Disney Buying LucasFilm! WHOA

[MerlinTheGoat]

I'm pretty excited to see where this news takes Star Wars and Disney. Not to mention Indiana Jones. I actually recall M.Rudolf (if I got your username wrong sorry man) teasing Lucas additions to Hollywood Studios along with Cars Land and Monster Inc Coaster. Multiple people were saying it probably wouldn't happen but it sounds like it's almost certain to happen sooner or later now with this announcement.

The success of this venture depends though on whether they choose to use these franchises. Bridges between Disney and Lucas have been mended, Disney now has the full rights to do whatever the heck they please with those franchises (at least in parks). Now just get that stuff done! A 7th movie is a good start, and don't stop it there. There's tons of concept art and plans for many different attractions having been planned for both SW and IJ, Disney just needs to allow a proper budget and let the Imagineers do the driving here. It could be great if they were willing. I'm hoping they bought this franchise to use in the parks, especially for Hollywood Studios.

If Disney builds it i'll come. And by "it" I specifically mean something of worthwhile substance, not the majority of what they've been doing at WDW for the past decade or greater. No more trying to pretend that meet & greets, glorified bathrooms, pretty restaurants, and other accessories to theme parks devoid of actual substance are going to cut it for new experiences (especially at the ticket prices being charged). Real tangible rides with detailed physical set pieces and physical animatronic figures. I want something substantial and at LEAST on the same caliber as Indiana Jones in California. We've got too many video screen attractions as it is (one or two is fine, but no more). And they're going to have to start approving competent budgets for these attractions as well.

I just hope Disney doesn't sit on these franchises and let them just continue to print money on what they've already established before Disney got involved. Meanwhile lending even more neglect to WDW in the process. I'm worried that this is exactly what they're going to do and just take a hands off approach while they just collect the rewards they had little to nothing to do with.

Prices will no doubt go up. So, if I plan on going in 2015, can I go up to the front desk of the Poly and say..."I present to you a gift. These two droids"?

Will that pass as payment?

Hm maybe. One supposes they could strip them down and use all the parts for still-existing animatronics.

 

[EOD K9]

Here is a quick opinion poll. Regarding the new movie....Would you like to see a brief cameo of the original cast to establish the new story line? This is obviously assuming they would do it. I'm not talking about the whole movie...just a few minutes just to get the thing rolling. Thoughts? Have at it.

 

[marni1971]

What's to say they won't just be content with Star Tours 2 and a bigger store?

Just saying.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Here is a quick opinion poll. Regarding the new movie....Would you like to see a brief cameo of the original cast to establish the new story line? This is obviously assuming they would do it. I'm not talking about the whole movie...just a few minutes just to get the thing rolling. Thoughts? Have at it.

cameo is alright. I don't think any of them have the acting chops to pull off lead rolls anymore. Alec Guiness was an awesome actor that brought weight to his character. Not sure Mark Hamill could do that at this stage of his career in some mentor roll. Maybe bring Ewan Mcgregor back as an old ghost Obi Wan again. I don't know.

I would recast if they are using the original characters at later stages of their lives. Maybe Harrison Ford would be interested but he has always distanced himself from the films. Also, to be blunt...Ford can't hit a fastball anymore. Meaning, he isn't the actor he once was.
I would reboot Indiana Jones also, I love Ford...but he needs to retire. He plays grumpy old man now, and thats it.

 

[fractal]

What's to say they won't just be content with Star Tours 2 and a bigger store?

Just saying.

Because Carsland prints money and they believe building a StarWars land will print even more.

 

[CinematicFusion]

What's to say they won't just be content with Star Tours 2 and a bigger store?

Just saying.

I'm thinking the same thing. We think they are going to give us this huge news of a gigantic Star Wars themed world priced at 700 million dollars...but I think they have already said what they are going to do. That is produce 3 more Star Wars films.

But, we will see Dec. 7th. If we don't hear anything at that point...next date would be the D3 thing. So you are looking at 3 years out from D3 as a possible completion date of a Star Wars themed area. That is if they do anything.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Because Carsland prints money and they believe building a StarWars land will print even more.

but wouldnt licensing out create a bigger profit for shareholders?

 

[fractal]

but wouldnt licensing out create a bigger profit for shareholders?

Licensing would certainly reduce some of the risk - allow somebody else to make the big upfront investment - but you lose control of the end product which could permantly damage the brand. The parks are screaming for this type of content, I can't see them giving it up to someone else - especially when you already have a SW presense in DHS and DL.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Fox owns Star Wars: A New Hope "in perpituity." Definition: For an indefinite period of time; forever.

With that in mind, Can Disney buid attractions related to A New Hope? How does that work? They just own the movie rights and not the characters, content or places of the film? Could Disney create a Death Star rollercoaster from A New Hope...or would they have to make the Death Star Look like the one from Jedi?

