Walt Disney acquires Lucasfilm

[Infinity9999x]

Harry potter is not a whole park it's a subsection of the islands of adventure at Universal. It's actually not that huge of an area. That manip above would take a whole park like the multiple parks they have at disney world.

Star wars could work as a subsection but it depends on how many young girls they can attract? HP has broad gender appeal, star wars is still male dominated (which is partially why disney bought it).

Pretty much what he said. The wizarding world is actually a pretty small area. And in general, Harry Potter has a wider appeal range then SW does. SW appeals mostly to pre-teen boys to young men. HP draws in demographics from all ages, and not just boys. It has a strong female following as well.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

Haven't you realized? The universe is just teasing us. The world ends this year, remember? There's not going to be a 2015.

The world was going to end this year, but decided to delay the Apocalypse when it heard about the movies of 2015.

 

[Sawyer]

I can't help but laugh at how overtly negative and cynical some people on the internet are being, as if this is the worst possible thing that could've ever happened to the franchise- or to their lives.

 

[Octoberist]

I think the reaction has been fairly positive though..

 

[Sawyer]

Yeah, for the most part, but there are a few nay-sayers. One of my friends on facebook basically made this sound like a personal slight against him.

 

[Octoberist]

But again, Star Wars in the past few years (sans the Clone Wars series) has been lost and milked to death. Disney could bring new life to the series (or screw it even further) and even excite fans who hated the prequels.

 

[Bruce Malone]

I think this is mostly good for star wars but at the same time look at disney's non pixar/marvel output the last couple years.

John Carter, Mars Needs Mom, Prince of Persia, Tron even.

I actually think based on this track record disney probably needs to take as hands off an approach as possible. Whether they want to however is another story?

If you look at the avengers as an example this was an idea put in place before disney came on-board, the new trilogy however seems to be an entirely disney initiative.

 

[danoyse]

Pretty much what he said. The wizarding world is actually a pretty small area. And in general, Harry Potter has a wider appeal range then SW does. SW appeals mostly to pre-teen boys to young men. HP draws in demographics from all ages, and not just boys. It has a strong female following as well.

I wouldn't say Harry Potter has a wider appeal, it just has a better theme park section, for now. Star Wars has a few decades head start on Harry Potter - and don't forget, moms take their Star Wars-loving kids to Disney World, and buy up those build-your-own lightsaber kits, and get them into those Jedi Training shows. Most moms I know have been clamoring for a bigger Star Wars presence in the parks for ages (even more so since the Harry Potter land opened), because how much their kids would love it.

They're the one paying for park tickets, they're the ones buying the merchandise.

I don't think Star Wars needs its own park - especially with Disney Hollywood Studios (which already has the Star Tours ride) so desperately in need of a revamp. That's what will most likely happen.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

But again, Star Wars in the past few years (sans the Clone Wars series) has been lost and milked to death. Disney could bring new life to the series (or screw it even further) and even excite fans who hated the prequels.

It could even pull people in who weren't fans to begin with.

 

[Octoberist]

I think this is mostly good for star wars but at the same time look at disney's non pixar/marvel output the last couple years.

John Carter, Mars Needs Mom, Prince of Persia, Tron even.

I actually think based on this track record disney probably needs to take as hands off an approach as possible. Whether they want to however is another story?

If you look at the avengers as an example this was an idea put in place before disney came on-board, the new trilogy however seems to be an entirely disney initiative.

I think they'll go with the 'hands-off' approach. And why they fired the President of Disney over John Carter and Tron (though it wasn't entirely his fault.)

 

[danoyse]

I can't help but laugh at how overtly negative and cynical some people on the internet are being, as if this is the worst possible thing that could've ever happened to the franchise- or to their lives.

Or expressing dismay that Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford had the nerve to age in the 29 years since their last Star Wars movie. Surprise! That's what happens when years pass.

 

[Sawyer]

I don't see why people put Tron with John Carter.

Tron cost $170 million and made $400

John Carter cost (according to wikipedia) $250-350 million, and only made $282

 

[Octoberist]

Yeah, Tron Legacy did make its money back.. John Carter on the other hand.

 

[Bruce Malone]

John Carter was a huge bomb and Tron was just not nearly as successful as disney wanted it to be.

Regardless of actual budget disney spent a ton on advertising for it. I mean there were tron ads like 2 years before the movie even came out.

I almost wonder if disney buying star wars was almost hedging their bets against the lone ranger. I smell huge bomb written all over it. Its enormous budget, the character's lack of relevance to today, the mild trailer reaction, Johnny depps potentially waning star power as evident in dark shadows etc.

 

[Octoberist]

I think that's why Depp is trying to explore new grounds because of the number of bombs he's been in... hense his 'once' involvment with the new Wes Anderson film, and now Wally Pfsiter's new film.

 

[hippie_hunter]

For all those wondering about the distribution rights of the previous films:

- 20th Century Fox has the rights to A New Hope in perpetuity. The rest of the film series is locked up in 20th Century Fox's hands until 2020. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if this included, the home video rights to Clone Wars, Droids, Ewoks, and Caravan of Courage, which 20th Century Fox also has.

