Big Earth-shattering headlines! Walt Disney, not satisfied with just having Marvel under Mouse hat has bought Lucasfilm in its entirety and properties for over $4 billion!
This means Walt Disney now owns all the franchise rights and licenses to all of Lucas' properties from Star Wars to Indiana Jones, from the films, to the games to the merchandise.
Disney now also controls Lucas Arts, Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light and Magic, the latter effects studio who will continue to operate just as they always have on hire to other studio film projects.
There are still some license entanglements due to previous deals. For example, FOX stills owns the rights and distribution of all Star Wars films until 2020, with episode 4 being owned 'in perpetuity'; but Disney can still create new Star Wars films using all characters from the entire canon, and that's precisely what Disney intends to to!
It's been announced that Disney plans to release new Star Wars films every 2-3 years. Beginning in 2015 with Episode 7, with 8 & 9 on the horizon! So fans will finally be getting their sequel trilogy. All films will be in 3-D.
As for other properties with other studios, those will remain for the time being. EA is still working on the game - Star Wars 1313. As for the Star Wars Graphic novels and comic books currently being held by Dark Horse, that will remain so for the time being, though undoubtedly, Marvel is eying publishing those titles itself.
This means Walt Disney now owns all the franchise rights and licenses to all of Lucas' properties from Star Wars to Indiana Jones, from the films, to the games to the merchandise.
Disney now also controls Lucas Arts, Skywalker Sound, and Industrial Light and Magic, the latter effects studio who will continue to operate just as they always have on hire to other studio film projects.
There are still some license entanglements due to previous deals. For example, FOX stills owns the rights and distribution of all Star Wars films until 2020, with episode 4 being owned 'in perpetuity'; but Disney can still create new Star Wars films using all characters from the entire canon, and that's precisely what Disney intends to to!
It's been announced that Disney plans to release new Star Wars films every 2-3 years. Beginning in 2015 with Episode 7, with 8 & 9 on the horizon! So fans will finally be getting their sequel trilogy. All films will be in 3-D.
As for other properties with other studios, those will remain for the time being. EA is still working on the game - Star Wars 1313. As for the Star Wars Graphic novels and comic books currently being held by Dark Horse, that will remain so for the time being, though undoubtedly, Marvel is eying publishing those titles itself.
More info:
Press Release
Disney Buys Lucasfilm For $4 Billion! STAR WARS EPISODE VII Scheduled For 2015 Release
