The Force is strong with Disney
Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 5:26 PM Central
Last updated Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 9:29 AM Central
by John Couture
In news that is so shocking that I actually had to check a calendar to make sure that I didn't accidentally step into a worm hole and wake up on April Fool's Day, Disney announced today that it had acquired LucasFilm for $4.05 billion.
Let that sink in for a moment.
While that news in and of itself is Earth shattering, there's more that almost brought the Internet to its networked knees this afternoon. Disney further announced that it is developing Star Wars: Episode VII for release in 2015.
It's ok, take a minute to steady yourself.
The company that is already in bed with both Pixar and Marvel, just completed the trifecta that elevates it from just being one of the "big six" studios to a whole new echelon of film studio. In case you're keeping score at home, it's now Disney, the big five and then all the rest.
In case you think that I'm so cruel that I would kid about something so enormous, here's photographic proof of the deal.
That's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger on the left and none other than the man himself George Lucas on the right. If you're surprised that Lucas is finally giving up the reins of the empire that he so shrewdly built and fought to control for decades, you're not the only one.
"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."
As for Disney's part, you could say that they are pretty giddy about the deal. Here's a quote from Iger.
"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas. This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value."
And Disney didn't just get Star Wars. They got it all. They got Lucas Film, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound. I'm pretty sure they now own Marin County, California.
Longtime Lucas right-hand woman Kathleen Kennedy is staying with the brand. She's been named as President of Lucasfilm and will serve as "executive producer on new Star Wars feature films."
Notice the plural on "feature films." As for George Lucas, he will serve as "creative consultant" on the films, but it would appear that he no longer has day-to-day duties with LucasFilm.
So, let's talk about what really matters, Star Wars: Episode VII.
First, let's go beyond the initial quote from Iger and let's delve deeper into the press release. This part from Iger intrigues me.
"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."
So, that would put Star Wars: Episode VIII on track for a 2018 release and Star Wars: Episode IX for 2021, give or take a year or two. Yeah, I'm a bit light-headed as well.
So, how in the galaxy far, far away is Disney going to deliver on the promise of a new Star Wars film in a little over two and a half years? That sort of time frame from conception to release is unheard of in the realm of the type of special effects heavy films that Star Wars films tend to be.
And lest I forget to mention the pink elephant in the room, this is the studio that is responsible for the mess that was John Carter. So, can we really get excited for a new trilogy of Star Wars films when the horrible taste of the prequel trilogy still lingers?
Call me an unabashed optimist, but I say, hell yes!
In a town that is famous for being unable to keep its secrets, this deal seemingly came out of the middle of nowhere. So, it's not entirely impossible to believe that they have already done some development work on Star Wars: Episode VII.
It's quite possible that the work completed on the in-development live-action TV series could be re-purposed for the new trilogy. It's also entirely possible that Disney has a script for Episode VII and a director in place.
I mean, at this point, they almost need those things to be in place or start taking applications tomorrow morning. I would say at this point that there are only a handful of people in Hollywood that are not in the running to direct and/or write the new trilogy.
Lucas is already out and I would think that their involvement with the reboot of competing franchise Star Trek would preclude J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof from participating. You can cross off Peter Jackson and Joss Whedon too, they are both otherwise preoccupied with their own huge franchises.
Speaking of The Avengers 2, is it too early to crown Disney the box office champ of Summer 2015? They have The Avengers 2 currently scheduled for May 1, 2015 and Star Wars films traditionally release in May to kickstart the Summer.
You can move one to bookend the Summer or push one to November, but Disney already has Ant-Man on November 6, 2015. I thinking that they'll bookend the Summer with awesomeness.
Another person that is disqualified from directing Star Wars: Episode VII is Andrew Stanton. Sorry Andrew, but John Carter still stings.
So, who does that leave to handle the reins of a massive trilogy? Well, I've got a few good names to bandy about.
Jon Favreau. The man behind Iron Man is already in good with Marvel and he has a golden touch. His schedule is suspiciously open after he finishes filming Jersey Boys.
Joe Johnston. Today's news really makes us pause and reconsider this story from last year. He has an in with Lucas (although I'm not too sure if that will help him) and he has worked with Marvel in the past. He's rumored to be directing Jurassic Park IV, but things haven't exactly gotten off the ground with that film yet.
And finally, my wild card.
Christopher Nolan. Sure, he's pretty comfy in his Warner Bros. bed, but this is Star Wars. He has absolutely nothing on his slate at the moment. He is literally as available as they come.
I wish someone would explain to me how the hottest filmmaker in the business who just completed arguably the best trilogy of superhero films is unemployed. Naturally, Nolan is cagey and very secretive, but other than a vague notion that he has an original idea that he wants Michael Caine to star in (shocker!), there's nothing.
Sure, it could simply be coincidence or it could potentially point to Disney scoring two huge coups. I can't even comprehend a Nolan Star Wars film.
As for the man himself, he was interviewed last year and he touched on Star Wars a bit.
I guess we shall have to wait and see who is given the reins for the new trilogy. Until then, we will speculate like mad.
Speaking of speculation, check back tomorrow when I go over some potential story ideas for the new trilogy.