Supreme Court Puzzles: How There Can Be Oversight Concerning Warrantless Wiretapping If No One Can Sue?

George Lucas Finally Relinquishes His Tight Control Of Star Wars... To Mickey Mouse

from the disney's-your-father dept

Tue, Oct 30th 2012 1:33pm — Leigh Beadon

Disney surprised everyone today by announcing that they've struck a deal to acquire Lucasfilm—famously 100% owned by George Lucas—and all its valuable film properties. Lucas himself is stepping aside, and Lucasfilm Co-Chairman Kathleen Kennedy will become president of the company under Disney.

As if all this wasn't enough of a shock for Star Wars fans, Disney has also announced that they will revive Lucas' abandoned plans for Episode 7 and aim for release in 2015. One can't help finding some irony in the statement from Lucas:

“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, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “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. 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.”

As most of us know, fans of Star Wars and other Lucasfilm properties have loudly criticized Lucas for retaining tight control on his old works and, worse still, meddling with them by releasing updated versions to replace the beloved originals. There has long been a wish that Lucas would let Star Wars "live beyond" him—but I doubt selling it to Disney is what anyone had in mind.

It's unlikely anyone has high hopes for the quality of future Star Wars movies, but if Disney built a Star Wars theme park, it'd probably be a hit. Meanwhile, what are the odds that Darth Vader will finally get paid?

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Filed Under: george lucas, star wars
Companies: disney, lucasfilm

108 Comments

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Reader Comments

The First Word

“

So i guess the Empire really does strike back. All hail Darth Mickey!

—DOlz

”

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Darth Vader, 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:36pm

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Dark Helmet (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:43pm

And just like that....
....The star wars franchise is officially dead. It was already dealt a huge blow by episodes 1 & 2, although 3 nearly redeemed it from the dark side of racist CGI characters and cutesy plot nonsense.

It's over. I had long thought that the problem with any episodes beyond the original trilogy would be that they'd pick the wrong plotlines from the books others have released. I was sure they wouldn't touch the Thrawn series of books. Now I'm sure they WILL, Thrawn being a blue-skinned being and that being all hip right now (meaning Disney will want to capitalize on what they think is a fad)....and they will completely fuck it up.

/nerd-rant
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Rikuo (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:44pm

I actually had to read this article twice, especially with George seemingly willingly giving up control.
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GeneralEmergency (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:44pm

And you thought Jar-Jar Binks was bad...
.

...Episode 7 will have a cute, small flying android called "Tinker-Bot".

.
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Forest_GS (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:48pm

Kingdom Hearts turned out all right.
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David (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:50pm

I hope they let someone fresh do the writing
I have a young friend, around 23 or so, who grew up with Star Wars that has a movie concept. His stuff is amazing, I hope they look for that kind of driven fan talent.

I am just scared for the animated Mickey version.
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DOlz, 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:50pm

So i guess the Empire really does strike back. All hail Darth Mickey!
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Chosen Reject (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:50pm

From the article:
The last Star Wars movie release was 2005�s Revenge of the Sith � and we believe there�s substantial pent up demand. In 2015, we�re planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 � the first feature film under the �Disney-Lucasfilm� brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 � and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years
Many dairy cows will feel great empathy for this once-beloved franchise.
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Zos (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:52pm

I cannot express the level of my disgust.
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Shadow Dragon (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:52pm

Oh Fuck!
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S. T. Stone, 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:53pm

The next Disney Princess: Leia!
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Jeff (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:55pm

This won't end well for our collective culture - now that Luke and Leia will be pimped out to sell the... wait... what?!?! THEY'RE ALREADY PIMPED OUT!!?!?! OMFG!!!!1!

/nerd-rage-on

For $4B?? I'd say that G.L. put one over on Disney; but I'm confident Disney *will* find a way to make every last penny of that $4B back and then some...
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Forest_GS (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:55pm

Re:
Wow, that actually makes sense o.o
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atroon, 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:56pm

I wonder...
If George Lucas is terminally ill. That makes sense to me, if he is. If not, why would he do this? It's not like he needs more money. And bonus, he doesn't have to stick around to see what Disney does to the franchise.
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E. Zachary Knight (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:56pm

Disney in the year 2070
Mr. Senator, we can't let Star Wars enter the public domain. To do so would be a great injustice to the creators of this much loved brand. You must pass the "New Hope Copyright Extension Act" to extend the Star Wars copyright to 150 years.
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MrWilson, 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:57pm

Re: And just like that....
As a longtime Star Wars fan, I'm not sure how to feel about this. I can't tell yet if the satisfaction of my thirst for more Star Wars content will be worth the dumbing down of the quality that Disney will perpetrate or if they'll be just as bad as Lucas has been lately while just releasing more content.

