October 30, 2012, marked an important milestone in the entertainment industry as entertainment juggernaut Disney acquired Lucasfilm from founder George Lucas for a whopping sum of $4 billion dollars. As part of the deal, Lucas will receive around 40 million Disney shares, making him the second largest shareholder of the company behind Steve Jobs (USA Today). Now that Lucas is done with Lucasfilm, he will serve as a creative consultant for Disney and the team behind the Star Wars franchise.
This acquisition was the 4th largest deal in Disney’s history. The deal also included the special effects house, Industrial Light & Magic, audio division, Skywalker Sound, and the video game division Lucas Arts. This means that the popular Indiana Jones franchise will also be the property of Disney. The deal will most likely add new theme park attractions in the Disney parks as well as new toys to the popular Pixar line of toys and figurines.
Not surprisingly, Disney will be bringing back Star Wars to the big screen with the announcement of a new trilogy that will follow the original episodes IV, V, and VI. According to Disney CEO Bob Iger, Lucasfilm has already developed an extensive storyline for the new movies. Star Wars episode VII is rumored to be coming out in 2015, although no directors, actors, or screenwriters have been announced yet. There are also rumors that Star Wars also might hit the broadcasting waves as new shows may be expected to release on Disney’s cable channel Disney XD.
This news has excited many people in the industry and lots of people are excited to see the future of Lucasfilm and its properties. For some viewers, this will be the first time they have ever seen Star Wars, and this acquisition will introduce the series to a whole new generation of fans. This acquisition is probably one of the most important deals that Disney has ever made in its long history.