Disney to make new 'Star Wars' films

Wolf

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It a long article, so I quoted the major part of the story.

Disney to make new 'Star Wars' films, buy Lucas co

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 would buy 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 storyline 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.
 

Wolf

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Fans shocked by Disney-’Star Wars’ takeover

Fans are shocked that the "Star Wars" series is going to be taken over by Disney, though it seems they could benefit from more information.

People took to Twitter immediately following the news on Tuesday that "Star Wars: Episode 7" will be coming out in 2015. Some expressed excitement at the prospect of a new trilogy, but many were displeased that Disney would be taking over the reigns. One fan's disapproval was quickly expressed in an image depicting three death stars in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. Another compared the deal to Superstorm Sandy: "...Focus on one major disaster at [a] time!"

Incidentally, the plot details around "Episode 7" are scant, but Lucas has dropped these hints over the years: It takes place a few decades after "Return of the Jedi," continues the story of Luke Skywalker, and would deal with the rebuilding of the republic.

Celebrity "Star Wars" fans also weighed in:

The reason I didn't tweet immediately is due to the heart attack I just had.Holy S***.#EpisodeVII

— Damon Lindelof (@DamonLindelof) October 30, 2012

Lindelof, former co-creator of the ABC hit show "Lost," also mused over the possibility of writing a script for the upcoming "Star Wars" film.

Actor-writer-director Jon Favreau, known lately for his involvement in the "Iron Man" series, simply "@" replied a fan who commented on his profile photo which depicts "Star Wars" character R2-D2 in "Iron Man"-like armor. (Was Favreau tipped off to the deal early? He is part of Disney's extended family, after all.)

Here are major questions the Lucas-Disney deal raises:

Didn't Lucas just say there would be no more "Star Wars"?

When Lucas was asked in January whether he would make another "Star Wars," he told the New York Times, "Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are." Lucas addressed this head on Tuesday saying, "I always thought I wasn't going to do any more ["Star Wars" films], and that's true: I'm not going to do any more. But that doesn't mean I'm unwilling to turn it over to Kathy." Disney announced Lucas will stay on as a creative consultant for the next "Star Wars" trilogy and that Kathleen Kennedy -- who will be taking over as president of Lucasfilm -- will exec. produce the upcoming series. (Kennedy is a longtime producer for Lucas' pal Steven Spielberg dating back to 1982's global hit "E.T." She is currently Lucasfilm's co-chairwoman.) Lucas further indicated that he will be handing over already-made story treatments for the next trilogy of films (Episodes VII, VIII and IX).

Where does this leave the "Star Wars" television show?

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" has been airing on Cartoon Network since 2008. Disney CEO Bob Iger picked up the baton, saying Tuesday, "We really like Star Wars' potential on TV, and Disney XD would be a great home for that." Hmmm. Interesting.

How does this compare to other Disney buyouts?

The Disney-Lucas deal is about the same as what the company paid for Marvel Comics -- around $4 billion. But what Disney got this time around is much different: Marvel has a much larger catalog of characters than does Lucasfilm (established in 1971), which is a much younger company than Marvel (founded in 1939). Lucasfilm, however, has many more films under its belt than Marvel did when it was purchased. In comparison, Disney bought Pixar -- also much younger than Marvel -- for much, much more money: more than $7 billion. (It's worth noting that George Lucas used to own Pixar before he sold it to the late Steve Jobs in 1986.)

Will Princess Leia become an official Disney princess?

The answer to that is not yet clear, but Disney did announce plans to further the "Star Wars" brand in their parks, games and "other initiatives." Watch out Star Tours -- you have some competition now!
 

Wolf

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It would be fun to watch Dark Vader and his storm troopers, chase after Mickey and the gang at Disneyland. I bet Donald Duck, would join the dark side? :hhh:
 

hyson

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Oct 19, 2008
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Wow, way to milk a franchise for over 30 years.

Eventually, Star Wars will seem so mundane because everyday life will reflect a once long-off future; light sabers, anyone?
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

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Oct 11, 2008
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Wow, way to milk a franchise for over 30 years.

Eventually, Star Wars will seem so mundane because everyday life will reflect a once long-off future; light sabers, anyone?

There is nothing original in hollywood so this will still fit in.

Still not sure where to go for plot of 7, 8 and 9 as things were wrapped up nicely in 6. Theoretcially Lucas had planned 7, 8 and 9 from the get go.

I wonder if Disney will add a 10, 11 and 12?
 

semipenguin

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Wow. Nobody says the same thing about Dr. Who. Shits been around longer than I've been alive yet everyone seems to go apeshit over it :rolleyes:

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III via Tapatalk :)
 

memebag

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Wow. Nobody says the same thing about Dr. Who. Shits been around longer than I've been alive yet everyone seems to go apeshit over it :rolleyes:

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III via Tapatalk :)

Doctor Who never sucked like the last 3 Star Wars movies sucked. I was not a Peter Davison fan, but there was continuity. It didn't start sucking ass out of nowhere like Star Wars did.

