Crikey. That's a good word to start with. In a move that's come as a major, major surprise, it's been revealed that Disney is to acquire Lucasfilm. Furthermore, there's a new Star Wars film as part of the package. Probably many more.
The deal is worth some $4.05bn, and for that, Disney will get the production company, and the rights to make Star Wars Episode 7. In spite of earlier assertions that Revenge Of The Sith marked the closure of the cinematic Star Wars franchise, George Lucas has now been quoted in a Disney statement as saying:
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. 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".
For $4.05bn, Disney isn't likely to stop at just one Star Wars film. In fact, the statement also specifically says "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".
Disney also gets the assorted Lucasfilm technologies, including Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound. Kathleen Kennedy is to head up Lucasfilm under the new deal.
This is a staggering move that puts Disney in a huge position of strength. It now owns Pixar and Marvel, as well as the Star Wars franchise. And we're left wondering just what Star Wars Episode 7 will look like in 2015. In the nicest sense, a Star Wars film with a new director may not be a bad thing.
We'll let you digest all of that, and will no doubt have much more on it in the days ahead. Starting with why this might just be really good news...
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