Question: When did Disney buy Star Wars?

Lucasfilm




Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company based in the Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco, California. The studio is best known for creating and producing the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound and computer animation for film. Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California; most of the company's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005.[3] The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in December 2012 for $2.2 billion in cash and $1.855 billion in stock.[4][5][6]
History
Independent era (1971–2012)

Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971,[7] and incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977.[8] In 2005, Lucasfilm opened a studio in Singapore.[9]
On July 8, 2012, Lucasfilm's marketing, online, and licensing units moved into the new Letterman Digital Arts Center located in the Presidio in San Francisco. It shares the complex with Industrial Light & Magic. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California, but shelved the plan in 2012 due to opposition from neighbors. However, it still plans to expand elsewhere.[10] Skywalker Sound remains the only Lucasfilm division based at Skywalker Ranch.[11]
In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scale blockbuster films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.[12][13]
In June 2012, it was announced that producer Kathleen Kennedy, a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and a producer of the Indiana Jones films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's chairperson, which she did in June 2013.[14]
On September 5, 2012, Micheline Chau, who served as president and COO of Lucasfilm for two decades, announced that she was retiring. With her departure, senior executives for each of the Lucasfilm divisions will report directly to Kathleen Kennedy. Chau was credited with keeping the Lucasfilm and Star Wars brands strong, especially through animation spin-offs and licensing initiatives.[15]
Disney subsidiary (2012–present)
Discussions relating to the possibility of The Walt Disney Company signing a distribution deal with Lucasfilm officially began in May 2011, after a meeting that George Lucas had with Disney CEO Bob Iger during the inauguration of the Star Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction.[16] Lucas told Iger he was considering retirement and planned to sell the company, as well as the Star Wars franchise.[17] On October 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to acquire Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion,[18] with approximately half in cash and half in shares of Disney stock.[4] Lucasfilm had previously collaborated with the company's Walt Disney Imagineering division to create theme park attractions centered on Star Wars and Indiana Jones for various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide.[19]
Kathleen Kennedy, co-chairman of Lucasfilm, became president of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she serves as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Kennedy serves as producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas originally announced as serving as creative consultant.[20] The company also announced the future release of new Star Wars films, starting with Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens in 2015.[19]
Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm's operating businesses in live-action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production.[21] Disney also acquired Lucasfilm's portfolio of entertainment technologies. The intent was for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.[22] Star Wars merchandising would begin under Disney in the fiscal year 2014.[23] Starting with Star Wars Rebels, certain products will be co-branded with the Disney name,[24][25] akin to what Disney has done with Pixar.[26] On December 4, 2012, the Disney-Lucasfilm merger was approved by the Federal Trade Commission, allowing the acquisition to be finalized without dealing with antitrust problems.[27] On December 18, 2012, Lucasfilm Ltd. converted from a corporation to a limited liability company, changing its name to Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC in the process,[28]. On December 21, 2012, Disney completed the acquisition and Lucasfilm became a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney.[6]
Iger confirmed that Lucasfilm had plans to have standalone Star Wars films released sometime during the six-year period the sequel trilogy is being released, with Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg each developing a title.[29]
In April 2013, the development arm of the LucasArts division was closed down and most of its staff was laid off.[30][31] However, LucasArts remained open with a skeleton staff of fewer than ten employees so it could retain its function as a video game licensor.[32] On May 6, 2013, Disney announced an exclusive deal with Electronic Arts to produce Star Wars games for the core gaming market. LucasArts retained the ability to license, and Disney Interactive Studios retained the ability to develop, Star Wars games for the casual gaming market.[33][34]
20th Century Fox, the original distributor of the first six Star Wars films, still retains the physical distribution rights to the original two Star Wars trilogies, currently owning permanent full distribution rights for the original 1977 film, while also holding the theatrical and home video distribution rights to Episodes I–III, V, and VI until May 2020.[35] On December 14, 2017, Disney agreed to acquire the studio's owner, 21st Century Fox, in a deal that includes the studio; which would combine all these rights under its umbrella.
Lucasfilm retains the television and digital distribution rights to Star Wars episodes 1 through 6 with exception to episode 4.[36] In December 2013, Walt Disney Studios purchased the distribution and marketing rights to future Indiana Jones films from Paramount Pictures, although the latter studio will retain the distribution rights to the first four films and will receive "financial participation" from any additional films.[37][38]
On January 3, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that Dark Horse Comics' license for Star Wars comics would end in 2015, and return to fellow Disney subsidiary Marvel Comics.[39] On April 24, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that the Star Wars expanded universe would no longer be explicitly sub canon (but may be drawn upon for future works) and that The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series would be considered canon and future Star Wars projects would be overseen by a new story group to keep to that canon. Additionally, the Star Wars Legends banner would be used for those Expanded Universe materials that are in print.[40] Disney Publishing Worldwide also announced that Del Rey would publish a new line of canon Star Wars books under the Lucasfilm Story Group being released starting in September on a bi-monthly schedule.[41]
On January 16, 2014, Lucasfilm opened its Sandcrawler building on Fusionopolis View in Singapore as its regional headquarters with all staff moved from Changi Business Park. The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia and ESPN Asia Pacific were also moved into the building.[9]
In 2018, Kathleen Kennedy's contract as president was renewed for three additional years.[42]
Company structure
Industrial Light & Magic – visual effects
ILMxLAB[43]
Skywalker Sound – post-production sound design
LucasArts – video games (All internal video game development was halted in April 2013, but it retained its function as a Lucasfilm-branded video game licensor, retaining fewer than 10 employees.)[30][32][44]
Lucasfilm Animation – animation
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore
Lucas Licensing – licensing and merchandising
Lucas Books – book publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, licensed from Lucasfilm.[45]
Lucas Online – websites[46]
StarWars.com
Lucasfilm Story Group (2012–[41]) The first two revealed members were Pablo Hidalgo and Leland Chee,[47] headed by Kiri Hart[48] as Lucasfilm's SVP, Development.
Former divisions
Kerner Optical – Practical effects division (model shop) and 3D development team (spun off from ILM in 2006 and subsequently went bankrupt in 2011)[49]
Pixar Animation Studios – Computer animation film production company that was sold to Steve Jobs in 1986. It became a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, six years prior to the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm.
THX Limited – Theater sound system (spun off from Lucasfilm in 2001)[50] Creative Technology owned 60% of THX,[51] and then sold to Razer Inc. in 2016.
Filmography