Some Disney franchises haven't been terrible. I enjoyed Tron Legacy and I'm waiting for more Tron Uprising.

I'm hopeful, but skeptical, about this. But then my love of the original trilogy survived Lucas' latter day meddling, so maybe I'm just a sucker.
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Rikuo (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 1:58pm

Re:
Now, if they were to make an M-rated Disney Smash Brothers, where I could play as Darth Maul and slice Mickey Mouse into fine thin ribbons with plenty of blood and screaming...

One can dream.
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:00pm

Re: :-)
It turns out, Mickey was Darth Vader the *entire time!*
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:01pm

Re: Disney in the year 2070
Oh so if another company buys it the copyright renews? Geez some of the stuff will never come out then.
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jupiterkansas (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:04pm

Well... they couldn't make the movies any worse, could they?

Even though I've lost all interest in anything Star Wars.
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E. Zachary Knight (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:04pm

Re: Re: Disney in the year 2070
No. That's not it. Corporate copyright lasts 95 years. So Star Wars a New Hope which came out in 1977 will have its copyright expire in 2072 unless there is another extension between now and then.
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sehlat (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:10pm

Episode 7 - The Empire Has Won
Episode 8 - Tax Time
Episode 9 - Vice President in Charge of Heavy-Handed Copyright Threats Luke Skywalker Resigns in Disgust
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PlagueSD (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:14pm

I can see the new commercials now...

QUICK!!! Get your copy of Star Wars - The original episodes 4, 5, and 6 unedited!!! You should act quickly before they get locked in the Disney Vault and are gone FOREVER!!!!
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Demoliri (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:17pm

Re: I hope they let someone fresh do the writing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars_(film)

George already done it I'm afraid.
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sehlat (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:21pm

Re: And you thought Jar-Jar Binks was bad...
At least let me get an airsickness bag on before posting something like this. Please.
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Chris M, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:22pm

To those already bitching...
You people do realize that Disney also owns Pixar right? Anyone think they started making worse movies after that acquisition (Toy Story 3 for example)? Or what about Marvel? The Avengers is well thought of don't you think? Sheesh, this is FANTASTIC news. Lucas will no longer ne the sole voice and considering what that fanbase thinks of the prequels, how is this nothing but good news? I mean hell, Disney could bring in Joss Whedon to write the new movie.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:22pm

Re: Re: Re: Disney in the year 2070
UNLESS there's another extension? You say that as though it weren't already a foregone conclusion....
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:25pm

Disney contaminate anything they touch.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:27pm

Do not want.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:28pm

Look on the bright side, everybody!
The arguments over whether Mickey shot first will go on for decades!
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Darth Blue, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:30pm

Fanbase
My question is how will this affect the fanbase? George be damned, he actually allows the fans to openly release movies and art and games, and other related material and didn't exactly theaten to sue them out of existance unlike another series from another company.

*coughstartrekandviacomcough*

Now that Disney has it, what will happen?
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ShellMG, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:34pm

I was 11 years old when I saw Star Wars for the first time in 1977.

When I read the headline, a part of that child just died.

The jaded adult is still trying to wrap her brain around it. I know there are copyright and trademark issues in play, but I don't want to think about all that right now. I have a bad feeling about this.

(Insert Wilhelm scream here)
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Ed C., 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:35pm

Oh great, now all of the classics in Disney's vault will be cased carbonite.
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evil has been born, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:35pm

little did the jedi know that it was not the sith or the dark side that was greatest threat to the galaxy....it was a mouse....
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Star What?, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:36pm

what are the odds that Darth Vader will finally get paid?

0
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Lone Starr, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:37pm

Well, I thought I'd eventually see Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money in my lifetime. In fact, I hoped for it. Sadly, it looks like I'll see Disney's Star Wars: The Search For More Money before I see a Spaceballs sequel. I believe the first comment (and link) is perfect for how I feel about this.

http://nooooooooooooooo.com/

Lucas FINALLY gives up control of Star Wars. To Disney!

