Franchise FAQ

when did disney buy star wars franchise

by Josiane Gleichner Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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October 30, 2012

How much money did Disney buy Star Wars for?

Their $4 billion dollar plan. That’s how much the Mouse House paid Lucas for complete ownership of the Star Wars franchise, from past movies and other media to future ones. Let’s just say that buying one of the biggest and most beloved series of all time does not come cheap.

Is Star Wars owned by Disney?

The Biggest Movie Franchises Owned by Disney

  • Marvel Cinematic Universe. Due to a deal made a little further back in 2009, Disney has owned Marvel, the comic book empire that soon became a cinematic universe.
  • Star Wars. ...
  • Indiana Jones. ...
  • Pirates of the Caribbean. ...
  • Toy Story. ...
  • Finding Nemo. ...
  • Disney Princesses. ...
  • Frozen. ...
  • Winnie the Pooh. ...
  • The Lion King. ...

Did Disney change Starwars at all?

Since that time, Disney has had a case of Star Wars fever that shows no signs of cooling down, as they're producing new movies, TV shows, comic books, and more. And in the process, Disney has changed the Star Wars universe forever. For most of the franchise's history, Star Wars was under the direct control of Lucas.

Why did Lucas sell Star Wars?

Lucas said in the new book “The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III 1999-2005” that he found the “Star Wars” franchise to be taxing on his family life. So he decided to sell it to Disney in order to gain time back. “At that time, I was starting the next trilogy; I talked to the actors and I was starting to gear up.

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How much did Disney pay George Lucas?

$4.05 billionBack on October 30, 2012, the Walt Disney Company made a bold leap into the world of fantasy movies with its surprise announcement that it was acquiring Lucasfilm, home of the immensely successful Star Wars brands, from its founder, George Lucas, for $4.05 billion, split evenly between stock and cash.

Why did George Lucas sell Star Wars to Disney?

So, why did George Lucas sell Lucasfilm? To put it simply, George didn't want to miss out on experiencing a normal life while he still had the chance. George acknowledged that the decision was extremely painful in an interview for the book, The Star Wars Archives 1999-2005 (via SlashFilm).

Is Star Wars a Disney franchise?

Disney bought the operating businesses of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm in live-action film production, consumer items, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production as part of the agreement. Disney also bought Lucasfilm's entertainment technology portfolio.

Does Lucas regret selling Star Wars?

In the years since the sale, Lucas has heavily implied that he regrets selling Star Wars off. It is well known that he had ideas for multiple other movies, but that he never made them.

Has Disney made its money back on Star Wars?

CNBC. "Disney Bought Lucasfilm Six Years Ago Today and Has Already Recouped Its $4 Billion Investment." CNBC. "Disney Bought Marvel For $4 billion in 2009, a Decade Later it's Made More than $18 Billion At the Global Box Office."

Who owns the Star Wars franchise now?

DisneyLucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California; most of the company's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005. Disney acquired Lucasfilm on October 30, 2012, for $4.05 billion in the form of cash and stock, with $1.855 billion in stock.

Does George Lucas still own Star Wars?

George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, and Industrial Light & Magic. He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012.

Does Disney own all rights to Star Wars?

Disney acquired “Toy Story” creator Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion. The company became the owner of the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises following the purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012.

What did George Lucas do with the money from Disney?

A spokesperson for Lucasfilm told the Reporter that Lucas, who owns 100 percent of the company, plans to transfer much of the $4 billion he receives from its sale to the Walt Disney Company to a private philanthropy that will focus on education issues in the United States.

Why does Disney own Star Wars?

Lucasfilm Ltd. Disney's acquisition of the company in 2012 gave it access to the distribution rights of those high-grossing franchises. Disney also has leveraged those franchises through its theme parks and resorts, such as the “Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge”-themed entertainment area at Disneyland and Disney World.

When did Lucas sell Star Wars to Disney?

When George Lucas sold his company Lucasfilm to the Walt Disney Company in 2012 for $4 billion, it exponentially increased his already high net worth. However, some new financial numbers have been released that shed some light on just how much Lucas has made since then.

Does George Lucas still own Star Wars?

George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, and Industrial Light & Magic. He served as chairman of Lucasfilm before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012.

How much did Disney pay for Star Wars?

Disney paid more than $4 billion in 2012 to acquire LucasFilm, the production company responsible for the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” film franchises.

