hope that they can. I have enjoyed alot of Disney movies recently...... John Carter, Pirates 4....the list goes on. Let's look at it this way, Disney owns Marvel, yet Marvel keeps making incredibly well-received and popular movies, and Disney stays hidden in the shadows. If they can do this with future Star Wars movies, then everything should be just fine, and the future looks exciting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navep9 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Actually, contrary to popular belief George Lucas did indeed work on scripts for Episodes VII, VIII and IX. He just stuck with the story that he only planned 6. In fact, VII, VIII, and IX are reportedly set when the charachters are much older (kind of like how Carrie, Mark, and Harrison are now! lol) I knew he originally planned them (I've been on wikipedia), but to actually go against your word, abandon your work, and SELL this to DISNEY, Im just speechless. I seriously cannot believe that these are being released. They will ruin the original trilogy more than the prequel trilogy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndroidFox Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 "This is the most annoying thing you'll read all day." Fixed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 As far as I'm concerned there are only 3 Star Wars films. Episodes 1-3 pale in comparison to the originals. I kind of saw it coming, what with George completely selling out (even more than usual) the franchise to sell other peoples products over the last few years, I had an inkling a sale was coming. Disney will destroy whatever few beautiful memories remain. Hopefully, you will be wrong, and Disney suprises all of the people that view this as a negative transaction. I will remain highly optimistic, but then again, I have enjoyed all 6 movies greatly, so I am surely biased. I knew he originally planned them (I've been on wikipedia), but to actually go against your word, abandon your work, and SELL this to DISNEY, Im just speechless. I seriously cannot believe that these are being released. They will ruin the original trilogy more than the prequel trilogy. I greatly enjoy Lucas's movies, but I as well have no respect for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburger Helper Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Is that good or bad? Daniel, Star Wars does not need another trilogy. There are already novelizations of where Episode VI ended to 200 years past that (Yes, I've read some of the books). They should make at the very most a spin-off, not a numbered installment in this beloved franchise but something like a Force Unleashed film or something. I'm glad you're looking forward to it but I can't. The only Star Wars product I'm looking forward to is 1313 . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navep9 Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Hopefully, you will be wrong, and Disney suprises all of the people that view this as a negative transaction. I will remain highly optimistic, but then again, I have enjoyed all 6 movies greatly, so I am surely biased. BUT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND. DISNEY MADE MARS NEEDS MOMS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parker Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I have hope that they can. I have enjoyed alot of Disney movies recently...... John Carter, Pirates 4....the list goes on. Let's look at it this way, Disney owns Marvel, yet Marvel keeps making incredibly well-received and popular movies, and Disney stays hidden in the shadows. If they can do this with future Star Wars movies, then everything should be just fine, and the future looks exciting! I see what you're saying, and hopefully Disney will let Lucas do whatever they want, but Star Wars is different to the movies you listed because it has ended already. It was eneded the way Lucas wanted it to end and it seems to me Disney is just trying to make money off the Star Wars name. That being said, not a single one of us has any idea what the movie will be about so we really can't say whether it will be good or bad. Like I said, at this time I have no interest at all but when we learn more details I could be swayed into thinking this could be a great movie. As long as they dont mess with Star Wars canon they should upset any fans. Parker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 BUT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND. DISNEY MADE MARS NEEDS MOMS!!! Kid movies are so-so, but their more adult-teenage-centric movies are much better IMO. Ooohhhh. I just had a thought....well two actually. With Disney in control, maybe we will still get an Indy 5 (fingers crossed), and certainly Disney wants to make money, so they will make sure a Battlefront III is made. This deal just opens up SOOOO many wonderful possibilities!!! My day has totally been made! