Disney buys Lucasfilm for $4 billion

You-sa heard? Walt Disney Company gotta Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in cash and stocks, moi moi, dis is nutsen!

Whaaa-? I thpek!

The deal includes Lucasfilm plus all its subsidiaries, including the LucasArts game wing, special effects studio Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, as well as the rights to the Star Wars 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 George 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. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organisation, 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.”

Inevitably, the announcement was accompanied by confirmation that Star Wars: Episode 7 is already in production and scheduled for launch in 2015, with Lucas onboard as a “creative consultant”.

No word yet on what this means for Leia Organa, who is now officially a Disney Princess, whether future sequels will include musical numbers, or if previous movies will be remastered to include Mickey Mouse ears on the Death Star.