Did anyone else feel that? I sensed a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of 'hopeful for a non-Lucas controlled/dominated Star Wars' fans cried out in anguish.

(Oh yeah, I'm taking the username Lone Starr. Because I'm from Texas and because Spaceballs is now officially the only redeeming legacy Star Wars has left the world as far as I'm concerned.)
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technomage (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:38pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Disney in the year 2070
A Long Time From Now....In A Galaxy, Far, Far Away.....

Star Wars will still be under copyright....from the ewoks.

which reminds me....expect the next iteration to feature E-Woks with their faithful drone companion Wall-E....Trying to save their dinner Akbar-TarTar from Wok-With-Wan Kenobi Jr.

It's a Mous...err.Trap!!!
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Colin, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:39pm

Re: And just like that....
If they're smart they'll let Brad Bird direct it.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:40pm

Re: And just like that....
Why in the hell can't they revive the Spaceball franchise? All the characters were alive at the end of the last one.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:41pm

Re: Re: Re: Disney in the year 2070
A movie released and recouped decades ago will expire in 2072? Jesus, copyright is fucked up.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:43pm

I wouldn't mind seeing Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy turned into film.
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meanwhile at disney, 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:45pm

ghost of disney: UNLIMITED POWER!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:49pm

Re: Re: And just like that....
Agreed!

We totally need to make "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money."
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Joe Publius (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 2:50pm

Re: Re: I hope they let someone fresh do the writing
On the other hand, the consensus from the Clone Wars series runnning on Cartoon Network has been postive. IMO, It all rests on a showrunner with the clarity to explain to the viewers what they're going to get. Will it be for better or worse:

- Pulpy mature Space Opera? (Ep5; Clone Wars mini series from 2002)
- An adventure story with hooks for all ages? (Eps 4 and 6)
- The somewhat fluffy action flick? (Ep 2, 3, Clone Wars Series)
- A show for kids? (Ep 1, Clone Wars Movie, Droids)

Not that I've thought a lot about this.
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gorehound (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:04pm

I sense a great disturbance in the force and it is a giant ugly Mouse !!!
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Nastybutler77 (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:06pm

Re:
Your lack of faith is disturbing.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:09pm

First Marvel, now this? What's Disney up to?
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:22pm

Re:
Actually, it'll be Leia and Amidala, both teen-age, hanging out with the rest of the Disney Princesses...
(Considering Leia is Amidala's mother, that strikes me as REALLLY creepy...)
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:23pm

Re: Re:
Oops, Amidala is Leia's mother...
Geez...
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:27pm

Re:
"First Marvel, now this? What's Disney up to?"

TOTAL WORLD DOMINATION!
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Beech, 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:33pm

How the HELL is Disney the "new generation of film makers"?

This was a cash grab, pure and simple. If Lucas really cared about the franchise and new filmmakers he would have sold the franchise to Joss Whedon for a dollar.
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MahaliaShere (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:34pm

Disney, buying up properties like it's going out of style.

I'll just leave this here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlHIxZyJHg4&feature=related
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Nathan F (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:37pm

Lucas hasn't been dead for at least a year, I still won't be seeing, playing or reading anything Star Wars related.
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Unanimous Cow Herd (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:43pm

It's as if...
millions of nerds suddenly cried out...
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silverscarcat (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:46pm

Re: And just like that....
I'm willing to give it a chance...

Despite everything else Disney is...

They still make pretty good movies.

I'm willing to at least give them a chance before demonizing them on this.

Everything else though...
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Panda (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 3:54pm

It's Alderan all over again.
I feel a disturbance in the Force. It's like a billion voices crying out all at once. "Noooo!"
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Jim G., 30 Oct 2012 @ 4:02pm

I certainly like the idea of Joss Whedon directing the next Star Wars film. Perhaps someone should send him a hologram via a droid?

"Help us, Jossi-Wan Whedobi! You're our only hope!"
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varagix, 30 Oct 2012 @ 4:13pm

Re:
He also wrote the script for the 4th Alien movie, Alien Resurrection. Sometimes he does amazing stuff. And sometimes... not so much.
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This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it

Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 4:16pm

Re: To those already bitching...
You're talking to idiot pirates. What response did you expect?

Fact: Disney couldn't fuck things up as bad as Lucas did if they tried.
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Cory of PC (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 4:36pm

Re: Re: Re:
Actually, that would be kinda creepy if Leia was Amidala's mother.

