Disney buying Lucasfilm, Star Wars Episode VII coming in 2015

[beaker]

Only three pages, seriously? This is the absolute biggest geek news story of the year.
At first I thought the headline was a joke.

Now ten years ago, I would have not been happy about this. While I hated Phantom Menace, was not too into Attack of the Clones, yet LOVED Revenge of the Sith...I was not too keen on Disney. Too many Cheapquels, too many blunders by Eisner.

But not a single geek or SW fan should be dismayed by this news. Lucas was destroying Star Wars. Destroying the original films with each release. Destroying his own legacy. Trolling the fans. Saying you can forget there ever being a new SW film, period. I pretty much gave up being a fan.

But what has Disney proven in recent years?

Tron Legacy. An amazing new relaunch with the Muppets and the Muppets film.
Pixar continuing to dominate(even tho I have no intention of seeing Cars 2 or Brave)
Letting Marvel do its thing. People are kidding themselves if they think Disney will muck with this.

I mean we're getting a new Star Wars film. Episode 7. 2015. Which means they go into pre production soon. I mean, wow. Since I was 5 years old in 1983 Ive been dreaming of a sequel to Jedi or Episode 7. Also thank Thrawn it WONT be based on those books.
Ugh, yeah those first two books I feel would not be too compelling. Glad it will be an all new story arc.

That said...I have to echo the sentiments of IS THERE ANYTHING DISNEY DOESNT OWN? My two biggest loves as a kid, Muppets and Star Wars are now under Disney. As is Marvel. And Pixar. And Miyazaki distribution. And Indiana Jones.

Btw is it me or was 4 billion a fire sale ala Disneys buying of the Muppets in 2004?
Star Wars ALONE is worth way more than that. They got ILM, Skywalker sound, Lucasfilm, Lucas Arts, Indiana Jones, everything Star Wars past and future. I mean, wow. The new film alone will make a couple billion, and thats not including the merchandise.

 

[beaker]

I really hope the AntiTrust blocks this. Disney owns ENOUGH! The last thing we need is them owning Lucasfilm. Disney has done well with Muppets and Marvel, but they need to be cut off. Just for the matter of them owning too many media outlets. I think that the damage is done, and out of Lucas's hands, Star Wars has gotten some pretty great things going for it right now. Clone Wars is far far better than anything he's done since ROTJ, even the Lego Star Wars TV specials have been delightful fun. Plus, I'm shocked Fox isn't buying them since they are the ones that produced the movies. They better not muss up Clone Wars or the upcoming Detours.

However, I wonder if this is similar to the Nickelodeon deal with TMNT. Maybe Lucas just wants to get rid of it and his ownership and focus on something else in his life. Laird sold TMNT to Nick for a similar reason.

Youre kidding right? SW has been a disaster for real fans in the post Episode 3 era. Clone wars, ugh. And if Lego Star Wars is all we had to be excited about, I find that hard to justify being excited for.

Has Disney NOT proven themselves with Pixar, Marvel AND The Muppets...in spades?
Did they not prove themselves with Tron Legacy? Sure JCOM was a failure, but that also had to do with marketing.

Trust me, when you see the teaser one sheet in 2014 of Episode 7, youll forget all about the distrust of Disney as will everyone else. The Muppets had NO future under JHC, and same with SW under Lucas. /fact

 

[Drtooth]

Youre kidding right? SW has been a disaster for real fans in the post Episode 3 era. Clone wars, ugh. And if Lego Star Wars is all we had to be excited about, I find that hard to justify being excited for.

Clone Wars has steadily gotten better, getting far deeper than the first season, redeeming the worst characters, and even bringing back the biggest lost oppertunity in the prequel trilogy, Darth Maul. So yeah, a 5 season cartoon series that pulls in good ratings and makes money is a real thing to be upset about. I'm sure Disney can make a good movie or TV show, but what do people born in the 80's expect out of a cartoon series that isn't Batman TAS, Animaniacs, or Invader Zim? I love those shows, but there's much more to animation than that.

 

[mr3urious]

And as for the franchise being "kiddified", the most we can expect is Winnie the Pooh dressed as an Ewok.

 

[D'Snowth]

Has Disney NOT proven themselves with Pixar, Marvel AND The Muppets...in spades?

Pixar has been trying to get out from Disney's micromanagement for years, I don't know about Marvel, and they haven't exactly done the best job in the world managing the Muppets (yes, we did get a TV special and a theatrical movie, but other than that).

 

[mupcollector1]

Just curious how George Lucas did the original Star Wars deal with Fox. So did Fox for awhile own the movies but George Lucas own the characters? In other words, Fox owned the copyright but Lucas owned the Trademarks for awhile?

 

[Drtooth]

Pixar has been trying to get out from Disney's micromanagement for years, I don't know about Marvel, and they haven't exactly done the best job in the world managing the Muppets (yes, we did get a TV special and a theatrical movie, but other than that).

Pixar could not have released films on its own, and would be under the boot heal of another production company no matter what. However, when Disney bought Pixar, not only did they leave them alone, they put them in charge of their entire theatrical animated movies division. After the dual disasters of Brother Bear and Home on the Range (I swear they planned on having those tank so they could move on to their own CGI studio), once the studio head changed, they decided that people that actually get animated films should do them from now on.

Heck, if Disney didn't buy Pixar, we'd have crappy sequels to Toy Story and the rest. Disney still owned the rights. Not to mention more terrible DTV projects. It was mutually beneficial for Pixar and Disney.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that some Star Wars characters have already been on Ant Farm...

 

[D'Snowth]

Pixar could not have released films on its own, and would be under the boot heal of another production company no matter what. However, when Disney bought Pixar, not only did they leave them alone, they put them in charge of their entire theatrical animated movies division. After the dual disasters of Brother Bear and Home on the Range (I swear they planned on having those tank so they could move on to their own CGI studio), once the studio head changed, they decided that people that actually get animated films should do them from now on.

Heck, if Disney didn't buy Pixar, we'd have crappy sequels to Toy Story and the rest. Disney still owned the rights. Not to mention more terrible DTV projects. It was mutually beneficial for Pixar and Disney.

That doesn't change the concept that they still have been trying to get out from under Disney's control though.

You seem to have this idea that no one company can survive unless they're completely owned and controlled by a larger, conglomerate company... there is such a thing as independence.

 

[mr3urious]

Heck, if Disney didn't buy Pixar, we'd have crappy sequels to Toy Story and the rest. Disney still owned the rights. Not to mention more terrible DTV projects. It was mutually beneficial for Pixar and Disney.

I, for one, am VERY glad Eisner's TS3 didn't happen!