What happened to Star Wars after the deal closed?

Once the deal closed, Disney set about revitalizing a “Star Wars” franchise that was at a crossroads in its existence.

What Disney movies are in the Skywalker saga?

The catalog includes spin-off films “Solo” and “Rogue One” and the “Galaxy’s Edge” theme part in California.

How much did the Force Awakens movie make?

Still, Disney’s vision paid off when “The Force Awakens” earned praise from critics and more than $2 billion at the box office. Sequels “The Last Jedi” and “The Rise of Skywalker” were divisive among fans but generated more than $1 billion each.

Where was the Star Wars Celebration held in 2017?

ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 13: George Lucas attends the 40 Years of Star Wars panel during the 2017 Star Wars Celebration at Orange County Convention Center on April 13, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Disney)

When did Disney buy Star Wars?

Disney bought Star Wars in 2012. Specifically, on October 30th, 2012, Disney officially announced the deal to acquire Lucasfilm. According to one source, “Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership of Star Wars , Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm’s operating businesses in live-action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, ...

Who bought Star Wars?

Disney bought the Star Wars franchise and Lucasfilm from the man that created it all, George Lucas. Lucas wrote and produced Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. The Empire Strikes Back came out in 1980. Return of the Jedi was released in 1983.

How many years apart are the Star Wars movies?

Each of the original Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV, V, & VI) was released in movie theaters 3 years apart. They have since made many movies, TV shows, clothing, collectibles, and more with the characters, worlds, ships, and others from the Star Wars galaxy. The Walt Disney Company has even made theme parks within the galactic world ...

Did Disney get Star Wars?

Not only did The Walt Disney Company get Star Wars in the deal, but also Indiana Jones, as well as other of Lucasfilm’s operations, too.

How long has the Star Wars franchise been around?

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term.

Who owns Star Wars?

As we just announced, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm and its world class portfolio of creative content – including the legendary Star Wars franchise – along with all of its operating businesses, including Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound.

What is the Lucasfilm acquisition?

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

How much did Disney buy Lucasfilm?

Under the terms of the agreement, Disney will buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, consisting of approximately fifty percent cash and fifty percent in Disney stock. Based on Friday’s closing price of Disney stock, we expect to issue approximately 40 million Disney shares in this transaction.

When was the last Star Wars movie?

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. We’re very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films and that Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chair of Lucasfilm, will executive produce. George handpicked Kathy earlier this year to lead Lucasfilm into the future. She’ll join Disney as President of Lucasfilm, reporting into Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and integrating and building the Star Wars franchise across our company.

Is Lucasfilm a good investment for Disney?

Lucasfilm fits perfectly with Disney’s strategic priorities. It is a sustainable source of branded, high quality creative content with tremendous global appeal that will benefit all of Disney’s business units and is incredibly well suited for new business models, including digital platforms. Adding the Lucasfilm IP to our existing Disney, Pixar and Marvel IP clearly enhances our ability to serve consumers, strengthening our competitive position — and we are confident we can earn a return on invested capital well in excess of our cost of capital.

Is Disney and Lucasfilm a merger?

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

How much did Disney buy Lucasfilm?

Six years ago, Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. The four Star Wars feature films Disney has released since 2015 have grossed more than $4.8 billion at the box office. Disney also makes money from licensing agreements and sales of merchandise, apparel and toys.

How much did Star Wars grosse?

The four Star Wars feature films Disney has produced have grossed more than $4.8 billion at the box office, according to comScore. “This was one of the smartest acquisitions in history,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore, told CNBC. While box office grosses are a solid measure of a film’s success, ...

How much was Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm worth?

The deal, worth $4.05 billion in cash and stock, was announced Oct. 30, 2012 and marked the start of a new era in the Star Wars franchise.

How much did Iger buy Pixar?

Iger facilitated the purchase of Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion and Marvel Entertainment in 2009 for $4 billion. Both production companies have gone on to make billions at the box office — a whopping $17 billion for Marvel across 20 films and $13.2 billion for Pixar over 13 films, according to Box Office Mojo.

When was Lucasfilm created?

He created Lucasfilm in 1971, which acted as a production company and a visual effects and animation studio. In its more than 50-year history, Lucasfilm would produce iconic films like “Indiana Jones,” “Labyrinth” and “Willow,” as well as a fresh “Star Wars” trilogy in the early 2000s.

