Luke has a new father, and it isn’t Darth Vader. Disney has bought Lucasfilm, the production company founded by George Lucas that is responsible for the Star Wars saga, for $4.05 billion. Star Wars: Episode VII is set to open in 2015, which would only be the start of a new trilogy of movies. Disney plans to release each movie in the new trilogy in two to three year increments.
This comes as a surprise to most Star Wars fans, as Lucas has, until now, strongly resisted selling the rights to his film company. Many fans are worried about what this will mean for Star Wars, as fans are notoriously loyal, and any misstep by Disney will be sure to anger them.
Disney is known for its ability to build movie empires, as seen by its purchases of Marvel Entertainment and Pixar. However, Disney is not necessarily the company most fans would have chosen to take over Lucasfilm. In the minds of loyal viewers, Disney could potentially ruin Lucas’ masterpieces, much as the Rebels destroyed the Death Star.
On the bright side, it alleviates some of the stress that fans are feeling to know that Lucas has been appointed “creative consultant” of the coming films, while Kathleen Kennedy, current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will be the executive producer. She has produced movies like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and the Jurassic Park franchise.
Still, it is nerve-wracking to think of what effect Disney will have on the saga. Though Disney has clearly had many hits, will it be able to take on something as epic as Star Wars? Will Disney show its dark side, or will Disney use the Force for good, as a Jedi should?
Currently, no director has been chosen for Episode VII, but the most recent rumors seem to suggest Matthew Vaughn, an English film producer, director and screenwriter, as a likely choice. Vaughn has directed movies such as Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class. Steven Spielberg is also rumored as an option to direct the film, along with Joss Whedon, director of The Avengers.
Luckily for Disney, the most recently released Star Wars prequels were not exactly well-received, leaving Disney with ample room for improvement. Perhaps it was time for Lucas to sell his company, based on the horrors that were The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
George Lucas discussed his decision in a video with Kennedy posted on YouTube: “I’m doing this so that the films will have a longer life, so more fans can enjoy them in the future. It’s a very big universe that I’ve created and there are a lot of stories that are sitting in there.”
Kennedy promises to “Protect these characters, make sure they still continue to live in the way that [Lucas] created them, and that the universe of Star Wars continues to grow.”
It is hard to imagine replacing Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, and it is still unclear as to what direction Disney plans on taking the films. Rumors of an animated version are cringe-inducing to say the least. It is possible that they will cast new actors in the old roles, but it is also likely that the new set of films will be based on entirely different characters. Generally, the plots of Star Wars movies have been kept secret until the release, and so far no confirmed details of the upcoming plot have been leaked.
Whether hardcore fans love or hate the new films, they will go to theaters to see them, so this was a smart purchase on Disney’s part. At the very least, fans should be excited by the new experiences Disney will be able to provide for them. Imagine entire Star Wars theme parks…the possibilities are endless. “There’s lots and lots of opportunities at Disney that we wouldn’t have at any other studio,” said Lucas.
Disney will also make the classic versions of the movies more available to the public — something George Lucas was notoriously bad at. Avid fans will be able to get a hold of the original releases, which for some reason Lucas had previously insisted on keeping under wraps. There will also be a number of new toy products on the market. The new movies may revitalize Star Wars in popular culture and allow fans to interest their children in something they love.
Fans can only put their faith in Disney and hope for the best. Disney, may the force be with you.
There are some serious journalistic problems with this article. Fox21 owns the rights to the original trilogy, so NO, you will not be getting the original unaltered trilogy any time soon. Steven Spielberg has refuted he will be involved, and it has been made clear that the original actors will be reprising their roles in some capacity.
20 Century Fox is not on the rights to it they gave it up years ago