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Licensing would certainly reduce some of the risk - allow somebody else to make the big upfront investment - but you lose control of the end product which could permantly damage the brand. The parks are screaming for this type of content, I can't see them giving it up to someone else - especially when you already have a SW presense in DHS and DL.

thats a park fans perspective, I'm constantly told on here that the mouse has shareholders demands to satisfy.

 

[flynnibus]

But, they neglected to mention that Lucasfilm is more than just George and a bunch of nerds who created Luke, Leia, Yoda and Darth Vader. The company also comprises the following entities as well, each very profitable successes in their own right.
[...]
Now, THAT's what Disney is Buying!

Not really - Disney found the valuation of those things so insignificant compared to the SW franchise in their valuation of the company and justification of the purchase price. While all of those things are great - none seem to be a consistent money making machine. If there was significant profit potential there, Disney would have been using it to help justify their price to the analysts.. instead they basically blew all those ventures off as immaterial to the larger deal.

 

[EOD K9]

Another thread started with what rides you'd like to see. I am more of the old school Episodes IV, V, VI followed by I, II, and III. I'll readily admit I know nothing of the expanded universe. So..... Hows about something based on Hoth? You are in a Snowspeeder type vehicle on a track with screens and AAs. Or, how about the climactic battle in Ep. VI where its a dark ride similar to Buzz? You'll want thrills, but you'll also want families involved too.

 

[Taylor]

Fox owns Star Wars: A New Hope "in perpituity." Definition: For an indefinite period of time; forever.

With that in mind, Can Disney buid attractions related to A New Hope? How does that work? They just own the movie rights and not the characters, content or places of the film? Could Disney create a Death Star rollercoaster from A New Hope...or would they have to make the Death Star Look like the one from Jedi?

Wasn't there a full death star at the end of the last prequel? Or was it half done

 

[flynnibus]

Fox owns Star Wars: A New Hope "in perpituity." Definition: For an indefinite period of time; forever.

With that in mind, Can Disney buid attractions related to A New Hope? How does that work? They just own the movie rights and not the characters, content or places of the film? Could Disney create a Death Star rollercoaster from A New Hope...or would they have to make the Death Star Look like the one from Jedi?

The Fox deal is about movie distribution.. home and theater. Doesn't impact product licensing.

 

[fractal]

thats a park fans perspective, I'm constantly told on here that the mouse has shareholders demands to satisfy.

I am a shareholder and am looking at it from a business perspective. I pointed out the pluses and minuses and the risks of both. It seems you are the one looking at it from a biased perspective.

 

[SirLink]

It's a drink not of earth and should have a flavor of one.

WEll Mango isn't a flavour of rural 18th Century France, that it didn't stop P&R Food + Beverage from adding it to the special drink they added for Gasdtons Tavern.

 

[Clever Name]

There's tons of concept art and plans for many different attractions having been planned for both SW and IJ, Disney just needs to allow a proper budget and let the Imagineers do the driving here.

Disney owns it all now so they can build it on the cheap.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I am a shareholder and am looking at it from a business perspective. I pointed out the pluses and minuses and the risks of both. It seems you are the one looking at it from a biased perspective.

Not really, just realistic that theme park additions may not be a top priority or requirement to making money out of this investment.

 

[marni1971]

Disney owns it all now so they can build it on the cheap.

They can't build anything on the cheap anymore. Or rather, cheaply. I really wish they could again.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

What's to say they won't just be content with Star Tours 2 and a bigger store?

Just saying.

Aye. I would not be happy about that. But at the same time I would not be the slightest bit surprised by that either. I honestly think that while this could end up being a very cool deal if done right, Disney had already been sitting on unused ideas that would have been huge hits at the parks. If they wanted to build something major, I think they probably would have done so by now. And they wouldn't have needed Star Wars to do so. There's also the worry that because it's such a proven franchise, Star Wars will actually give them an excuse NOT to build anything of substance. Perhaps because they feel people will eat it up without them even trying to put effort into it. Point being that this Star Wars deal could just be a "get out of jail free card" for Disney.

I hope i'm wrong here but Disney has proven itself rather unreliable in recent history in investing anything of real substance into WDW specifically. If they choose not to do anything with Star Wars, I think it's going to take better leadership up top (and in TDO) to get things moving. Glad to hear that's supposed to be happening soon at least. Also always good to hear that Universal is making Disney nervous too. Bring on the competition, the customers win.

They can't build anything on the cheap anymore. Or rather, cheaply. I really wish they could again.

Also agreed. Even when they 100% own the property they're developing for, it still takes a stupid amount of money to get it done. Not to mention a stupid amount of time to get even minor things built or repaired...
Star Wars attractions of worth would still take a ton of money time. So even if we get a massive budget for one, it's also going to take years to actually get done. In the meantime Universal across the street...well I don't even need to say.