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Disney Buys Lucasfilm, Episode 7 Coming 2015
Disney announced it acquired Lucasfilm in a stock and cash transaction worth $4.05 billion. As part of the announcement, Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015.
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” Lucasfilm CEO George Lucas said in a statement. “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."
Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of Disneys, says fans can expect to see more Star Wars movies more often. " In 2015, we're planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the 'Disney-Lucasfilm' brand," he said.
"That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years."
The deal has no immediate affect on any of the video game projects currently in development at Lucasfilm. "For the time being all projects are business as usual," a spokesperson told Game Informer. "We are excited about all the possibilities that Disney brings."
During today's investor call to discuss the deal, Iger said Disney will likely focus on mobile and social games rather than console. "We’ll look opportunistically at console, most likely at licensing rather than publishing. But we think given the nature of these characters and how well known they are, they lend themselves quite nicely to the other platforms.”
[Source: Disney]
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