On this day 14 years ago, Disney announced a deal to buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, bringing Star Wars and Indiana Jones under the Disney banner. The same day, the company revealed that the first new live-action Star Wars movie in a decade would hit theaters in 2015.
Inside the Deal
George Lucas owned 100% of Lucasfilm, and Disney agreed to pay about half in cash and half in stock. Along with Star Wars, the deal included Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound and LucasArts. Lucasfilm co-chair Kathleen Kennedy would become president of the company, with Lucas staying on as a creative consultant. Lucas said in a statement that it was time “to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers.”
For Disney, the appeal was clear, since Star Wars films had already earned $4.4 billion at the global box office. Its merchandise also ranked as the second-best license in the U.S., behind only Disney Princess. The deal followed Disney’s purchases of Pixar in 2006 and Marvel in 2009. Bob Iger said he began talking with Lucas about a sale roughly a year and a half earlier. He also said Episodes VIII and IX would follow, with a new film every two to three years.
A New Era for Star Wars
Disney completed the purchase on December 21, 2012, with the final value landing at about $4.06 billion. Three years later, Star Wars: The Force Awakens kicked off a new era for the saga. Disney followed it with Rogue One, The Last Jedi, Solo and The Rise of Skywalker through 2019.
From Star Tours to Batuu
Disney’s relationship with Lucas actually began long before the deal, when Star Tours opened at Disneyland in 1987. The acquisition later paved the way for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a land set on the planet Batuu. It opened May 31, 2019, at Disneyland and August 29, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
If you want to book your magical trip to Galaxy’s Edge, be sure to contact Enchanted Kingdom Vacations, and to keep up to date on all the latest Disney history and more, be sure to follow Disney Dorks on Facebook!