If you thought Disney practically owned the world after it purchased Marvel, this will really convince you: The Mouse House has just acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion.
CNBC broke the news on Twitter, and The Hollywood Reporter also relays that Disney has set a new Star Wars film for 2015 to celebrate its new purchase (and it probably won't hurt the stock, either). The press release confirms its current title is in fact Star Wars: Episode VII, and Disney plans to make episodes eight and nine with new films following every few years. 
The fact that news of both another Star Wars entry and Disney’s acquisition arrived on the same day means that plans for the film have probably been tossed around for a little while. In addition to Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm, the latter company’s co-chair Kathleen Kennedy becomes its president. She will also be an executive producer on the upcoming Star Wars films, and George Lucas, who created the franchise and founded Lucasfilm, will be a creative consultant.
Lucas made the following statement:
“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. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”
This story’s still developing, so we’ll keep you posted.
