Disney buys Lucasfilm
Episode 7 due to release 2015
Burbank, Calif., The Walt Disney Co. announced today it has reached a $4.05 billion deal to purchase producer/director George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd. production house, including rights to the ``Star Wars'' film franchise, which will continue with a seventh movie slated for release in 2015.
In announcing the agreement, Disney Chairman/CEO Robert Iger said ``Star Wars'' is ``one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time.'' "Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,'' Iger said.
According to Disney, the company will pay roughly half of the purchase price in cash, and issue about 40 million shares of stock at closing. Disney officials said Lucasfilm employees were expected to retain their jobs in their existing locations.
Kathleen Kennedy, the co-chair of Lucasfilm, will become president of the company and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. She will also serve as the brand manager for ``Star Wars'' and will serve as executive producer on upcoming ``Star Wars'' films, with Lucas serving as a creative consultant. The seventh film in the franchise will be released in 2015, according to Disney.
"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see `Star Wars' passed from one generation to the next,'' Lucas said. "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 organization, `Star Wars' will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come,'' he said.
"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.''
Lucasfilm, which is headquartered in San Francisco, also includes the film technology divisions Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.
BURBANK, Calif.—The Walt Disney Co. announced today that it will give $2.5 million to the American Red Cross to support earthquake relief efforts in Japan.
"Our hearts go out to the people of Japan,'' Disney President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger said. "We send our continued thoughts of support and encouragement as this great nation begins the long road to recovery.''
Talk of a “Finding Nemo” sequel has been flitting about the Web for a while, but Disney/Pixar made it official on Tuesday.
On its Facebook page, the company announced that the follow-up to their 2003 story will arrive in November 2015, with Andrew Stanton returning to direct.
Called “Finding Dory,” the focus will evidently be on one fish in particular: the humorously forgetful Regal Blue Tang named Dory, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.
Kevin Ross (“America’s Court with Judge Ross”), the former California Superior Court judge, along with TV writer/producer Michael Ajakwe and Project Islamic Hope’s Najee Ali, took the support of “Red Tails” to the next level with Occupy Red Tails, a movement designed to raise awareness and encourage support for the feature film.
Clapping and yelling at the sights of African American heroes on the screen, viewers on the opening night for “Red Tails” did not hesitate to voice pride in the movie at a local Baldwin Hills theater.
Yes, indeed we are at war—with Hollywood. It’s our call to arms. Make history at the box office on opening day and/or weekend for “Red Tails.” A major email campaign has been on the way since December, and honestly, any and everywhere Black folks are gathered, including church, they should be asked to go to the theaters to see and support it.
