NEEEEEEEEEERDGASM

[DemonicD3 0]

"UPDATE: Disney announces in an investor conference call after today's
announcement that they intend to make more than one new Star Wars movie,
beginning with Episode VII in 2015 followed by Episodes VIII and IX
"every other year" and then "we'll go from there."

Holy crap, fanboys!

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!

Also, this deal means
Disney also now owns the Indiana Jones franchise as well as effects firm
Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.

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."

[DemonicD3 0]

[tgrosson 0]

Disney is SO gonna screw it up.

[Voltzahl 0]

DemonicD3 wrote:

Disney also now owns the Indiana Jones franchise

Oh god no....

[Sheppard250 0]

maybe it's a good thing in one way as george lucas doesn't seem really want to continue it
and also I'll give disney a chance because maybe just maybe they might do it justice but no promises

[DemonicD3 0]

You guys diddn't read the article fully did you, Disney bought the franchise but they diddn't take over creative control. Georges Vice President took over control of the company and reports to Disneys CEO. Included in the buy out was the special effects and creative team of the star wars franchise. Additionally as said in the article, George Lucas will be a creative consultant still for there future Star Wars products. The only thing that has changed in regards to Star Wars is that disney makes the profits from it instead of George Lucas. Disney funds a additional couple more big production Star Wars movies but the creative process of it hasn't changed.