Upcoming

Television series
Live-action
Maniac Mansion (1990–1993)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–1996)
The Mandalorian (2019)
Untitled Rogue One prequel series (TBA)[68]
Animated
Ewoks (1985–1987) (co-production with Nelvana)
Star Wars: Droids (1985–1986) (co-production with Nelvana)
Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005) (co-production with Cartoon Network Studios)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–present)
Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018)
Star Wars Forces of Destiny (2017–present)
Star Wars Resistance (2018–present)
Star Wars Detours (Cancelled or postponed)[69][70]
Television films and specials
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) (as The Star Wars Corporation)
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
The Great Heep (1986)
Defenders of Dynatron City (1992) (produced by DIC Entertainment in association with LucasArts)
Other productions
The Making of Star Wars (1977) (produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television)1
SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television)
Return of the Ewok (1982)
Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983) (produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television)
From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga (1983) (produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television)
The Adventures of André & Wally B. (1984)
Captain EO (1986)
Star Tours (1987)
Wow! (1990)
ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1995)
Indiana Jones Adventure (1995)
R2-D2: Beneath the Dome (2001)
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy (2004) (produced by Prometheus Entertainment in association with Fox Television Studios)
Lego Star Wars shorts:
Lego Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick (2005)
Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 (2009)
Lego Star Wars: Bombad Bounty (2010)
Lego Star Wars: The Padawan Menace (2011)
Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out (2012)
Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed (2007) (produced by Prometheus Entertainment in association with The History Channel)
Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick (2008)
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (2011)
All 7 episodes of Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles (2013, 2014)
Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales (2015)
Lego Star Wars: The Resistance Rises (2016)
Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (2016–2017)
Star Wars Blips (2017) (animated shorts)[71]
LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars (2018)
Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures (2018) (produced with Titmouse, Inc.)[72]
See also

EditDroid
Pixar
Footnotes
 Although the theatrical and home video distribution rights to all other Star Wars films were to be transferred to Walt Disney Studios by May 2020,[35] 20th Century Fox was to continue to own theatrical, home video, digital, and broadcast distribution rights to A New Hope for the foreseeable future.[36] On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company announced it is acquiring most of Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox, including the film studio and all distribution rights to A New Hope.[73]
 Physical distribution rights were to be transferred from 20th Century Fox to the Walt Disney Studios in May 2020. (Disney has now agreed to acquire 20th Century Fox so this transfer may occur sooner).[35] The digital distribution rights are held by Disney, as Lucasfilm had retained the digital distribution rights to all Star Wars films produced after the original.[36][74]
 On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company announced it is acquiring most of Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox.[75]



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