Lucasfilm purchase puts a new 'Star Wars' film alongside 'Avengers' sequel on Disney's 2015 calendar. By Josh Wigler
Liam Neeson, Ray Park and Ewan McGregor in "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" Photo: Lucasfilm
The Force is strong in Disney, as the House of Mouse have officially landed in the "Star Wars" business.
The Walt Disney Company announced on Tuesday (October 30) their acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind George Lucas' epic "Star Wars" series. The full extent of what the $4.05 billion deal will yield remains unknown, but one project is already in the offing: "Star Wars Episode 7."
Little is known about the "Star Wars" sequel other than a 2015 release date — the same year that Disney releases a different blockbuster-in-the-making, a sequel to "Marvel's The Avengers." Lucas himself weighed in on the news in an official statement released by Disney.
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," he said. "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."
Details beyond "Star Wars Episode 7" are not known, but Disney's press release promises "more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future." In joining the Disney brand, Lucasfilm now resides under the same house that shelters Marvel and Pixar. How long until an animated "Star Wars" / "Avengers" crossover, we wonder?
What do you make of the "Star Wars" news? Let us know in the comments below!
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