Today’s double-barreled announcement – that The Walt Disney Co. is buying Lucasfilm Ltd. and that more Star Wars movies are going to be made starting almost immediately – has me pinching myself – but this is no dream. For me, and for countless millions of fellow Star Wars fans worldwide, this thunderclap couldn’t possibly be any better. Let me explain.
Many friends and I have wondered for years: What’s the future of Star Wars? More to the point, is there a future for Star Wars? We remember the dark years after 1986 when some had declared Star Wars dead. But I remember interviewing Lucas Licensing president Howard Roffman while working on my first Star Wars book. “We’re just taking breather, Steve,” he told me. “When the public is ready for more Star Wars then Star Wars will be ready for them.”
It was 1991, and the first new Star Wars novel in eight years, Tim Zahn’s Heir to the Empire, unexpectedly shot to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. A few years later merchandise reappeared, then the hugely successful Special Editions, and finally the prequels. It was another great run; then in 2008 we had the start of the excellent Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. But my friends and I were still concerned.
From my perspective, having worked as a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal for 26 years – some of that time covering Hollywood – I was familiar with the life cycles of great companies that couldn’t survive the loss of the creative genius who founded them. In fact, The Walt Disney Co. was nearly a prime example. With Walt’s death in 1966, the company seemed to lose its way. In 1984, it fought off a corporate raider who wanted to split up the company. Since then it has gone through two distinct periods of revitalization, first under Michael Eisner and, since 2005, under Bob Iger – earning Disney the mantle of one of America’s most beloved companies.
George Lucas has had a long relationship with Disney. When he was 11 years old he took his first ever plane trip to be in line the day Disneyland opened to the public. He has worked closely with Disney Imagineering and ILM to develop the Star Tours and Indiana Jones attractions at several Disney theme parks, and has long had ideas for other park adventures. Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World have been a huge success for more than a decade.
But after the prequels, George was very clear that his days of making Star Wars movies were over. Little did I know that, behind the scenes and very quietly, George had started to come up with some storylines for at least three new movies set in a period sometime after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. I think the fact that George found so much enjoyment coming up with new ideas for The Clone Wars series spurred him on. He just needed to find the right person – and the right set-up – to carry on the Star Wars legacy.
He found that person in Kathleen Kennedy – a longtime friend, superb producer, and prolific moviemaker – and brought her in as his successor.
When Kathleen held a series of company meeting last month, she made it clear she had accepted George’s offer so she could use Lucasfilm’s great assets to make movies, and was excited by the prospect of working with a new generation of writers and directors. And she dropped broad hints that she’d help bring Star Wars back to the big screen with George there to provide creative guidance. So part one of George’s conundrum was solved.
When George started talking about retirement several years ago, many of us were concerned. We felt strongly that it would take more Star Wars movies to ensure the survival of the brand; Expanded Universe fiction, merchandise, and even great TV series weren’t enough. In my mind, at least, the best possible endgame for Lucasfilm would be an acquisition by Disney. These are two companies that have family entertainment in their DNA; they complement each other in so many ways. In fact, when Star Wars premiered in 1977, more than a few reviewers said it was the kind of film that Disney should be making.
But Disney is a huge public corporation; wouldn’t Lucasfilm and Star Wars get swallowed up? The evidence is to the contrary. Look at the acquisition of Pixar, and more recently Marvel. While Disney has integrated some of their functions, both units have been given the kind of creative independence that has enabled them to flourish and continue the broad success that made them interesting to Disney in the first place. The Avengers, for example, was made after Disney acquired Marvel. It has become one of the most successful films of all time, and the franchise has never been stronger.
Even though I dreamed about such a merger of titans, I was still shocked to hear the news – pleasantly shocked to be sure. While things will develop over months and years, and thus many specific questions remain to be answered, there is so much that the companies bring to each other that the possibilities are endless. Besides Star Wars on the big screen, new television shows and a more active online presence are also great possibilities. Perhaps someday the fan dream of a full-blown Star Wars Land will become a reality. Or even smaller dreams, like Star Wars Weekends at all Disney parks, not just Walt Disney World.
Disney has shown through successful recent initiatives like its D23 fan club, magazine, and conventions that it values fans highly. I felt privileged that the main people behind D23 came to talk to me in advance to see how Lucasfilm handled the care and nurturing of fans.
So today I’m celebrating. And I feel very much like an 11-year-old George Lucas must have felt standing in line in 1955, waiting for the gates to open to see how another icon had turned fantasy into reality.
