Disney Buys LucasFilm From George Lucas For $4B; STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 Set For 2015

• Oizen wrote on 2012-10-30 21:10
  http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=69442
  

  
  Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company 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.
  Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=69442#L828auzpojA4Yl8c.99
  

• Niuu wrote on 2012-10-30 21:33
  Sw 7.. made by disney....
  I hope they won't fuck everything...
  
  SwTOR2.. by disney.... o:
• Sumpfkraut wrote on 2012-10-30 21:35
  Seems kinda random. Why do businesses think they have to dabble in every single thing that exists in the whole world? Wonder when they open their own pizza restaurants.
• RealityBreak wrote on 2012-10-30 21:40

  Quote from Niuu;972481:

  Sw 7.. made by disney....
  I hope they won't fuck everything...
  
  SwTOR2.. by disney.... o:

  
  
  Have you seen their cartoon starwars crap? They're gonna butcher it and ruin the legacy of the entire series.
  
  

  Quote from Sumpfkraut;972483:

  Seems kinda random. Why do businesses think they have to dabble in every single thing that exists in the whole world? Wonder when they open their own pizza restaurants.

  
  
  Eventually, the whole world will be Disneyland, and we'll all be employees.
• Sumpfkraut wrote on 2012-10-30 22:01
  Not if Nestlé buys them out first. Nestléland. Or maybe Harman-Kardon starts getting interested. Siemens? Procter & Gamble! Anything could happen.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-10-30 22:12
  Disney is really rich and their copyright lawyers are ridiculous
  even mickey mouse ears without their consent will get you sued for millions.
  
  also the Star Wars series can't get any worse
  [video=youtube;FxKtZmQgxrI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI[/video]
• RealityBreak wrote on 2012-10-30 22:18

  Quote from BobYoMeowMeow;972511:

  Disney is really rich and their copyright lawyers are ridiculous
  even mickey mouse ears without their consent will get you sued for millions.
  
  also the Star Wars series can't get any worse

  
  
  I admit I only liked the lasers and lightsabers.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-10-30 22:44
  reading Wookiepedia was more entertaining than watching the prequels
• Wittykitty wrote on 2012-10-30 22:47
  Welp, there goes the universe. Literally. :<
• Arsik wrote on 2012-10-30 22:52
  It's okay though. That just makes this canon now instead of just being a giant fanfiction.
• Chillax wrote on 2012-10-30 23:18
  Leia is now a Disney princess.
• TLCBonaparte wrote on 2012-10-30 23:25
  I hope Mickey makes a cameo as some sort of Alien "HO HO!"
  
  PS: Also, please, give Starwar a singing scene. Something like
  
  "Long time ago, in some far off galaxy, there's not much to drink except for a cup of tea. Then came Charlie Mop with a barrel full of cheer, let's all praise the man who totally invented the beer. He must've been a senator, a sultan or a king, in his name, we raise our beer and drink..."
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2012-10-31 00:02
  ^ Disney is more professional than that..
  if you didn't know, they made the Pirates of the Caribbean (which was okay until the 3rd movie)
• Sekwaf wrote on 2012-10-31 01:22
  Not sure how I feel about this. At the risk of being called a fanboy (which is probably true) I loved all the current Star Wars Movies, including the prequels. There have been rumors before that George Lucas himself had 9 episodes planned, and should Disney actually use them (if they DO exist, I've never looked too much into the rumors) then I think they could end up just fine. And yes, Disney is capable of making awesome movies, like Pirates of the Caribbean, and...others that don't immediately jump to mind but I know exist. Honestly, after the Clone Wars rubbish, I don't think the series could go downhill. And if it does, I'll just have to get reading on the books which are usually very nicely done.
• Mentosftw wrote on 2012-10-31 01:41
  I almost thought it said 48 dollars instead of 4 billion dollars.