Disney buys Star Wars for 4 Billion

"BURBANK, Calif. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- 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 thatStar 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 Warsfeature 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 ofinnovative 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."

Who else is extremely pumped for this?!? This made my entire year! :D

Star Wars is old news tbh. Fuck Disney,Cartoon Network 4 Life!!!!!!!

anthonyFv wrote:Star Wars is old news tbh. Fuck Disney,Cartoon Network 4 Life!!!!!!!

fuck you and all you stand for. nothing beats the lion king! may you get raped by the bigget fish in the sea and drown in your own tears. I am a huge Cartoon Network fan (until it went gay) but The Lion King can't be touched by any cartoon ever made!!!
B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!B&!!!

lion king is not a cartoon tbh.



This man went from living the good life to living a gooder life

fuck star wars.

STRANGEgenius wrote:fuck star wars.

....................take that back.

STRANGEgenius wrote:fuck star wars.

Die in a fire.


Disney can go die in a fire for this as well.

BabySmacker wrote:

STRANGEgenius wrote:fuck star wars.

Die in a fire.


Disney can go die in a fire for this as well.

co-sign

Meet the new skywalker

star wars episode 7 would be fuckin epic

King wrote:Meet the new skywalker

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Yeah

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Yeah

then you are wrong

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Yeah

then you are wrong

Yeah

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Yeah

then you are wrong

Yeah

oh yeah?

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Yeah

then you are wrong

Yeah

oh yeah?

oh, really?

isnt that OH YEAH

from Family Guy

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:

Chokey wrote:

King wrote:lion king is not a cartoon tbh.

Implying I said it was

Implying you did not compare it to cartoons.

Implying I cant?

Yeah

then you are wrong

Yeah

oh yeah?

oh, really?

Disney buying Star Wars is actually a good thing if you think about it. Disney owns Marvel, and The Avengers turned out great. Also, George Lucas had no plans of reviving Star Wars anyway (aside from re-releasing all the movies in 3D)... so what's the problem?

41OMaXiMuS wrote:Disney buying Star Wars is actually a good thing if you think about it. Disney owns Marvel, and The Avengers turned out great. Also, George Lucas had no plans of reviving Star Wars anyway (aside from re-releasing all the movies in 3D)... so what's the problem?

Exactly this! And it's not like he won't be directing the film. He makes all the decisions when it comes to the storyline, plot, etc.

I can't wait to watch these movies!