Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Buying An Empire...

The Force will be with him, always...






Yes, this will be another one of those posts...

George Lucas gave an interview with the New York Times where he talked about how he is done with the commercial part of his career. Even producer Rick McCallum commented on it saying: "Once this is finished, he's done everything he's ever wanted to do," Imagine that, to have accomplished all your goals in life. Not many people can say that.

But if we are to believe him, it brings up that question I always wondered. Will he take Lucasfilm public, sell all, or part of the company? There is plenty of reason to believe that he will never fully let go of the reigns of power. But as time goes by, could we possibly be seeing a Lucas that desires to move beyond the commercial shadow that he's lived in over a quarter of a century? And if he moves on, what becomes of his beloved Lucasfilm and the properties that it owns? Could he wind up selling the company? Selling some of the properties? Or maybe licensing them to others for commercial use?

I've long been a supporter of the Walt Disney Company buying Lucasfilm or at least purchasing its most popular properties (Star Wars and Indiana Jones). If there were ever a company that fit the mold to control and utilize these creations, it's Disney, not 20th Century Fox. Lucas has always said that he had thought of building his own theme park, and if he didn't the one company he would want to do something with would be Disney. Lucas and Spielberg are the two figures that seem to fit as closely as possible to the mold of what Walt Disney was. Having his creations within Disney is the perfect home for them. Yes, I know I've beaten this drum before, but as time goes by, Lucas will have to address what will happen to his legacy. He will have to let someone control the universes he has created. Other than taking his company public, what other company could/would do it better?

Now, if Bob Iger will do this we can get those Imagineers working on a Star Wars theme park...

17 comments:

Capt. Tomorrow said...

Instead of courting George Lucas, Disney wasted its time and money on Avatar; a property that will NOT have staying power.

Anonymous said...

YES YES YES!!!

Rusty said...

Great view point, I agree with your thought.

Lando Dee Williams said...

I don't think that Avatar will fade, it has two sequels coming and that should create interest for years to come.

And I don't see why Disney can't do both. Having Star Wars and Indy part of the company will give them a great brand to release new films and tv shows under. Exspecially that Indy show that Paul Dini wants to do that Honor salivates over.

Oh, and a Star Wars park? Yes please.

Kevin Bruehl said...

Disney should be perfect owners, they already have Indy and Star Wars rides and at least the movie industry is safe from anymore damage. Someone has to take control of the universes that he helped ruin. That Paul Dini Indy idea is sounding better and better. Lucas never wanted to be a part of the studio system, he hated it and now he's become what he always hated, so you're right about the shadow.

Andrew said...

I believe that LucasFilm is very similar to the Jim Henson Company. Both men created wonderful characters and stories, but need a place for them to live on - even once the creators' have passed away. When you think of it in that light, Disney is the only company that stands out from the rest. Their theme parks, merchandise and TV shows help keep franchises fresh and all under one roof. Disney has gone astray on recent years regarding The Muppets, but thats hopefully changing for the better.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with Capt Tomorrow. Disney is wasting precious resources on Avatar, an unproven franchise that I suspect will not last. It had some novelty being the first big budget 3D movie, but will not stand the test of time with it's corny, overly simplistic story. The Star Wars universe is vast and extremely popular. It makes sense for Disney to take the reins at some point, assuming there is a enough dollars available after Avatar.

Anonymous said...

Please, no more decrepit old non-Disney has-beens cluttering up the parks. They're not supposed to be museums for the washed-up creations of other studios. The dumbheaded Avatar purchase was bad enough - hell, it was even worse than the idiotic and unprofitable Muppets purchase, because it has little to no cross-generational appeal. Surely after seeing the mediocre returns for that puppet movie, Disney will think twice about buying properties with the idea that they're "evergreen". Kermit has certainly proven otherwise. Let Fox keep Star Wars. Let IT spend the money keeping it going and keeping it relevant. Disney needs to clean up its own house and restore its reputation as an innovator instead of just a big spender, instead of throwing more good money after bad.

nojarama said...

Disney is the perfect fit for the legacy of Lucas. They would do good by both him & the fans IMO.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe Disney is buying Lucas!
They should create a new park in Anaheim with at least three lands: Star Wars land, Marvel land (s) and Avatar land . There's plenty of ideas and characters for attractions that only Disney can do, albeit Universal is on their heals.

Anonymous said...

I thought Avatar's story was just a rehash of Return of the Jedi and Aliens, which I thought was one of Cameron's best pictures. I don't mind Avatar in AK as long as they still have money to do a SW theme park.

Unknown said...

On the surface of it, the Star Wars theme parksounds like a perfect idea and destined to be mecca for millions of Star Wars geeks and casual fans. I would have a few questions though. A technically advanced Star Wars theme park would be costly, very costly. There would be the ongoing of expense of keeping the park ahead of the technology curve (which the current versions of Disney's Tomorrowlands struggle with now). And can the Star Wars franchise be considered now the valuable property it was a few decades ago in its hey-day.

Jay Allen said...

So glad you're back.

Tim said...

"Instead of courting George Lucas, Disney wasted its time and money on Avatar; a property that will NOT have staying power."

Do you know for a fact that Disney DIDN'T court Lucas for a theme park expansion?

Count me among those who think a Star Wars land or park would be very successful. But if I were George Lucas, it's certainly not something I would sign off on haphazardly. He may appreciate the relationship with TWDC but building a stand-alone park or licensing the rights to someone else could be a very lucrative venture.

bobd said...

I too am glad you're back. Can't wait for a post about "Journey 2 Mysterious Island" This can't be anything like what you were hoping for a little while back.

Anonymous said...

To the Anonymous known as Gigglesock...

It doesn't surprise me that you're so hateful and thick-headed to think that "The Muppets" was a flop when the truth is that it was a HUGE success and made back twice its budget!

Also, just because a specific franchise is not made by Disney does not mean that it shouldn't make its way into a Disney park. Saying stupid things like that is racist!

Jesus Christ, I'll never understand idiots like you...

Rodan said...

It seems logical sense to me that Disney would/could buy LucasFilm. Whether or not they continue with any theatrical venture doesn't matter. Having the universe recreated at Disney Parks is enough to keep the property alive in exciting ways. I think that should come first before filmwork.