... Wait, does the Star Wars universe have time-traveling abilities?
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ltlw0lf (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 4:41pm

Re: Re: And just like that....
All the characters were alive at the end of the last one.

Well, except Pizza-the-Hutt.
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PRMan, 30 Oct 2012 @ 4:58pm

Re: To those already bitching...
I think the new trilogy is every bit as good as the original, it's just that people are comparing their 8-year-old glasses to their 38-year-old glasses. My kids saw them all at 8 and think they're all great (except for the song in ROTJ).

Sure, Disney makes some clunkers, but we could actually get a couple really good Star Wars movies out of this.
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PolyPusher (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 5:07pm

At first I was angry about this.
Then I realized that John Lasseter is now head of all things creative "Chief Creative Officer" at Disney. He's past his days as a director, however the man knows good story telling and if there's anyone I trust to figure out what to do with Star Wars, it's him.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 5:10pm

Pluto Binks
Now we know why Mickey's dog was named Pluto...
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william (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 5:14pm

Re: It's as if...
the Jedi are going to feel this one for a long long time...
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Rebel Freek, 30 Oct 2012 @ 5:40pm

Re: To those already bitching...
I'm actually in full agreement of this. Disney taking control of LucasFilm will do nothing but improve on what he was hording and slowly destroying himself. I personally have a great amount for certain people in the Disney organization that are improving everything they are making*coughJohnLassetercough*! Hell, look at the Marvel Movies that Disney has been pushing out compared to the pre-Disney era. This is a good thing, just wait for it.
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ComicGuy89 (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 5:59pm

Re: At first I was angry about this.
I agree. Disney may have shady, disagreeable corporate tactics, but they're pretty good in storytelling, especially recently. Avengers and Pixar movies also prove they can take a hands-off approach with non-native franchises.

Star Wars has been in a rut for a while now, and, while I loved the prequels, fantasy movie-making has improved drastically since Episode III aired. This is actually a great chance for Star Wars to be epic again.

Although I was shocked that a corporate monster like Disney is taking reins of Star Wars, I must concede to their movie-making capabilities and I think the future of Star Wars has not shined as brightly for a while now.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 6:07pm

Re: Re: And just like that....
or Josh Whedon.
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WulfTheSaxon (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 6:59pm

Now please release the complete Nelvana Ewoks and Droids cartoons on DVD or Blu-ray.
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Wally (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 8:07pm

Yet another classic doomed to rot away in the Disney Vault.

"We're doomed"
-C3-PO
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 9:04pm

I'll never say a bad thing about Disney again if they give me a kick-ass Han Solo origin movie.
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Liz (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 9:06pm

Re: Re: Re: And just like that....
They'd need to recast the role of Mog.
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jd2112 (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 9:27pm

Re: Re: :-)
No, Mickey was Emperor Palpatine.
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TheLastCzarnian (profile), 30 Oct 2012 @ 10:21pm

You're all missing something...
Yes, Lucas was heavy-handed in his movies, but what about fan-created materials? He was almost always supportive of those, but Disney? Not so much. There was a truck that used to drive around my town with a big Mickey sticker on the hood. One day, it was gone. Rumor has it that the owner got a C&D letter from Disney. Sound strange? Trying doing an image search for "Hello Kitty car" and see how many fans have sticker-covered daily drivers. Now do a search for "Mickey Mouse car" and you'll find... very few.

There will probably be good movies made by Disney. But the die-hard fans will almost surely suffer.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Oct 2012 @ 11:25pm

Re: And just like that....
Well if they had to pick any of the books to be made into another trilogy, its the Thrawn trilogy. How it will turn out is an entirely different question, depending if they just ignore the source material.Atleast it wasnt written out of a scratchpad like episode 1..
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techflaws (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 12:44am

Re: Re: To those already bitching...
Exhibit A: all Disney movies since 1992.
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techflaws (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 12:45am

Re: To those already bitching...
The Avengers is well thought of don't you think?

Nope, I got bored albeit not as bad as with Transformers 3.
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techflaws (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 12:52am

Re: Re:
Joss is a one-trick pony, Firefly be damned.
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nospacesorspecialcharacters (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 3:29am

Really? 78 Comments - no-one said it yet...
I have a really bad feeling about this!
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nospacesorspecialcharacters (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 3:35am

How I imagine negotiations went with Lucas...
Executives: "You cannot keep the franchise forever, George."

