Disney buys Lucasfilm

[yutpaeksi]

The internet is about to explode.

I normally don't post here in the lounge, but by now I'm sure everyone has heard that Disney has agreed to purchase LucasFilms, for four billion dollars no less, and has announced they're going to make Star Wars: Episode VII.

Reactions? Joy? Despair? Anger? Fear of more Jar-Jar?

[Slornie]

First I've heard of it.  And I hope its a badly scheduled April fool's!  Failing that, I hope George managed to get something in the contract retaining his right to veto future additions/alterations to his universe.

EDIT: And it is in fact true, with not only Episode 7 planned, but 8 and 9 too!

[yutpaeksi]

Yes folks, it's true. It's being reported everywhere. And sorry Slornie, but it sounds like for the four BILLION dollars GL got, he's completely giving up creative control.

And yeah a whole trilogy is planned but they're definitely slotting episode VII for 2015. Personally, I'm devastated most of all by the fact that a Disney-made Episode VII probably means they're going to ignore or just invalidate the entire EU, post RotJ.

[oxtyt]

The Walt Disney Company Acquires LucasFilm; Star Wars: Episode VII Set for 2015#

From this article

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/30/the-walt-disney-company-acquires-lucasfilm-star-wars-episode-vii-set-for-2015

Disney announces in an investor conference call after today's announcement that they intend to make more than one new Star Wars movie, beginning with Episode VII in 2015 followed by Episodes VIII and IX "every other year" and then "we'll go from there."

I cant believe it, I am really happy and hopping that the new episodes to be better than of the prequels since Lucas now has no affect on the star wars universe at all.

Also this means we could see Thrawn in the big screen.

So what do you guys think? Do you think that Disney would do a good job with star wars saga (like marvel and avengers)? Or not?

[Slornie]

And sorry Slornie, but it sounds like for the four BILLION dollars GL got, he's completely giving up creative control.

Probably, but he's signed up to be creative consultant on the new film so hopefully it won't be *too* terrible.

Personally, I'm devastated most of all by the fact that a Disney-made Episode VII probably means they're going to ignore or just invalidate the entire EU, post RotJ.

I'm certainly hoping that they will treat the expanded universe nicely and not just toss it away.  People have always talked about turning the Thrawn trilogy into movies, so they could start by doing that?

EDIT: Merged yutpaeksi and oxtyt's threads.

EDIT2: And possibly the best way to sum this up is this old thing:

[oxtyt]

Comon It cant be that bad of a news. Which one of you never wanted to see the expanded universe in big screen. True most likely they will add their own twist to it but don't forget Lucas has had done enough harm to the star wars saga by saying he doesn't see any of the expanded universe books as canon.

Plus so far they did a pretty good job with marvel.

[Slornie]

Plus so far they did a pretty good job with marvel.

Yeah, but the films were created after the comics (and treated as a completely seperate universe), whereas the Star Wars Expanded Universe was created around the films.  Makes it somewhat different.

On the other hand, if they did do a live action Thrawn trilogy, who would people like to see playing Thrawn/Pellaeon/Mara Jade?

[oxtyt]

Well I would love to see Liam Neeson as Thrawn

I am more worried about how Harrison Ford and the rest of the original saga stars would play their roles again, when they are in their late 60s and 70s.

[MawDrallin]

Since they are planning to release a new Star Wars Trilogy, I pray they hold it under tight scrutiny. Back when they made the Orignal Trilogy, theire was no EU to speak of (aside from Splinter of the Mind's Eye), and even during the Prequal Trilogy, even though the EU was heavily developed 0 BBY - 29 ABY, they set it from 32 BBY - 19 BBY, giving them freedom of creativity. Now, the EU is thoroughly developed all ways. The only time slots I can see them setting the movies in and still having freedom are:

*19 BBY -0 BBY-- The Dark Times, which is sparcely grown, with only a few books and one video game set during this time.

*4 ABY - 6 ABY-- The early New Republic era, though we have an accurate depiction of the New Republic's push to the Core, the major heroes of the movies (Luke, Han, Leia, Lando) haven't been recorded to do a whole lot in this time (despite the continuity-wise awful Jedi Prince series).

*10 ABY - 11 ABY-- During Operation Shadow Hand, with no content in this period aside from the Dark Empire comics, Disney would have relative creativity during this time, considering the only official source of info during this conflict are comic books, which the EU has overriden several times, and can do it again.

*12 ABY - 19 ABY-- The days of the Imperial Remnant, the Final Imperial Push, and the Caamas Crisis, it would be reasonable to place a movie in this period, as the only novels (that I can think of) set during this time are Starfighters of Adumar, The Crystal Star, the BFC Trilogy, the Corellian trilogy, and the Hand of Thrawn duology, giving the film makers a decent amount of freedom, and an entire year (15 ABY) is free, which they could set the film in.

