Walt Disney Co. has agreed to buy filmmaker George Lucas’s Lucasfilm Ltd. and the “Star Wars” franchise for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, a blockbuster deal that adds one of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history to Disney’s lineup.
Disney said there would be a new series of “Star Wars” feature films as part of the deal, with the first movie expected in 2015. Disney CEO Bob Iger, in prepared remarks for analysts, said the plan was to release a new movie in the series every two to three years thereafter.
Lucas, a Hollywood icon known for exercising control over the most minute details of the fictional universe he created, will remain as a creative consultant.
“It`s now time for me to pass ‘Star Wars’ on to a new generation of filmmakers,” he said in a statement. Besides “Star Wars,” the deal also includes rights to the “Indiana Jones” franchise, though Disney did not elaborate on any plans for that series.
Disney will pay about half the purchase price in cash and issue about 40 million shares at closing. Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo, in prepared remarks, said the deal would lower Disney’s earnings per share by a low single-digits percentage in fiscal 2013 and 2014.
Moar JarJar!
Obviously, someone is not getting laid tonight.
Well, there have been books that have come out since, life of Han Solo and Prnicess Leia, etc. Didn’t Lucas had anything to do with them though.
He licenses them, so they have to meet his approval.
Disney again trying to buy the talent they so sorely lack.
Hard to imagine anyone making Star Wars more sucky than it already is, but if anyone can do it, Disney can.