STAR WARS EPISODE VII (2015)!!!! ....Oh & Disney buys Lucas Film

[John25]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

didn't expect another Star Wars o.O :P

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.

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/10/3...i-set-for-2015

[DarkVincent07]

I have very mixed feelings about this.

I love Star Wars and would like to see more... but if its set after VI thats fucked, and I also don't want them to mess with the formula.

I'm guessing there will be new characters and Jedi will be everywhere... ergh so strange

[btbam]

Set in the future with new Jedi....or set in the past with a Jedi/Sith battle

[-Kwesnoth-]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_sequel_trilogy

Read up boys.

I too have mixed feelings about this, but will remain hopeful.

[Blacksite]

They have a lot of material they could explore with the expanded universe.

[Vulgotha]

Where's the link to the source.

[John25]

Where's the link to the source.

My bad http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/10/3...i-set-for-2015

[btbam]

Pulls out my popcorn to watch the fanboys get butthurt. I'll wait to see how the movie shapes up. I'm a big star Wars fan so i''m a bit mixed on this, but lets see what the future holds!

[Vulgotha]

Lucas is not a good director, so I'm glad the sequels are being handed off to others. I have hope that these movies will be everything the prequels weren't: competent.

[claud3]

No, why

Leave them just a lone

[Blacksite]

Lucas is not a good director, so I'm glad the sequels are being handed off to others. I have hope that these movies will be everything the prequels weren't: competent.

A lot of fans hated Episode III but I think all three were pretty retarded.

[Vulgotha]

A lot of fans hated Episode III but I think all three were pretty retarded.

Sadly yes. I mean, they were 'good movies' but they just couldn't measure up to the original three. Only one of which Lucas himself directed by the way!

He directed all three prequels and they just.. pale by comparison.

[Nick_Scryer]

Star Wars Episode VII: The Return of Jar Jar Binks

[Surebrec]

star wars was all about darth vader for me, and the path that was taken by anakin that lead from a boy to the point where vader died.

I could understand the need for prequels, even though they weren't to a lot of peoples liking, but I don't think I could care less for sequels to the originals. I know lucas once suggested he might explore events after the demise of vader, but he scrapped the idea.

now disney hold the reigns, you just know they are going to run riot with the franchise and turn it into an even bigger money making scheme than it already was.

3 sequels, then a movie every 2 years, it doesn't sound good to me.

[Nick_Scryer]

Seriously though, even though I'd rather not have sequels, they are definitely making them so I at least hope they continue loosely off George's original plan for the sequel trilogy which would mean all the original actors could return and be perfect in their parts!

I recall reading "leaked scripts" years ago, found HERE
Interesting reading and ideas, no idea if any of it is legit or if it's all fan made.

EDIT: Just realised I had read an online version of apparently fantastic sequel trilogy of books starting with Heir to the Empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heir_to_the_Empire

Wonder if they'll use them as guidelines?

[Yuuichi]

That's stupid. Why not do an old republic movie instead. More freedom. Oh and disney is evil lol

[btbam]

Disney did a terrific job with Marvel. I think we can expect good work from them on Star Wars.

[mynd]

Empire was a great movie despite George, he felt they had ruined the movie when the script was handed to him.
So yes, this is a good thing hes not at helm.

Its still his vision however, he has a rough treatment for 7 8 & 9, always has, and will act as creative director fo rth enext 3 movies.

But you know he just scored 4.05 billion, I think he can retire a happy man.

[Dave-The-Rave]

Guys, George Lucas originally had plans for Star Wars to be a 12 part franchise..this could turn out to be awesome.

[Bio]

How does Star Wars get better when the Vader arc ends? Hmm...

Dual-bladed lightsaber was the best thing about I-III, though. I hope we get to see more of that. But I also hope we don't see like, 15 million lightsabers wielded by one character (Grievous).

Star Wars Episode VII: The Return of Jar Jar Binks

Some things should never be said...LOL

Guys, George Lucas originally had plans for Star Wars to be a 12 part franchise..this could turn out to be awesome.

Wow, that's intense. If the past has been any indication, Star Wars should still be unnecessarily popular by the 12th movie.

A lot of fans hated Episode III but I think all three were pretty retarded.

There is one good thing about all this: they are written to be the first 3 parts in the series, so they are technically in the best position to suck so that the series only gets better as the chronology moves along.

[mynd]

As you can tell, George has quite a few stories he wanted to tell but never did.

Yes, its correct there was initially 12 stories, cut dow to I think 9.

The next 3 were/are to deal with Mark Hamil Luke Skywalker passing the torch on to the next set of Jedi.

[DreDayDetox]

So, does this mean we will get watered down versions of Star Wars with a G rating on it for kids? Fuck that shit. I want lightsaber violence in those movies. I wanna see a mature Star Wars movie, rated R. I want Ridley Scott to direct it and I want it to be about Bounty Hunters, or the corrupt underworld of Coruscant. There is literally dozens of movies worth of material from the Old Republic and Expanded Universe in Star Wars, that could be made into movies.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Return of Jar Jar Binks

DON'T YOU JINX IT!!!

[Ghost-Rhayne]

As long as it has Captain Spock in it, I don't mind.

[podsaurus]

Heard about this on the radio earlier. There are so many directions they could go with this. Happy to hear it.

[AaronSOLDIER]

It would be ok but if it's Disney, I expect it to be watered down.