Disney Acquires Lucasfilm for $4.05Billion

Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced that The Walt Disney Company has sealed the deal that every Star Wars fan has been talking about over the last few days and has officially acquired Lucasfilm.

Lucusfilm was founded by legendary director, producer and writer George Lucas and the $4.05 billion deal means that Disney now owns the rights to the company – including the hugely popular Star Wars franchise! They will also be taking on Lucasfilm subsidiaries Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound.

If that news isn’t big enough for you, Iger and Lucas have also announced that Star Wars Episode 7 is in “early stage development” and will be hitting our movie theaters by 2015! Star Wars saga fans can also expect Episodes 8 and 9 a few years after 7 is released!!

There is also mention that many of the Disney Parks will be adding Star Wars themed rides and attractions to their resorts – news that has also excited fans! There is also likely to be Star Wars shows developed for television, with Iger mentioning that the Disney XD channel might be an ideal place for them to be aired. More consumer products are also in the offing!

Other news from the deal is an agreement for the Indiana Jones franchise – but no new Indi adventures have been announced yet.
The deal was finalized yesterday – though discussions between Lucas and Iger had been going on for over a year now. Lucas will continue to act as a consultant – news that will no doubt please fans of his work!

Lucas said:

“I’m doing this so that the films will have a longer life. So that more fans and people can enjoy them in the future. It’s a very big universe I’ve created, and there’s a lot of stories that are sitting in there… I get to be a fan now, which is what I was saying before, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s a lot more fun actually.”

Iger said:

“Disney respects and understands … the importance of iconic characters and what it takes to protect and leverage them effectively.”

There are numerous videos of Lucas and Iger discussing the deal and what it means for the future of both companies and the one which features George Lucas and Lucasfilm producer Kathleen Kennedy discussing the Star Wars saga will be of particular interest to fans.

Not everyone is as excited about this new deal as Lucas and Iger seem to be however, some fans are obviously over the moon, but others – especially the most ardent of Star Wars fanboys have taken to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to voice concerns that Disney might well balls up their favorite space saga and taint their opinion of it. However Buzz Patrol writer and self-confessed Star Wars fanatic Jack Kieffer has tried to allay those fears and given us 7 reasons why this is exceptional news!