Star Wars

[jayzero42690]

He's made changes again folks



Change 1:

Alright, sweet. Get rid of that cracked out puppet everyone hated. I'm on board.

Change 2:

Um, whatever. Subtle so doesn't really matter. Whatever floats your boat George.

Change 3:

The fuck?

Change 4:

mte Mr. Vader... mte

[Tarry]

Vader saying "Noooooooo!" whilst saving Luke just makes it look like a scene from a Star Wars parody. His silent attack was so much more effective.

[jayzero42690]

[jayzero42690]

Disney to Buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion; New 'Star Wars' Movie Set for 2015

Holy crap, fanboys!

Not only did the news break today that the Walt Disney Company has acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion, but the studio press release also announces that a Star Wars: Episode VII feature film is targeted for a 2015 release! Yes, 2015 will give us The Avengers 2, Justice League of America and now a new Star Wars movie!

This deal means Disney also now owns the Indiana Jones franchise as well as effects firm Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.

The original press release follows:

Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “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.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

[Mutant Couch]

Honestly, if they include banning George Lucas from having any further creative input in anything even vaguely related to Star Wars I'm all for this. I don't care really. Like a proper nerd I only bother with the original three and pretend anything that happened after them are just parodies.

[jayzero42690]

Oh I hope my gif wasn't misleading. I'm all for this. This was some of the best news I've ever heard in my life. Lucas is a hack. Did you see the Avengers? I'm very happy with Star Wars in the hands of Disney.

[jayzero42690]

[Mutant Couch]

I'm already being entertained.

[jayzero42690]

Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust, X-Men: First Class) is being rumored to direct. And with the news that he won't be doing First Class 2, that makes this very likely, and amazing news. I'd gladly risk a shitty X-Men movie for an amazing Star Wars one.

[Mutant Couch]

I want Terry Gilliam to do it.

[jayzero42690]

Today brings word that Star Wars: Episode VII may have found its screenwriter.

Vulture claims that Oscar winner Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine) "has written a 40- to 50-page treatment for the film and is likely to be at least one of the writers when the Disney/Lucasfilm project begins shooting in 2014." They say Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo are indeed in it.

Furthermore, Vulture hears "Arndt's 40-something page treatment will soon be crossing the desks of top directors, including Brad Bird, Steven Spielberg (Lucasfilm’s co-chair, Kathleen Kennedy's former producing partner), and J.J. Abrams. Whether they’d be interested is unknown (Star Wars is a lot of baggage for an established director), but Disney wants to make sure they’ve at least tried the biggest names."

The Hollywood Reporter confirms Vulture's scoop, adding, "Months before Lucasfilm was sold to Disney and plans for new Star Wars movies were announced, Toy Story 3 writer Michael Arndt was hired to write a 40-50 page treatment for Episode VII. ... [Arndt ] has completed a treatment for the new movie and is likely to pen a draft of screenplay."

Arndt also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is currently in production.

Sweet. This is all sounding amazing so far. Toy Story 3 was the best one. And Mark Hamill said in an interview he and Carrie Fisher had dinner with Lucas a few weeks ago to tell them they'd be making Episode VII. Plus yesterday someone asked Harrison Ford if he'd return to play Han again and he said yes. So if the main three are in the current script, and the original cast is on board, they have a great writer, and are seeking a great director... I'm so on board with this movie it's ridiculous.

[Tarry]

I'm not even a Star Wars fan and I'm looking forward to it.

It's gonna take something huge to fuck this up.

[Astrozombie]

I'm just gonna assume this is where we post Star Wars shit from now on. Even though I know most people hate I-III, I actually do like them (though VI is my fave), but I thought as movies they were just really pretty. Like the scenery, Naboo especially, and Padme's outfits. Her funeral though is probably one of my favorite moments ever. Just because it was super sad, but super beautiful:

[jayzero42690]

I like all the Star Wars movies, including the prequels. I grew up with those the same as I grew up with the originals. Little Anakin aside, Episode I is really fun. I even love Jar Jar. Don't get the hate at all. He's no more annoying than C3PO or crazy hermit Yoda.

I think anyone who hasn't seen the movies (which is like, 3 people on Earth) would have an easier time getting into them watching I-III than IV-VI. VI is fun, and V is the best one, but IV is extremely slow and boring. Almost impossible to sit through if you're not already a fan tbh (nowadays anyway). I understand how it started the craze, but it doesn't hold up very well.

All that being said, pretty as Attack of the Clones is, what a piece of shit movie that is lol. Even as a fan I can barely watch it. But it's nicer to look at than IV.

V, III, I, VI, II, IV

[Tiarnán]

2 and 3 are my favourite.

Hayden Christensen.