The Doctor Who reboot could have been a huge fail, but it wasn't. They did a great job of restarting the property and growing a new generation of fans.

Plus, Doctor Who was a cultural icon in the UK, but it was never the worldwide blockbuster smash that Star Wars was. Those first 3 Star Wars movies set the bar very high.
 

semipenguin

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Doctor Who never sucked like the last 3 Star Wars movies sucked. I was not a Peter Davison fan, but there was continuity. It didn't start sucking ass out of nowhere like Star Wars did.

The Doctor Who reboot could have been a huge fail, but it wasn't. They did a great job of restarting the property and growing a new generation of fans.

Plus, Doctor Who was a cultural icon in the UK, but it was never the worldwide blockbuster smash that Star Wars was. Those first 3 Star Wars movies set the bar very high.

They may have sucked to you. To me, they were quite enjoyable :)

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III via Tapatalk :)
 

Wolf

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Why Buying Star Wars Was a Brilliant Move by Disney

Movie stars aren't the most valuable thing in Hollywood. Neither are whip-smart screenwriters, superstar directors, or deep-pocketed producers. The single most valuable thing in the movie business is owning popular content with a great track record and the possibility of future sequels. That's where the money is.

And that's why Disney is on a Popular Movie Franchise Spending Spree. In 2006, it paid $11 billion for Pixar. In 2009, it paid $4 billion for Marvel. And yesterday, it paid another $4 billion to acquire Lucasfilm and the right to continue the Star Wars franchise into the future.

Will the next Star Wars movie be any good? Who knows. But knowing what we know about the state of the movie business, this was a smart buy for four reasons.

(1) THE POWER OF SEQUELS

Hollywood is in the business of buying attention. But attention is a hard thing to buy when you're working from scratch: Original stories are much riskier than sequels. Indeed, the only movie in the top 40 all-time top-grossing films that isn't a sequel or adaptation is James Cameron's Avatar, which is basically "Future 3-D Pocahontas."

In 2011, 14 of the top 15 movies in the U.S./Canada were sequels and adaptations (all but Bridesmaids):

Screen Shot 2012-10-31 at 12.02.47 PM.pngBuying a historic franchise with proven success and the option to make more sequels and adaptations is like buying a money-printing machine for movie studios. With Marvel and Pixar and LucasFilms, Disney now owns some of the most dependable franchises in movies. As Barclays Capital analyst Anthony DiClemente said, the Lucasfilm deal "continues Disney's well-worn strategy of acquiring valuable intellectual property and monetizing it better through its global, multi-product distribution engine."

(2)THE POWER OF MOVIES THAT LIVE BEYOND THE THEATER:

movie biz.pngThe largest source of revenue for studios isn't U.S. box office. It isn't foreign box office, either. It's television. It's deals with cable channels and companies that rent/stream/sell movies companies that people watch on their TVs and iPads.

About 80% of studio revenue comes "from the ubiquitous couch potato viewing his movies at home via DVDs, Blu-rays, pay-per-view, a digital recorder, cable channels, or even network television," Edward Jay Epstein wrote in his book The Hollywood Economist. Between 19 and 20 in 20 households own a television. One in 20 households attends the movies any given weekend. The business of movies is in home entertainment.

That's what makes the Star Wars franchise extra lucrative. Its value isn't confined to movie studios. It sells merchandise and network marathons.

(3) THE POWER OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGE AUDIENCE

If you thought that all big movies these days seemed aimed at teenagers, then congratulations. You are perceptive.

Even with total movie attendance flat or falling, Americans between 12 and 24 attend twice as many movies as 40- and 50-year-olds, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Not only does Star Wars appeal to adults on the couch at home, but also it appeals to the sweetspot of national box office.

Screen Shot 2012-10-31 at 12.20.29 PM.png

"For about the same purchase price [as Marvel], Disney is buying another big, young male skewing franchise to expand its diversification from young females," Lazard Capital Markets analyst Barton Crocket said.

(4) THE POWER OF LUCAS GLOBAL

In the U.S., movie ticket sales are falling and box office revenue is flat. But overseas, both are soaring. "International box office in U.S. dollars is up 35% over five years ago," the MPAA reports. Star Wars has a lot of room to grow overseas.

George Lucas was great at building one of the most popular movie franchises in American history. Disney is great at building international brands. Together, analysts think they can take Star Wars global, boosting revenue from box office, TV licensing, and merchandise. Per Crocket: "Lucasfilm's $215 million in licensed merchandise fees is comparable to pre-acquisition Marvel, but has more room for a Disney boost from insourcing and expanding international as Lucas' mix is under 40 percent international versus Marvel's over 40 percent."
 

Biaviian

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As a shareholder dating back to 1986 (before the split and 3 splits ago) I LOVE this move. I haven't watched a single minute of this movie franchise but I know it will have a great ROI. The estimates are somewhere between Pixar and Marvel.

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