Lucas: "I will not make it."

Executives: "Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for it are strong. Especially for... Disney. So, you like Disney movies. Now your failure is complete. If you will not make Episode VII... then perhaps they will..!"

Lucas: "OOOOOOOOOOkaaay!"
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 3:50am

Re:
Apparently they're going to ignore all the expanded universe canon and make a completely new trilogy, tho this is all so dubious, i can atleast hope they use the thrawn trilogy
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 4:33am

Re: Re:
Sounds more like COMPLETE GLOBAL SATURATION
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Ninja (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 4:37am

Re: Re: It's as if...
Reminds me of the scene where Yoda feels all those Jedi dying. And he thought it couldn't get worse...
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Ninja (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 4:52am

Re: To those already bitching...
The Avengers was pleasant to watch but if you pay close attention there were some pretty stupid flaws plot-wise.

In any case, this will have one of the following two outcomes:

- Epic success and the franchise will be reinvigorated.
- Abyssal failure and we'll be wishing Lucas didn't do it.

In either case they'll milk the franchise to exhaustion while going nuclear concerning copyrights. Overall I believe it's more harm than good for the copyright side.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 5:05am

Hopefully the Storm Trooper costume dude retains his court victory and therefore can continue to produce storm trooper outfits. Just because the asset is sold does not mean all court proceedings are null and void.
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Ninja (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 5:31am

I sense a disturbance in the Force...
... of epic proportions.

It has begun, the end of the world as we know it. The Mayans were right!

In another news, Buzz Lightyear is confirmed as Star Wars VII clone army commander.
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Ninja (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 5:33am

Re: Really? 78 Comments - no-one said it yet...
A disturbance in the Force you feel. Stronger the Dark Side has become. Act we must.
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Ninja (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 6:11am

Re:
That scream
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Tim Griffiths (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 6:15am

Re: Re: And just like that....
Disney own Marvel and Marvel while marvel has been producing films like Iron Man and the Avengers. Pixar have arguably suffered since being taken over but there's nothing to say it's directly due to Disney messing the company up.

My view on it is simply this, the worst of what I could expect from Disney owning the rights to Star Wars has already been done by Lucas him self. In the Clone Wars Darth Maul has been brought back, he didn't die after being cut in half but was going crazy in a cave with a spider like droid body. Another Sith, who just happens to be his brother, finds him and now Maul has droid legs and is planing to take over the galaxy or some crap. He also speaks. If that does not give you a sense of how creative bankrupt the whole thing has gotten nothing will.

Truth is that Star Wars is at it's best when Lucas is acting as a creative consultant who people are willing to say "no" to. Given his stepping aside and is no longer the soul controller of the rights we may actually see something good come out of it. If it's an awful cash in then it's just going to be another awful cash in but if it's not... and we actually get see on film what the expanded universe has been promising at the hands of a capable director? Well that may be worth the risk.

Now of course being owned by the mouse means Star Wars is likely never going to be public domain but it never was anyway.

Screwed up thing is that all told this should be taken as hopeful news... which is crazy.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 6:23am

Re: Re: To those already bitching...
The difference to me is that the original trilogy can be enjoyed as both a child and an adult. I'm sure the new trilogy is great for kids, but as an adult I found it appalling. Of course, that's just my opinion, but it seems to be shared by many of the fans I know.

While I dislike Disney to a large extent (they are one of the few companies I consider to actually be evil), this could be a good thing for Star Wars fans. Disney has the opportunity win a lot of hearts and minds be undoing some of the damage Lucas has brought to the franchise. I won't hold my breath, though.
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UK Guy, 31 Oct 2012 @ 6:39am

Re: Re: Re: And just like that....
Joss Whedon.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 6:58am

Re:
4 billion dollars has that effect on people.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 7:06am

Re:
I read in another article that LucasFilm generates 250 million a year in revenue from Star Wars. Why can't they pay Darth Vader again?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 7:06am

Re:
"Now please release the complete Nelvana Ewoks and Droids cartoons on DVD or Blu-ray."

Or, at least, the Star Wars Holiday Special...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Christopher Best (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 7:39am

Re: And just like that....
I have two words of disagreement: John Lasseter.