Steve Sansweet is Lucasfilm’s Fan Relations Adviser after serving as head of Fan Relations for 15 years. He is currently chief executive of Rancho Obi-Wan, a non-profit membership museum that houses the world’s largest private collection of Star Wars memorabilia: www.ranchoobiwan.org
Tags: disney, episode vii, future of star wars
Ep 7 …by zemeckis & cameron
Ep 8 …by raimi & spielberg
Ep 9 …by nolan & whedon
The old characters are set to heart and acceptance of someone else as Han Solo will be very difficult….
Please make the movie in a different timeline… Not necessarily as a prequel or sequel but different.
For example the Darth Bane trilogy is a good set…. action as well as lot of jedi-sith debates…. It will be too good to watch a Bad Ass Darth Bane kick the hell out of people…. maybe will pave the way for a new super villain…
Micky: obi wan never told you what Disney did…… Luke: what are you talking about Star Wars is with 20TH Centry fox studios. Micky: no Luke…. Disney bought Star Wars… Luke: no.. No…… That’s not true…. That’s impossible…. Micky:search your feelings you know it could be true…..Luke: NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!……..
Yes Disney you feel our pain….. Why….. Why… WHY!!!!!!!!
So how will it end up treating fans, this new mega conglomerate?
Will they bash fans in the head for publishing fanzines? fan comics, fan films, etc? Will they bash us for doing charity projects, etc?
All like we’ve done for may years…
Star Trek’s owners made the mistake of lawyering up every time a fan expressed his love for Star Trek in the 90s – Star Wars and Lucasfilm showed the way in their fan friendly allowance of us having fun. It didn’t hurt Star Wars, on the contrary…
But Disney’s got a major reputation of bashing everyone in the head… such as classic children’s literature having their titles forcefully altered if Disney creates a film that uses a word in the title of classic kids literature or film – several examples spring to mind.
That’s something Disney needs to understand – the entire culture of Lucasfilm and George Lucas – if it’s to get our respect back.
Mickey mouse says to han solo… i am your father…..han says…noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
Goofy is the new yoda…
…for ep 7 maybe it would be best to mix the old with a new fresh cast…cameo roles for harrison, hamil and fisher and lando(forgot his name) etc.let luke be a obi wan type master…who has an apprentice and let 7 be the only one with the old cast in it but do let them have enough screentime
I can’t wait any longer i want ep 7 now…make it fast it is already taking to long…
It is already taking too long…give me episode seven give it to me…NOW!
I think they should skip farther in the timeline to when the Marc, Harrison and Kerry could play their parts at a real age …. now to cast jasen Jaina and aniken… can’t forget Mara and we are set !
Mara, dead.
Anakin, dead.
Haden, dead.
The new movie will have to after them, probably focusing on Ben, after like dies (nothing that I’m aware of shows his passing, and maybe Leia and ham solo in retirement with cameo’s. Jania who is the sword of the Jedi would have a part to play, what threat though? Who’s going to be the baddies? Can’t wait to hear mor
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Whatever it will be? Please don’t repeat the mistake like episode I did. We don’t need a jar jar binks cartoon character to cheer up the kids. Star wars is an adult movie.
When will we see a disney starwars website with info about ep 7
Im sorry to be a downer, but the Clone Wars TV series was far from good. My hope is they take Star Wars back to its roots rather than more babyish kiddie entertainment. Can Disney make my dream come true?
I agree100%!
If Disney is going to make these movies they had best do it right!
I heard they want to resurrect Darth Vader!! If this is true I will burn down their studios! I swear to god!!
Perhaps i should direct sw ep 7 …that way the movie will be the way i want it to be…yes they should let me do it…ya’ll would love my version …in fact you guys would go nuts….oh wait everybody here already is…
I don’t think GREAT TIMES FOR FANS. That is really bad.
Please give us at least the basic plots by the expanded universe books! Please! We want to see Luke and Han’s families – We want to see Mara Jade Skywalker, Ben Skywalker, Jason and Jaina Solo, and the New Republic as we have become familiar with it. Some creative license is justifiable but to allow these books to be made then have no basis in them is simply not fair to the fans!
Hopefully Disney will expand the The Old Republic short movies. Check them out on youtube.com
I LOVE THE EXPANDED UNIVERSE. IGREW UP LOVING THE MARRIAGE OF LUKE AND MARA JADE. THE EXPANDED UNIVERSE KEPT THE QUALITY OF SAGA EVEN AFTER THE FAILURE OF THE NEW TRILOGY. AND NOW THEY WILL KICK AWAY THE EXPANDED UNIVERSE. DISNEY WAKE UP DISNEY.WAKE UP!
Please, give us a dark and mature Star Wars, we deserve it.
I agree a dark and mature sw would be the best approach but with disney…it’s likely to be more family orientated
is it going to be a new war cause if not I’m confuse.
or is it going to be about the old republic coming back.