*25 ABY - 29 ABY-- Considering Disney seems to like epic movies, I wouldn't put it behind them to set the trilogy during the Yuuzhan Vong War, which was apocalytic, so it might allow the folks at Disney to chance to venture into something they never have before: horror.

*45 ABY - 130 ABY-- With nearly a whole century of freedom, I bet you that the film makers will definately take a look at this time period.

[Senza]

Yes folks, it's true. It's being reported everywhere. And sorry Slornie, but it sounds like for the four BILLION dollars GL got, he's completely giving up creative control.

And yeah a whole trilogy is planned but they're definitely slotting episode VII for 2015. Personally, I'm devastated most of all by the fact that a Disney-made Episode VII probably means they're going to ignore or just invalidate the entire EU, post RotJ.

This is a good thing.

[Corey]

I'd imagine that the Lucasfilms staff is remaining more or less the same, so the decisions about continuity are more or less being made by the same people, with the exception of Disney taking Lucas' place, who was more involved in the projects nobody seems to like lately. Alternatively, it'll get entirely rebooted.


EDIT: Sorry, just realised that wasn't alarmist enough. OMG THEY KILLED STAR WARS I'M GOING TO GO FIND A BRIDGE BRB

[JC123]

Considering Disney's rather iron-fisted approach to copyright, I don't give the EU much of a chance on this one.  I even wonder what they might do to future fan mods and videos.  The best question to ask is:  Does a Thrawn trilogy or EU trilogy make more or less money than playing to younger audiences that haven't read the novels and are more familiar with the clone wars cartoon/cgi series?  It could be that an EU centered film would sell better.  I'm not a marketing expert though.

[Corey]

Considering Disney's rather iron-fisted approach to copyright, I don't give the EU much of a chance on this one.  I even wonder what they might do to future fan mods and videos. 

That's a good point. Ascendancy might have to go back to being Ascension.

[JC123]

That's a good point. Ascendancy might have to go back to being Ascension.

heh, yeah, we'll have to tread more carefully now

[Revanchist]

This is a good thing.

I hope you are joking about destroying EU being a good thing. Well, I'm felling kind of queasy to be honest after I read this. Disney is going to be treading on thin ice here, because if they mess up VII then Star Wars is pretty much dead. Since they are calling them 7,8 & 9 I assume that they take place after RotJ. If they do a Thrawn trilogy I will be thrilled (which is a possibility since it is believed that the trilogy might have originally been 7,8, & 9). If they destroy post-RotJ EU I will disown Star Wars and become a Trekkie (at least they have the guts to admit that any books are non canon).

[Eclipse]

Star wars future looks bad for me I hope that God/aliens or anything will make Disney do a good job

[Lord_jacob]

I have a feeling that Disney is going to dumb star wars so far down and kid friendly that they will apologize for the movie just like they did for John Carter, which was actually not bad. so imagine all the star wars fans that will be raging

[Corey]

Disney doesn't necessarily equal dumbed down. You're just thinking of their classic disturbing-yet-for-children movies. Bill Nye the Science Guy/Eyes of Nye was Disney. As many people have pointed out, Avengers was under Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean is Disney. Most importantly, Lilo and Stich was Disney.

You could say they've been primarily oriented towards kids, but even that's changed a lot since like 2007.

[yutpaeksi]

It's not the "disney-fication" I'm concerned about. I'm from NYC and I saw what they did to Times Square! Good and bad...I can trust food I buy there now but I can't find strippers as easily....

I think what we really should worry about is the EU. Bantam's books are now heavily in play to be discarded. Disney has absolutely no control over any of that material except with the names of the characters from those books (from copyright). For business purposes I could totally see them completely discarding it, and building a new expanded universe over which they have total control. So for everyone looking to see Thrawn in live action. I'd say "Start writing letters to Disney". Thrawn, Bakura, Dark Empire (for those of you who like that ridiculous segment), everything, it could simply be gone. And to those of you who like the Legacy comics, realize that Dark Horse has worked with Marvel while under Disney, but they're independent. Which of course means that Disney can simply cut them off from the EU.

It is definitely Panic Time...for all we know, Episode VII will invovle time travel to post Endor times with Jar Jar...yeah that's right just think about that for two seconds and try your best not to hurl something against the wall!

[Meyer]

I too fear is that they completely ignore the existing EU and create their own kiddie version on the lines of CW.
But hopefully they make their episodes fit into the EU. Watching the Thrawn trilogy on the big screen would be a dream come true.

So it's time to hope the best and prepare for the worst.