Who produced the Last Jedi?

Producer Kathleen Kennedy, C-3PO and Mark Hamill attend the ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ press conference at the Ritz Carlton Tokyo on December 7, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. Christopher Jue | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images. Disney ’s purchase of “Star Wars” production company Lucasfilm is proving to be one of the smartest acquisitions ever made ...

Is Indiana Jones still in theaters?

Lucasfilm still holds the rights to Indiana Jones . Although a fifth film in that franchises has been teased by the company, it is unclear when that will come to fruition. Current expectations have a film hitting theaters in 2021.

How much did Disney pay for Star Wars?

Disney paid more than $4 billion in 2012 to acquire LucasFilm, the production company responsible for the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” film franchises. At the time, Lucas, the creator and driving force behind six “Star Wars” movies, was getting ready to retire, and Disney, led by then-CEO Bob Iger, was taking aggressive steps to broaden its appeal to consumers by acquiring well-known franchises.

What happened to Star Wars after the deal closed?

Once the deal closed, Disney set about revitalizing a “Star Wars” franchise that was at a crossroads in its existence.

Who owns Star Wars?

It’s not April Fools’ Day. The Walt Disney Company is acquiring Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise for $4.05 billion. The press release:

How long has Star Wars been around?

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

What was the purpose of the 2006 Pixar acquisition?

The 2006 Pixar acquisition delivered more than great Pixar content — it also delivered the means to energize and revitalize the creative engine at Walt Disney Animation – which was crucial to our long term success. Animation is the heart and soul of Disney and our successful creative resurgence will be on full display this weekend when Wreck-It-Ralph opens in theaters across the country.

What is the Lucasfilm acquisition?

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

How much did Disney buy Lucasfilm?

Under the terms of the agreement, Disney will buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, consisting of approximately fifty percent cash and fifty percent in Disney stock. Based on Friday’s closing price of Disney stock, we expect to issue approximately 40 million Disney shares in this transaction. We continue to believe our shares are attractively priced at current levels and therefore, we currently intend to repurchase all of the shares issued within the next two years– and that’s in addition to what we planned to repurchase in the absence of the transaction.

What was the first Marvel movie?

Our first two Marvel films – Thor and Captain America grossed a total of more than $800 million at the box office. This year, Marvel’s The Avengers grossed more than $1.5 billion to become the world’s third highest grossing movie of all time – and an important and lucrative franchise for us.

When was the last Star Wars movie?

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. We’re very happy that George Lucas will be creative consultant on our new Star Wars films and that Kathleen Kennedy, the current Co-Chair of Lucasfilm, will executive produce. George handpicked Kathy earlier this year to lead Lucasfilm into the future. She’ll join Disney as President of Lucasfilm, reporting into Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and integrating and building the Star Wars franchise across our company.

What company did Disney buy?

Prior to the purchase, the Fox Corporation was formed and consisted of the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox Television Stations ...

How much did Disney own in 1996?

February 9, 1996. $19 billion. Included the ABC network, a majority stake in ESPN, a joint-stake in Lifetime Entertainment Services, a minority stake in A&E Television Networks and a limited partnership stake in DIC Entertainment. Now known as Walt Disney Television. Starwave.

When did Fox Family buy Jetix?

Fox Family Worldwide. October 24, 2001. $2.9 billion. This purchase included Saban Entertainment (part owner of the Fox Kids block) and set the framework for the eventual launch of Jetix in 2004. In 2010, a new Saban company was formed, with Disney keeping most of the catalog of its predecessor. The Muppets.

When did Disney sell Miramax?

Including Dimension Films. In 2005, when The Weinstein brothers left the company, they took the Dimension Films brand with them, On December 3, 2010, Disney sold Miramax for US$663 million to Filmyard Holdings.

When was Disney founded?

The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923 and since 1993 has acquired many properties to increase its size in the media industry. The table shows the most substantial and important acquisitions that Disney has made over the years.

Who owns Power Rangers?

In 2010, Saban Capital Group formed Saban Brands, with the new subsidiary purchasing the Power Rangers and other PR-related shows (eg, VR Troopers) from Disney in May that year. Disney still owns most of the catalog of its predecessor.

Did DIC buy Buena Vista?