 

[Wheels]

Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Pixar.

Disney are officially the baddest film studio on the planet.

 

[CGHulk]

I always thought that as long as his children were alive there wasn't going to be anymore Star Wars films. In that they would keep their promise to their father on his death bed that there wouldn't be anymore films. Or that the company would go to his kids. Or way in the future who ever bought the company would make more films, by the time I was an old man. Boy was I wrong, this was a big surprise!!

 

[Thundarr]

I think this is good news. Lucas screwed the pooch with those God awful movie prequels.

I understand that there are plans to make a new series of films, possibly starring the original bunch of characters (though not necessarily the same actors).

I kinda hope they're Motion Capture Animated movies starring the original actors (about the only way you can get a bunch of actors that old to act in action films).

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

John Carter was a huge bomb and Tron was just not nearly as successful as disney wanted it to be.

Regardless of actual budget disney spent a ton on advertising for it. I mean there were tron ads like 2 years before the movie even came out.

I almost wonder if disney buying star wars was almost hedging their bets against the lone ranger. I smell huge bomb written all over it. Its enormous budget, the character's lack of relevance to today, the mild trailer reaction, Johnny depps potentially waning star power as evident in dark shadows etc.

Johnny Depp is one advantage to The Lone Ranger. I think the problem essentially is that Disney keeps making these movies at a too high a budget. Neither Tron nor John Carter has the name recognition like both did 80s (to a lesser extent) and the early 1900s like John Carter had, so it also hurt them that they didn't have notable actors (as great as Bridges is, he can only do so much) or directors directing. The marketing also failed to generate huge wide appeal for both movies. And personally, I find that more troubling for Tron than John Carter since Tron had an insane amount of marketing put into that movie.

Disney has to do a better job at budgeting their movies because there probably were areas they could have cut back on.

But what I think what Disney could be realizing is that they're struggling with establishing franchises, so instead of cutting back budgets on movies and seeing if that works, they're just going to milk more established franchises for money like Marvel and Star Wars, which also works financially too.

 

[CGHulk]

I think this is good news. Lucas screwed the pooch with those God awful movie prequels.

I understand that there are plans to make a new series of films, possibly starring the original bunch of characters (though not necessarily the same actors).

I kinda hope they're Motion Capture Animated movies starring the original actors (about the only way you can get a bunch of actors that old to act in action films).

We don't need to see god awful motion capture with its uncanny valley dead eye performances that comes with CG humans. I agree that CG overall is more of a visually stunning approach for a Star Wars film, but Star Wars movies must have people that look real, unfortunately CG humans don't, at this time.

Mark Hamill Talks Star Wars: Episode VII
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/10/31/mark-hamill-star-wars-episode-vii-disney/

"[George Lucas] asked Carrie [Fisher] and I to have lunch with him and we did," Hamill says, "I thought he was going to talk about either his retirement or the 'Star Wars' TV series that I’ve heard about — which I don’t think we were going to be involved in anyway, because that takes place between the prequels and the ones we were in and, if Luke were in them, he’d be anywhere from a toddler to a teenager so they’d get an age-appropriate actor — or the 3-D releases. So when he said, 'We decided we’re going to do Episodes VII, VIII, and IX,” I was just gobsmacked. “What? Are you nuts?!” [Laughs]"

"I can see both sides of it," he says. "Because in a way, there was a beginning, a middle, and an end and we all lived happily ever after and that’s the way it should be — and it’s great that people have fond memories, if they do have fond memories. But on the other hand, there’s this ravenous desire on the part of the true believers to have more and more and more material. It’s one of those things: people either just don’t care for it or are passionate about it. I guess that defines what cult movies are all about."

When you had lunch with George, did he get into any details with you about where the story would go in the next three films, or whether you would have a part in them?

Well, no, he was just talking about writers and the fact that he wouldn’t be directing. I guess he wanted us to know before everybody else knew. He said, “Now you can’t tell anybody!” [Laughs] Even now I’m nervous about saying anything. I just don’t know!

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Pixar.

Disney are officially the baddest film studio on the planet.

Also ILM for teh graphics

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Hamill's pretty on point with those comments. You're either going to love the news, hate it, or not care.

 

[redhawk23]

I think this is mostly good for star wars but at the same time look at disney's non pixar/marvel output the last couple years.

John Carter, Mars Needs Mom, Prince of Persia, Tron even.

I actually think based on this track record disney probably needs to take as hands off an approach as possible. Whether they want to however is another story?

If you look at the avengers as an example this was an idea put in place before disney came on-board, the new trilogy however seems to be an entirely disney initiative.

The leadership at disney saw a pretty large turn over this last spring due to the exact list of films you cite.

 

[Sawyer]

Hamill's pretty on point with those comments. You're either going to love the news, hate it, or not care.

Well, that pretty much covers all bases.