Seriously, he's the man in charge of Disney's creative branch now. He's the former head creative person from Pixar, who was brought on to right the company during the Disney/Pixar reconciliation. That guy is awesome and does amazing things and (usually) doesn't allow crap to be produced under his watch.

I only wish Lucas had given up Lucasfilm 20 years ago. I met my wife via Star Wars fandom, but I've ceased being a fan a long long time ago.

That being said, John Carter of Mars does not give me high hopes for an adaptation of Timothy Zahn's books... But I'll remain cautiously optimistic, for now!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Tim Griffiths (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 8:50am

Re: Re:
If that's strikes you as creepy you really don't want to read some of the fanfic out there, or see the results of rule 34 for Star Wars.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 10:38am

Re:
That scene at the end of ROTJ with Obi Wan, Yoda, and Anakin will now be edited again to include Walt.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Bob E Skunky, 31 Oct 2012 @ 11:03am

All that money for a company whose films have never made a profit ?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 31 Oct 2012 @ 2:30pm

Re: You're all missing something...
They bought Die Hard too?!!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
RobM (profile), 31 Oct 2012 @ 4:07pm

So that geodesic sphere at Epcot is now a Death Star.

I haven't been inside it in 30 years, so I guess they added a few tweaks?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
RD, 31 Oct 2012 @ 10:22pm

So you gotta wonder...
So you gotta wonder if Disney will use typical "hollywood accounting methods" to ensure that Lucas never sees a dime?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Niall (profile), 1 Nov 2012 @ 8:39am

Re: Re: Re: To those already bitching...
What about Pirates of the Caribbean? I'd say that's been pretty successful and mostly not botched.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Niall (profile), 1 Nov 2012 @ 8:43am

Re: Re: Re:
So Buffy and Angel don't count? And Firefly was amazing. Shame about Dollhouse but no-one is perfect.

I'm pretty sure Twilight wouldn't have been so successful without Buffy trailblazing...

I'll also point out that Joss was part of the writing team for the original Toy Story.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2012 @ 1:24am

Re: Re: Re: And just like that....
not sure if 'soul' was deliberate for emphasis, or not!

anyway, from my perspective, III was the worst of them all, with pathetic, cringe-worthy dialogue.

never mind that the events of III fail by such a large margin of meshing with IV that it hurts

never mind that the event I waited my whole life for (how Darth Vader came to be) was incredibly lame, and how Hayden Christensen is one of the worst actors ever to appear on the big screen

unless Disney pass the Star wars reboot to one of their subsidiaries, the next one will be sachrine-sweet offal due to the restrictions Disney impose on anything that has their name on it

Lucas may have (wait, did) destroyed the prequels, but at least he cared about his creation.

Disney will just milk the cow for all the cash they can get, fans and story be damned! :'(
[ link to this | view in thread ]
techflaws (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 8:41am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Actually I only counted Buffy. I like David but the Angel storylines suck big time.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
techflaws (profile), 2 Nov 2012 @ 8:42am

Re: Re: Re: Re: To those already bitching...
Exception to the rule, and I'm talking about part 1 only. Just look at John Carter or their last animation movies.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ethorad (profile), 4 Nov 2012 @ 10:12am

Re: Re:
You think Disney ignore an existing story and come up with their own? Yeah, that's gonna happen.

Ever since that funny film they did about a mouse on a steamboat I don't think they've done anything original. Not counting drafts of copyright legislation of course.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Sam Hyatt, 18 Aug 2016 @ 12:00pm

Re: Beech
Thankfully Whedon wasn't asked, or we'd have vampire sex offenders saving the galaxy instead of Sith lords turning against their Masters.
[ link to this | view in thread ]

The Last Word

“

Disney in the year 2070

Mr. Senator, we can't let Star Wars enter the public domain. To do so would be a great injustice to the creators of this much loved brand. You must pass the "New Hope Copyright Extension Act" to extend the Star Wars copyright to 150 years.

—E. Zachary Knight

”

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George Lucas Finally Relinquishes His Tight Control Of Star Wars... To Mickey Mouse

from the disney's-your-father dept

Reader Comments

And just like that....

And you thought Jar-Jar Binks was bad...

I hope they let someone fresh do the writing

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Episode 7 - The Empire Has Won

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Look on the bright side, everybody!

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It's Alderan all over again.

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At first I was angry about this.

Pluto Binks

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How I imagine negotiations went with Lucas...

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Disney in the year 2070