Disney Buys Lucasfilms LTD - LucasArts

[Moraven]

George Lucas getting his retirement payday.

http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-news/press-releases/2012/10/disney-acquire-lucasfilm-ltd

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.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and "evergreen" Star Warsfranchise 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.

Disney has been up and down with their game studio, cutting it in half last year. LucasArts has a storied history but has produced bunk the past few years other than decent fun co op LEGO games and being a part of the Monkey Islands. Force Unleashed 2 was a step back. Hopefully Disney invests into LucasArts to at the very least produce something Star Wars that is good again.

Also noted was a Star Wars Episode 7 movie in 2015.


Disney, your new Star Wars ride sucks. Only fun part is where the tunnel walking towards the ride. The Jedi kid thing is fun to watch and entertaining for kids.

[Zephro]

Think Lucas had it written into the contracts that Greedo can't shoot first?

[Ice-Fyre]

I wonder if this will affect the star wars games on steam? Lego Pirates was never on Steam as Disney were the publisher. Hope it don't!

[TillEulenspiegel]

It would be difficult to do worse than Star Wars I and II (and the majority of III), so I'm certainly optimistic about the films.

And we can only hope that there's a major shakeup of LucasArts. Looking back at the past ten years, what a horrendous waste of one of the most valuable franchises in the world.

[Moraven]

Yah, the past 5 years has been rather lackluster for them. Only one game last year, 3 the past 2... before they had up to 10 a year and 1-2 duds out of them. Wish they got back into more original IP games.

[Jesus_Phish]

I'm optimistic that Disney will make better Star Wars stories than the second trilogy and make Star Wars movies fun again. They've done amazing things with Marvel movies, Pixar and I think they can do it with Star Wars too.

[ZIGS]

If this means Warren Spector gets to work on the Star Wars license instead of Mickey bullshit, then I'm all for it

[Kandon Arc]

Here's hoping we might see Battlefront 3, Republic Commando 2 or a new Tie fighter. It's just going to be more stuff like Force Unleashed and Coruscant 326782 though isn't it?

And I read somewhere else that they plan to make a new film every 2-3 years, which fills me with a certain dread.

[Krathor]

Epic Chewie?

[SirKicksalot]

And I read somewhere else that they plan to make a new film every 2-3 years, which fills me with a certain dread.

The new trilogy every other year, then new movies every 2-3 years.
Brad Bird and Andrew Stanton would be awesome Star Wars directors.

[TillEulenspiegel]

They've done amazing things with Marvel movies

I heard someone half-jokingly mention the possibility of Joss Whedon directing Star Wars. I'd kill for him to make a (Young) Han Solo Adventures TV series along the lines of Firefly.

[Jesus_Phish]

I heard someone half-jokingly mention the possibility of Joss Whedon directing Star Wars. I'd kill for him to make a (Young) Han Solo Adventures TV series along the lines of Firefly.

He did. Its called Firefly and Han is called Mal!

[SirKicksalot]

Anything to keep Whedon and his shit made-for-TV style away from the main Star Wars movies.

And there's no way Episode 7 launches in 2015 when they only have a script treatment and are now in talks with writers.

[sabrage]

I'm optimistic that Disney will make better Star Wars stories than the second trilogy and make Star Wars movies fun again. They've done amazing things with Marvel movies, Pixar and I think they can do it with Star Wars too.

That's because Marvel Studios (and Pixar) still act independently. I'm not optimistic if it's going to be another Alice in Wonderland/Pirates of the Caribbean/Tron: Legacy bored-actors-on-a-greenscreen affair, considering that was exactly what was wrong with the previous 3 Star Wars films.

[Kadayi]

I wonder if anyone would remotely have the nerve to re-imagine star wars, in a similar way to how marvel or DC reimagine Spiderman or Batman.

Maybe remove the awkward 'fancies his sister' stuff, Boba Fett not in fact being a Maori and/or eaten by the sarlack, and making not having the most elite soldiers the empire has to offer be whipped silly by a bunch of teddy bears. Just for starters.

[Jesus_Phish]

That's because Marvel Studios (and Pixar) still act independently. I'm not optimistic if it's going to be another Alice in Wonderland/Pirates of the Caribbean/Tron: Legacy bored-actors-on-a-greenscreen affair, considering that was exactly what was wrong with the previous 3 Star Wars films.

Perhaps Lucas (the studio) will act independently (as independently as the parent company will allow them too). And now having Lucas (the man) working on the movies can only be good. As I read on another site and I'm totally stealing "Worrying that Disney will ruin Star Wars is like worrying that a second iceberg will dive down to hit the Titanic"

[Jesus_Phish]

I wonder if anyone would remotely have the nerve to re-imagine star wars, in a similar way to how marvel or DC reimagine Spiderman or Batman.

Maybe remove the awkward 'fancies his sister' stuff, Boba Fett not in fact being a Maori and/or eaten by the sarlack, and making not having the most elite soldiers the empire has to offer be whipped silly by a bunch of teddy bears. Just for starters.

As a side, and possible spoiler for people

In the extended universe novels Boba Fett doesn't die inside the Sarlacc. He fights his way out and goes on to live his life and eventually becomes the Mandalore. So it's quite possible depending on how far beyond episode six that episode seven is set that Boba Fett will make a return to the screen.

[ado]

It's too much to hope for a new X-Wing game, isn't it? Well I'm looking forward to see what they do with the movies...

[RakeShark]

Wow, I'm speechless. I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand I'm glad to see LucasArts being handed to new management, perhaps this will be the new kick in the ass they need. On the other hand, a beloved if not strained IP falls into the hands of a corporation of people as opposed to being firmly in the hands of the owner. I know that's how the world works, however. And at the very least, Disney ain't the worst places to be, better than Viacom or NewsCorp.

I dunno, I guess it's an end of an era.

EDIT: My frown just got turned upside down, now that I've thought about it.

DISNEY JUST BOUGHT GRIM FANDANGO! PIXAR'S GRIM FANDANGO MOVIE! GO!

[Wheelz]

Boba Fett not in fact being a Maori and/or eaten by the sarlack,

If anything, the Star Wars universe needs more Maori's.