TheForce.Net - Holonet - Disney Buying Lucasfilm, Plans New Star Wars Film


		Never-Before-Seen Star Wars: The Clone Wars Clip Jedi Journals: April 2013 Jedi Journals: March 2013 Jedi Journals: February 2013 CEII: Warwick Davis To Host CEII: Jedi Master VIP Tickets Now On Sale Jedi Journals: January 2013 Happy New Year!


		Who Doesn't Hate Jar Jar anymore? Fans who grew up with the OT-Do any of you actually prefer the PT? Should darth maul have died? What plotline, character or scene in the entire Saga irritates you the most? The misconceptions you had about Star Wars, when you were a kid

There are no polls
currently operating
in this sector.
Please check
back soon.

View Poll Archives

(Photo credit: Disney)
Disney Buying Lucasfilm, Plans New Star Wars Film

Posted By Eric on October 30, 2012

NOTE: We are collecting responses to this groundbreaking news from across the web in one of our follow-up articles, Disney Buys Lucasfilm: The Internet Reacts.

CNBC just posted breaking news on its Twitter feed: The Walt Disney Company is buying Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4 billion in cash and stock.

BREAKING: Disney buys Lucasfilm for $4B in cash & stock
— CNBC (@CNBC) October 30, 2012

Reuters also tweeted the groundbreaking news that Disney plans to release Star Wars Episode VII in 2015.

"Star Wars" episode seven will come out in 2015, Disney says
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) October 30, 2012

Here is the full press release from Disney:

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.

Global leader in high-quality family entertainment agrees to acquire world-renowned Lucasfilm Ltd, including legendary STAR WARS franchise.

Acquisition continues Disney's strategic focus on creating and monetizing the world's best branded content, innovative technology and global growth to drive long-term shareholder value.

Lucasfilm to join company's global portfolio of world class brands including Disney, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel and ABC.

STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 feature film targeted for release in 2015.

Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 ? 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.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, interactive media, and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company with revenues of over $40 billion in its Fiscal Year 2011.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Founded by George Lucas in 1971, Lucasfilm is a privately held, fully-integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production; LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide; Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties; Lucasfilm Animation; and Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties and businesses. Additionally, Lucasfilm Singapore, produces digital animated content for film and television, as well as visual effects for feature films and multi-platform games. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

UPDATE: Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo has blogged about today's major news, under the headline, "On the Brink of the Future."

Related Stories

March 7, 2013	Bloomberg Goes Behind Disney's Lucasfilm Acquisition
December 21, 2012	Disney's Acquisition Of Lucasfilm Is Complete
December 4, 2012	Netflix Inks Disney Deal
December 4, 2012	Feds Allow Disney-Lucasfilm Deal To Proceed
November 30, 2012	Disney Chairman Talks LFL & SW Episode VII
November 2, 2012	Disney Buys LFL: Will TCW Leave Cartoon Network?
November 2, 2012	Screenwriters Pitch Episode VII Ideas
November 1, 2012	Disney Buys LFL: Mark Hamill Weighs In On Sequels
October 31, 2012	Disney Buys LFL: GL Donating Sale Money To Charity
October 31, 2012	LFL Source: SW Episode VII "An Original Story"
October 31, 2012	Disney Buys Lucasfilm: Comments from Iger & Lucas
October 31, 2012	Disney Buys Lucasfilm: SW Stars React
October 31, 2012	Disney Buys LFL: GL's GF Mellody Hobson Responds
October 31, 2012	Disney Buys Lucasfilm: The Investors' Conference Call
October 31, 2012	Weekly ForceCast: October 31, 2012
October 31, 2012	Disney Buys Lucasfilm: The Internet Reacts
October 30, 2012	The Future Of Star Wars Movies
October 30, 2012	SW.com Posts About Disney Acquisition
August 9, 2012	CVI: Disney At Celebration VI
May 20, 2012	McCallum Talks Live-Action, Disney, And GL
May 19, 2012	Disney Star Wars Dance Off
April 30, 2012	Rumor Alert: SW Land Coming To Disneyland Paris?
April 2, 2012	SW-Themed Art Event Coming To Downtown Disney
June 30, 2011	Disney Launches New Star Tours Website
June 5, 2011	Catching Up With Star Tours At Disneyland

Her Universe Unveils New May The Fourth SW Products
Posted By Eric on May 1, 2013:
Six new items go on sale on May 4th

Star Wars Day Approaches: Prepare For The Puns
Posted By Eric on April 29, 2013:
SW Blog guest post from a TFN writer

USA Today Conducts ROTJ Retrospective Interviews
Posted By Eric on April 29, 2013:
Updated! McDiarmid, Bulloch, and others weigh in

Enter Email Address:

Find Out More...

Star Wars - Episode III - Darth Sidious - Stand Up

AllPosters.com

Search For Posters, Cardboard Stand-Ups & T-Shirts!

TheForce.Net - Your Daily Dose of Star Wars