That disturbance in the Force you feel is millions of Star Wars fans crying out in joy. In the best post-hurricane news imaginable, Disney has just purchased Lucasfilm Ltd., venerable custodian of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, for a $4.05 billion cash and stocks deal. Kathleen Kennedy, who joined the George Lucas-founded company in June as co-chair, will be promoted to Lucasfilm president, reporting directly to Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn.
Best of all, Disney has announced that a new Star Wars movie is actually in the works for a 2015 release. A press release from the studio states that the movie in question will be Star Wars: Episode VII, almost guaranteed to be a post Return of the Jedi-set project. That’s very interesting, as the post-ROTJ Era has already been thoroughly explored in books and graphic novels considered canon by Lucasfilm. Will Episode VII involve previously established creations like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia? Or will it take place in a distant future with all new characters. No matter what, let the collective geekgasm commence!
As if this wasn't enough to scramble your brain like a Jedi mind trick, Disney says that even beyond Episode VII "more feature films [can be] expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future." A conference call with Disney investors further revealed that the plan is to release a new Star Wars movie "every two to three years," including Episodes VIII and IX. Apparently, part of Disney's Lucasfilm acquisition deal was a full treatment for a new Star Wars trilogy.
[Photo Credit: Todd Anderson/Disney via Getty Images]
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