Sw fans grew up so now it’s time for sw to grow up…be mature
New generation of fans can start with ep 1-6 and animated sw than when they grow up …they can watch 7,8 and 9 so please kathleen, george, disney make the sequels dark and mature at least mature …that means no jajar …yoda types are better haha…no wooden dialoge no over exposure of cgi and scenery…no cutting back and forth between all the things going on….( that is the biggest mistake in sw movies ever)
Episode VII + Disney = more stupidity – yes, good story – no. We’re doomed. Personally me respect Lucas no more. And I ain’t no kid if someone could thought. ‘been SW fan since early 90’s.
I don’t know if this is going anywhere…
Please don’t make a kids movie like ep I!!!!
I think new movies should rely on comics and books that have already been written, with Luke as a master and leila and han’s kids etc..
Please don’t throw away decades of great movies!
Sw 7′8′&9 new story’s no EU that’s great .mark Harrison. Carie ?&the rest. We will have to wait. Looking forward to seeing them.
Who knows
I wanna know who will direct sw 7…and i wanna know NOW!!!!
Personally, as a long fan of Star Wars, I would be deeply saddened to see “Mickey Skywalker” or anything along the same lines. I think the new movies should be parallel with the Expanded Universe books on Luke rebuilding the Jedi Order, meeting Mara Jade, having kids, as well as the Solo twins, and Anakin Solo. To completely trash the original storyline and replace it with a Disney-character saga would dissapoint many of the fans I personally know.
I am thrilled that Disney has aquired Star Wars. I am super excited about the films. This will give me and my friends the opportunity to experience the thrill of seeing new Star Wars films in the theater. I couldnt be happier. There still are a few concerns but i feel the good out weighs the bad! LONG LIVE STAR WARS! May the Force be With You Allways Disney.
~Ashley~
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why I dont believe that lucas arts caved in for money. Now they’re turning epic star wars to stupid mickey mouse with lightsabers and i think there next movie will be non sense nobody will watch it
I had always hoped… but never dared to dream. Now, as my mind races towards what might come next, I breathe slowly and deeply inwards – I hold it – and quiet my mind. Uncertain the future is, but strong will it be with the Force. May the Force be with us all.
I just realised something after watching some fan made star wars movies
Some of them have some good looking lightsaber fights in them and even some good action…why is that interesting enough …because good fx and good action doesn’t make a good (sw) movie…the lack of interesting characters and good interaction and a compelling story makes it boring…i now realise that i want sw 7 to contain as less as possible cgi special effect stuff… just do what is needed to help tell the story and no more than is needed to do so because in the case of sw less is more when it comes to cgi stuff.show me as much acting between real life actors as possible…make an ep 5 type of sw movie but without the cgi stuff without the cgi/plastic muppets…keep the saber fights as short as possible but alot more interesting and more intens also no more muppet type creatures and no cartoon charaters like jarjar…its bad enough that we have to deal with ewoks wookies and the 2 blasted droids…trim that stuff down to a bare minimum…give me damn good acting and story that helps the action and cgi that has to be in be more believeable/acceptable…
Correction: why is that NOT interesting enough…
Let me direct ep 7 for fox sake haha for fox sake …amazing..yeah i know it is disney now…pfff that really makes me worrie about how kid friendly the sw sequels could turn out now…i have a bad feeling about this…it’s something elsewhere something elusive…
This is horrible in my opinion. Shooting new content to the screened part of the universe known as “Star Wars”, would ruin the prequels.
You shouldn’t try to add to an already perfect thing, it would make the perfect thing not so perfect anymore.
Hello i think yous should follow the expanded universe, many fans will be grateful. Now Can you make a star wars movie set in the time period of KOTOR? You don´t need to tell the story of revan again, but you can tell us about the mandalorian wars or about the period the dark jedi where exiled from republican space and discovered Korriban and the sith race. ( hahah hardcore fan xD) PLZZZZZZ
Are the rumors true that Disney wants to have the Character of Han Solo in 7-8-9 played by a female actress? Holy cow!!!
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I don’t like this. I mean it’s Disney. They are gonna incorporate their characters in Star Wars. The Mickey Mouse drawing in this article is EXACTLY what I’m talking about. I am happy about the new movies though. Hopefully Stephen Spielberg will direct.
Finally, we are going to have more Star Wars movies!!
Moi c’est juste Stars Wars Battlefront III que j’aimerais temps qui sorte sur la Playstation 3 mais sa l’aire que non je sais plus trôp…
“Great time for fans” Disney cancelled Star Wars first assault. Force unleash. Battlefront. Old republic. 1313. How is this great time for fans? This is horrible time for fans!!!! Those are the games I was exited for 1313 first assault oh did I forget to mentioned that Disney also cancelled the Jedi knight series? I’m sure I did.