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlteredFormula Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Disney owns Marvel, yet Marvel keeps making incredibly well-received and popular movies, and Disney stays hidden in the shadows. If they can do this with future Star Wars movies, then everything should be just fine, and the future looks exciting! What you have to remember is that the majority of the current Marvel films were from deals agreed on before the Disney takeover. Your enthusiasm is great, and it would be nice if Disney could prove us wrong, But I feel they will just piss on the shattered remains, that were left after George shat out the prequel trilogy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 I see what you're saying, and hopefully Disney will let Lucas do whatever they want, but Star Wars is different to the movies you listed because it has ended already. It was eneded the way Lucas wanted it to end and it seems to me Disney is just trying to make money off the Star Wars name. That being said, not a single one of us has any idea what the movie will be about so we really can't say whether it will be good or bad. Like I said, at this time I have no interest at all but when we learn more details I could be swayed into thinking this could be a great movie. As long as they dont mess with Star Wars canon they should upset any fans. Parker Well, Lucas will be staying on as a consultant, so I am sure the movies will turn out well. Who knows, VII has not been made yet! lol Daniel, Star Wars does not need another trilogy. There are already novelizations of where Episode VI ended to 200 years past that (Yes, I've read some of the books). They should make at the very most a spin-off, not a numbered installment in this beloved franchise but something like a Force Unleashed film or something. I'm glad you're looking forward to it but I can't. The only Star Wars product I'm looking forward to is 1313 . I have read books as well, and every one I have read is awesome!!!. Also, I can see your valid point, but I am looking forward to the actual episodic films. Anyway, 1313 looks AMAZING does it not? What you have to remember is that the majority of the current Marvel films were from deals agreed on before the Disney takeover. Your enthusiasm is great, and it would be nice if Disney could prove us wrong, But I feel they will just piss on the shattered remains, that were left after George shat out the prequel trilogy. Wow, that sounds depressing, hopefully this is not the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) IV - VI were the best ones. I like V the most. VI was nice and dark in the beginning but turned ridiculous with the Ewok orgy at the end. (and yea that is a bad thing... fuckin' ewoks) Episode I was my introduction to Star Wars when I was little and it blew my mind.... and my eardrums too. The Pod race in theaters was the loudest fucking thing that you've ever heard in theaters. I can seriously take my nostalgia goggles off and say that I was the best of the new trilogy. II and III were garbage. Edited October 30, 2012 by Deth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 IV - VI were the best ones. I like V the most. VI was nice and dark in the beginning but turned ridiculous with the Ewok orgy at the end. (and yea that is a bad thing... fuckin' ewoks) Episode I was my introduction to Star Wars when I was little and it blew my mind.... and my eardrums too. The Pod race in theaters was the loudest fucking thing that you've ever heard in theaters. I can seriously take my nostalgia goggles off and say that I was the best of the new trilogy. II and III were garbage. Agreed, Episode VI was great, but Ewoks SUCK! In related news, Episode I was great, but Jar-Jar Binks SUCKED! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Death Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Agreed, Episode VI was great, but Ewoks SUCK! In related news, Episode I was great, but Jar-Jar Binks SUCKED! Jar-Jar was annoying, but I could stomach him. He was like C-3PO with a lower IQ and a Jamaican accent. I'm sure 3PO pissed off some uber nerds back in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielVT Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) Everyone, I have updated the main post with new info, but I will also post it here. Once again this was found on IGN.com.: "UPDATE: Disney announces in an investor conference call after today's announcement that they intend to make more than one new Star Wars movie, beginning with Episode VII in 2015 followed by Episodes VIII and IX "every other year" and then "we'll go from there." Alright, I have a second update that I added to the main post, but I once again shall also post it here. Apparently, and contrary to his previous statements, Lucas has indeed been working on and planning another trilogy. So Disney is not just pulling three more movies out of nowhere. Hopefully this video will make those concerned about all of this feel a bit better! [media=] [/media] Edited October 30, 2012 by DanielVT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeautifulTorment Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 The fact that they plan on making another THREE makes it worse, not better. Unfortunately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_FlyingMegaKiwi Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) I hope Mickey Mouse and Jar-Jar are in the next one. Edited October 30, 2012 by A_FlyingMegaKiwi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowGandalf Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I'm having mixed reactions to this.... It shouldn't happen, and yet i'm interested... It could work, but then, it could horribly backfire... I'll most likely see it, but I don't know whether to be excited or not.... I can see the fans going crazy with rage over this (as some above comments already suggest) See fan backlash on Indiana Jones 4 and that's what I'm predicting for this x10. I would say... Give it a chance. It may surprise you. If you really don't like the idea of this, just ignore it and don't watch it. That's my view anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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