The Star Wars Thread

[W.West]

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.

via BusinessWire
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Whoa.

[SD80MAC]

Holy shit!

This means a new SW movie might actually be good! And the chances of us getting the original theatrical trilogy on BRD just skyrocketed!

[Robinson]

Iron man vs. Vader.

[W.West]

"We'll follow with episode 8 and 9, and our longterm plan is to produce a new Star Wars film every 2 to 3 years." - Star War conf call

[SD80MAC]

I also must admit that I take a sick pleasure in knowing that many hardcore SW fans will absolutely lose their shit over this news. And I mean in a bad way; this is like the hardcore Marvel fans who swore they'd stop buying books when Disney bought that company.

[Mister Ed]

Even though I KNOW it's October, I still had to check the calendar to see if it was April 1st. That's unbelievable. So does Lucas have some stipulation in the sale that they can never mess with Eps. 1-6, even to release versions without all his hamfisted additions and "improvements"?

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by SD80MAC

I also must admit that I take a sick pleasure in knowing that many hardcore SW fans will absolutely lose their shit over this news. And I mean in a bad way; this is like the hardcore Marvel fans who swore they'd stop buying books when Disney bought that company.

Well, I dunno. It seems like an awful lot of "hardcore" SW fans are REALLY sick of Lucas. I guess the question is, are they sick enough of Lucas that they would see Disney as an improvement?

[SD80MAC]

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

Well, I dunno. It seems like an awful lot of "hardcore" SW fans are REALLY sick of Lucas. I guess the question is, are they sick enough of Lucas that they would see Disney as an improvement?

I'm talking about the guys who love the prequels too. There's a lot of them. (The ForceCast, for example.) The people who are "sick of Lucas" are decried as "not true fans" by that crowd.

Originally Posted by Mister Ed

Even though I KNOW it's October, I still had to check the calendar to see if it was April 1st. That's unbelievable. So does Lucas have some stipulation in the sale that they can never mess with Eps. 1-6, even to release versions without all his hamfisted additions and "improvements"?

I doubt it. If Disney is buying the entire company, then they can do whatever they want.

[Hypo]

Originally Posted by SD80MAC

I also must admit that I take a sick pleasure in knowing that many hardcore SW fans will absolutely lose their shit over this news. And I mean in a bad way; this is like the hardcore Marvel fans who swore they'd stop buying books when Disney bought that company.

I am disgusted by this because odds are the movies will blow. Any idea what this will mean for the Star Wars comic books?

[Sylent_Asassin]

I'd be stoked to see something new for a change. Better this than endless remastering and further promoting 3D.

[W.West]

For every Avengers there is an Inspector Gadget.

[Kuhan]

If you love the prequels, you're not a hardcore Star Wars fan.


Nolan, Whedon, Abrams, Jackson. All directors that can be involved with Star Wars. Tell me you're not excited.

[W.West]

Originally Posted by Kuhan

If you love the prequels, you're not a hardcore Star Wars fan.


Nolan, Whedon, Abrams, Jackson. All directors that can be involved with Star Wars. Tell me you're not excited.

Two of those are probably not interested in the slightest though.

[SD80MAC]

Originally Posted by W.West

Two of those are probably not interested in the slightest though.

Keep all four of 'em far away from SW. They're good directors, but a terrible fit for SW. Nolan's too dark, Whedon's too campy, Abrams' too lens flare, and Jackson's too fantasy.

I'd much rather see a new, relatively unknown director take the helm, as that's exactly what the franchise needs.

[Hypo]

So...Episode 7...keep Luke, Han, and Leia and move onto the Expanded Universe? Or completely new direction? How would you play it?

[SD80MAC]

I've got a feeling the EU will be on the chopping block, but that's fine. They're great stories, but so what if they're not canon? Star Trek novels have been doing that for decades, and there's no trouble there.

[myuserid]

Looking forward to new SW movies.

[Mister Ed]

I think it would be kind of funny if George Lucas lives to see a day where he is upset about others fiddling with his films.

Another thing that would funny would be if Disney actually hired George to direct Episode 7. It's be like the worst of both worlds! Talk about watching heads explode.

EDIT: The article I read said George WOULD be at least a "creative consultant" on future movies. I hope that's one of those sort of honorary positions...

[Hypo]

How long before I start seeing Nathan Fillion for Han Solo campaigns?

[FrEaKjOkErXXX]

This might be the greatest news in recent memory. I love all Star Wars and this is chance to see more of that universe. I personally would rather see a whole new set of characters. Maybe something like Knights of the Old Republic.

[Kuhan]

Originally Posted by Hypo

How long before I start seeing Nathan Fillion for Han Solo campaigns?

Too late. https://twitter.com/Jordan_Mallory/s...84478871859201

[Deadpool]

Star Wars 7 may actualy happen! Let's hope it's as good, or even better than episode 3 (that was my favourate).

I wonder what path the franchise will take. I think it'll be fun to see episode 0 instead, where we see "the old empire" and when the sith were in large numbers.

[Dr. Naysay]

Barf.

[Hypo]

I can't imagine that they allow Clone Wars to continue on Cartoon Network.

[The British Lantern]

Fuck yeah best news ever more Star War films!

anyone remember when they said they were going to make a Star Wars live action TV show? wonder if this will happen now