Disney Purchases Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 Billion USD, Episode VII Set for 2015

From DailyTech: "Star Wars" will be making its way back to the big screen now that The Walt Disney Company has acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion USD.

Disney said it is buying Lucasfilm Ltd. with cash and stock, and the deal includes Lucasfilm's high-tech production companies (Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound) and the rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise.

Even though George Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars" and founder of Lucasfilm Ltd., said he was done making new versions of his mega popular epic space opera, he's going to allow Disney to bring "Star Wars" back to life.

Disney is currently working on a new "Star Wars" trilogy, beginning with "Episode 7." The new episode is due out in 2015, and Episodes 8 and 9 will shortly follow. According to Disney, the new trilogy will follow Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo beyond "Return of the Jedi," which was the third film in the original trilogy (but is chronologically the sixth film in the franchise).

"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see 'Star Wars' passed from one generation to the next," said Lucas. "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."

Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become the president of the unit. She will also be executive producer for the new trilogy.

Kennedy has been working with Lucas and a team of writers to discuss the storyline for "Episode 7." Kennedy said it's essential to have Lucas present as a key advisor during the making of the next trilogy, and she even referred to him as "her Yoda." Lucas has provided his story lines for the new trilogy.

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