Disney Buys Lucasfilm, Plans 'Star Wars: Episode 7' for 2015 Release

No it's not April Fool's. No Hurricane Sandy hasn't driven everyone crazy. This is real. THR has word that LucasFilm has just been bought by Disney for $4 billion with longtime producer Kathleen Kennedy and current Lucasfilm co-chair becoming president. But that's obviously not the biggest news. Apparently news has broken out that Disney is planning Star Wars: Episode 7 for a release in 2015. The story is still developing and we're waiting for more details, but this is about the craziest, biggest bit of news since Marvel started their plan for The Avengers back in 2007. But will Star Wars fans rejoice or cry foul? More below!

Here's chairman and chief executive of Walt Disney Bob Iger signing the papers with George Lucas:

Lucas had this to say in an official statement announcing the purchase by Disney:

"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see 'Star Wars' passed from one generation to the next. 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 a huge Star Wars fan, there's a breadth of stories in the expanded universe to draw from, and with Kathleen Kennedy in control, George Lucas taking a backseat and Disney (who is now doing wonders with Marvel) working together, maybe this won't be as disastrous as the prequels. As for my personal preference for the story, I'd like to see The New Jedi Order be the focus of what will presumably be a new, but there are over 35 years of books, comics and more that could inform a set of sequels.

The question is just who will direct these films from this new generation of filmmakers? George Lucas has been inching towards retirement, Kathleen Kennedy taking over Lucasfilm was part of that. Is this something that Steven Spieberg would step up to direct? He's one of the few directors George Lucas has trusted with his vision and he even helped with action sequences in Revenge of the Sith, but he's not a new genertion. Maybe J.J. Abrams, who successfully rebooted Star Trek could step up to the plate? There are way too many questions and more details are still emerging so stay tuned to this post for updates.

UPDATE: Executives said, "“What we’re buying, is an extensive treatment for what would be the next trilogy.” So that means there's three more films coming in the Star Wars saga. In addition, they're looking to release one every other year. So count on Episode 8 in 2017 and Episode 9 in 2019. That's one year less than Lucas needed to deliver, so hopefully that doesn't diminish the quality of the sequels.

1 Brad White on Oct 30, 2012

2 Jertown on Oct 30, 2012

3 son_et_lumiere on Oct 30, 2012

4 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

5 your humble narrator on Oct 30, 2012

6 SEAHAWKS_MULITIA on Oct 30, 2012

7 Brandon Carey on Oct 30, 2012

8 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

9 311 on Oct 30, 2012

10 Brad White on Oct 30, 2012

11 Kento on Oct 30, 2012

12 Ali Miller on Oct 30, 2012

13 John on Oct 30, 2012

14 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

15 Brad White on Oct 30, 2012

16 Ethan Anderton on Oct 30, 2012

17 son_et_lumiere on Oct 30, 2012

18 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

19 Capo on Oct 30, 2012

20 dale on Oct 30, 2012

21 Branden on Oct 30, 2012

22 Zax on Oct 30, 2012

23 Akirakorn on Oct 30, 2012

24 LosZombies on Oct 30, 2012

25 Richie G on Oct 30, 2012

26 Blkstar on Oct 30, 2012

27 John on Oct 30, 2012

28 Brady on Oct 30, 2012

29 Ryderup on Oct 30, 2012

30 Ryderup on Oct 30, 2012

31 Fidel Reyes on Oct 30, 2012

32 Akira Money ♕ on Oct 30, 2012

33 Cristek on Oct 30, 2012

34 Insaan wala Human on Oct 30, 2012

35 Insaan wala Human on Oct 30, 2012

36 Gus Ledesma on Oct 30, 2012

37 Chris Groves on Oct 30, 2012

38 Edward Curtis on Oct 30, 2012

39 stevenfreestyler on Oct 30, 2012

40 Michael Baldwin on Oct 30, 2012

41 Chris Groves on Oct 30, 2012

42 grimjob on Oct 30, 2012

43 Chris Groves on Oct 30, 2012

44 grimjob on Oct 31, 2012

45 Chris Groves on Nov 1, 2012

46 grimjob on Nov 1, 2012

47 JR on Oct 30, 2012

48 DJROBL on Oct 30, 2012

49 RidgeRacer4 on Oct 30, 2012

50 KAL-EL on Oct 30, 2012

51 Eric Wilson on Oct 31, 2012

52 THEBATMAN on Oct 30, 2012

53 THEBATMAN on Oct 30, 2012

54 smo on Oct 30, 2012

55 Brad White on Oct 30, 2012

56 your humble narrator on Oct 30, 2012

57 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

58 Brad White on Oct 30, 2012

59 Akirakorn on Oct 30, 2012

60 Brian Sleider on Oct 30, 2012

61 wudawg on Oct 30, 2012

62 grimjob on Oct 30, 2012

63 hitlersucks on Oct 30, 2012

64 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

65 BinaryChaos on Oct 30, 2012

66 Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Oct 30, 2012

67 your humble narrator on Oct 30, 2012

68 DoomCanoe on Oct 30, 2012

69 Jon W on Oct 30, 2012

70 wylles on Oct 30, 2012

71 Quanah on Oct 30, 2012

72 Quanah on Oct 30, 2012

73 max on Oct 30, 2012

74 JJ King on Oct 30, 2012

75 Xerxexx on Oct 30, 2012

76 Bob on Oct 30, 2012

77 luis on Oct 30, 2012

78 Zax on Oct 30, 2012

79 Zax on Oct 30, 2012

80 redskulllives on Oct 30, 2012

81 avi on Oct 30, 2012

82 Nielsen700 on Oct 30, 2012

83 BK on Oct 30, 2012

84 Tomi on Oct 31, 2012

85 tra la la la la di da on Oct 31, 2012

86 Eric Wilson on Oct 31, 2012

87 avconsumer2 on Oct 31, 2012

88 timnimbus on Oct 31, 2012

89 mmmmmmmm on Oct 31, 2012

Sorry, new comments are no longer allowed.