DIC already had a semi-exclusive North American Home Video contract with Buena Vista Home Video that had been in effect a year before the purchase. With a backing from Bain Capital and Chase Capital Partners, Andy Heyward re-purchased the company back from Disney on November 18, 2000.

Who owns Star Wars?

Disney owns Lucasfilm and all the new Star Wars films, but that doesn't mean they have the whole franchise under their umbrella. Star Wars has been a part of Disney 's ever-expanding media empire for the past several years, but that's not the only company with their hands in the lucrative pie.

Who made Star Wars movies?

George Lucas was a maverick filmmaker who longed to work outside the studio system, so he independently produced his movies and looked for a distributor. Fox was the only studio willing to take a chance on Star Wars, a decision that handsomely paid off for several years. The first six installments of the live-action film series were released under their umbrella, raking copious amounts of cash via box office runs and home media releases, including multiple special edition releases on various platforms. Many people celebrated Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, but Fox was surely sad to see Star Wars go elsewhere.

Did Disney buy Fox?

Disney, of course, is in the process of acquiring Fox's entertainment properties, after shareholders agreed to the groundbreaking merger. In the wake of this news, most of the discussion has been in regards to the integration of the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the deal has ramifications for Star Wars as well. With Disney buying Fox, it means they'll secure those precious New Hope rights and own all of the Star Wars movies. This may not exactly be what people had in mind when they said Disney and Fox needed to come to an agreement to settle the New Hope rights, but it'll get the job done.

Did Disney buy Lucasfilm?

Many people celebrated Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, but Fox was surely sad to see Star Wars go elsewhere. However, the transaction didn't immediately move over all Star Wars rights to Disney. While the Mouse House obviously owns everything post-merger (beginning with The Force Awakens ), they still have to wait to get their hands on most ...

Will Disney own A New Hope?

Because they were partners with Lucas on the seminal 1977 original, they will own A New Hope in perpetuity, which would make it somewhat difficult for Disney to release the inevitable "complete Skywalker saga" Blu-ray collection after Episode IX comes out.

When did Disney buy Lucasfilm?

When Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, it wasn't just buying a famed production studio and the hugely successful Star Wars property. It was buying access to the largest, most devoted, and most engaged fan base in movie history.

Why did Disney's Marvel movies suffer?

What seems more likely, based on the Star Wars franchise's high incidence of production difficulties and mounting number of canceled projects, is that performance suffered because there was never a well-defined vision for where the franchise was supposed to go.

Why did the traffic decline at Disney World?

A range of factors may have contributed to the post-debut decline in parks traffic -- including a price hike, unfavorable weather conditions, and the delayed opening of Galaxy's Edge's second ride: Rise of the Resistance. But conventional wisdom held that the opening of Galaxy's Edge at Disney World and Disneyland would spur a significant increase in visitor traffic. Seeing overall traffic decline at Disney's domestic parks was still a shocking development, and parks executive Catherine Powell stepped down on the heels of the weaker-than-expected launch for Galaxy's Edge.

How did the Marvel Cinematic Universe become an entertainment juggernaut?

Having a clearly-defined road map helped the Marvel Cinematic Universe become an entertainment juggernaut that has been impervious to audience fatigue for over a decade. Evidence suggests that a similar kind of plan was never put in place for Star Wars, and individual projects suffered as a result . These missteps, combined with Disney employees' often baffling decisions to battle dissatisfied fans in media channels, led to weakened box office pull that likely spilled over to merchandise and theme park performance.

When will Rise of Skywalker be released?

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is set to hit theaters on Dec. 20, but hype for the concluding chapter of the sequel trilogy seems surprisingly scarce. "Hype" may not always be easy to quantify, but marketing presence for the film has been shockingly light, and online engagement for the franchise appears to be slipping by some metrics.

Is the Last Jedi going to be a trilogy?

A once-planned trilogy from Episode VIII director Rian Johnson doesn't look to be going forward, which isn't surprising given that The Last Jedi proved to be a very divisive film. Disney CEO Bob Iger has said that the Star Wars movie universe is going on hiatus following Rise of Skywalker. And while Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige is reportedly coming in to develop a new entry in the series, it seems clear that the House of Mouse is taking a more cautious approach to the property on the big screen.

Is there a Star Wars movie on Disney?

The cancellation of the Benioff and Weiss trilogy added to the franchise's well-chronicled production difficulties under Disney, and it left zero officially-announced Star Wars movies on Disney's production slate.

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