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DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.

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posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:41 PM
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STAR WARS: EPISODE 7 feature film targeted for release in 2015

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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.



I've got a bad feeling about this.



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:45 PM
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reply to post by Juston
 


In the infamous words of Darth Vadder...Nooooooooooo





Well, when I think about it. They can't do anymore damage to the franchise than Lucas Films as already done.



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:47 PM
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Disney owns Pixar, marvel, the muppets and now Star Wars, what's next?



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:48 PM
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Well i'd assume that george lucas has cashed out at the right time then, but please lord no "high school corella movie" type of thing



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:57 PM
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reply to post by Maxatoria
 


Glee Star Wars edition



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:59 PM
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Great.
We can now expect a gay Jedi in the next film.



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 03:59 PM
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reply to post by XLR8R
 


Oh god my brain!!!
Make the bad poster stop!!!



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:05 PM
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By the way. Quick Question. I have the original VHS Box set and those are the versions I prefer by far. Now, I would love to have the original movies on DVD or Blue Ray. Do they still publish those, with out Han Solo stepping on Jabba's Tail and the Darth Vadder "Noooooooo" and all that stuff?



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:07 PM
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reply to post by HomerinNC
 


Sorry, I had to. I just hope they don't



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:12 PM
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I don't know why but I always presumed George Lucas is proud of his work and the craze he started with Star Wars and wouldn't just sell it away to the biggest garbage producing company out there.

Oh wait he just did. And of course there is going to be a sequel

I'm genuinely disappointed by this...



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:14 PM
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reply to post by Juston
 


First, nice avatar (so say we all!)

Second...I too have a bad feeling about this. I wonder what this means for Star Trek? I know they've used ILM in the past (ST:TNG).

Third, a 7th movie?! Come on! I thought everything was pretty well wrapped up with the 6 we now have! The most recent 3 weren't even needed IMO!

I will admit, I did stand in line for the 12:01am showing of Episode:1 ... I bought an extra ticket and never used it. I wonder how much that thing is worth these days?



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:18 PM
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NooooooOOOOOoooooooo! MAKE IT STOP PLEASE!!!!



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:20 PM
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Why can't the science fiction genre get some good news for a change?

Like ... bringing back Firefly?

A new Stargate movie?

A new Star Trek show (that doesn't suck).

Any of these would make money AND please the fans!
edit on 30-10-2012 by MystikMushroom because: (no reason given)



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 04:49 PM
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Originally posted by MystikMushroom
A new Stargate movie?



Well... it should be about time to get Stargate Universe running again... I think we've passed the timeline they set in the show. And that one showed great potential for being a very impressive back-story (from a universe as simulation standpoint.)



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 05:00 PM
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reply to post by CrikeyMagnet
 


Unfortunatley, it's been reported no such SG:U continuation will happen.

Pretty soon they'll have "Jedi Mickey Mouse" cartoons



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 07:44 PM
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Disney owns about all there is, now they got Star Wars too? I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

Will they at least keep with the Lucas story line? Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. It is my only hope.

Maybe I will write to Disney and make sure nothing is diluted or ruined. They will listen to me. Why? I’m a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan.

....sorry.

Geekness.....too......strong.....cannot.....resist.....



posted on Oct, 30 2012 @ 08:21 PM
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Lucass-Kathleen Kennedy interview - YouTube



posted on Oct, 31 2012 @ 02:30 AM
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A few years ago when the latest Indiana Jones came out and Shia Lebeof was going on all the late night shows: I'm pretty sure it was Late Night with Conan O'Brien 'cause that's the only one I ever watched regularly. Shia was asked about whether or not there were any plans on making another film so he talked about how Lucas and Spielberg were in the early stages of story development and that Lucas wanted to have the story revolve around the 2012 stuff and that Lucas was very serious about something big going down on that date.

so maybe the approaching date lent some motivation to Lucas to go ahead and sell. Raise some liquid capital to buy actual things that will be useful after the coming "doompocalypsageddon*tm*"

I'll try and find the video to see what Lebeuf actually said.

Also the staff over at Cracked wrote 5 reasons star wars sequels would be worse than prequels back in 2009. If all you've ever seen are the movies and you don't know much else about the continuing saga this is a funny article on how it can all go very wrong. I assume it's accurate but I'm not sure as I am one of those who have only seen the movies.



posted on Oct, 31 2012 @ 02:41 AM
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Dont worry soon i will buy Disney
and i will restore order in that big mess



posted on Oct, 31 2012 @ 04:58 AM
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I feel a great disturbance in the force



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