Disney has expanded the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. There's no telling how the Star Wars brand will continue to grow under Disney in the coming decades.
Understanding when and how Disney bought Star Wars may shed light on the future direction of the franchise. Disney had specific goals in mind when they decided to purchase Star Wars, and Lucas had high hopes for the enduring legacy of his creation after he had retired. While the franchise has evolved in ways neither party could imagine, the events that led to Disney buying Star Wars shaped the franchise's fate from then on. The company has continued acquiring new properties and reviving old franchises in the years since, meaning that Disney buying Star Wars helped change the film industry.
Disney Bought Star Wars In 2012
The world was taken by storm in 2012 when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and confirmed a 2015 release date for Star Wars Episode 7. Lucas had stated for years that he had no plans to produce a Star Wars sequel trilogy or hand the reins to other filmmakers, but then Disney purchased the franchise and announced three new Star Wars movies. The announcement brought an equal amount of excitement and uncertainty, as no one had any idea what Disney Star Wars would look like. Either way, Star Wars was back, and this time had the resources of Disney behind it.
Timeline Of Disney's Lucasfilm Purchase
May 2011 - Bob Iger Approaches Lucas During The Reopening Of Star Tours
Disney CEO Bob Iger first approached Lucas when the Star Tours ride reopened at Disney World and Disneyland after a year-long refurbishment. Iger arranged a breakfast meeting with Lucas and made a compelling pitch for Disney to buy Star Wars, the beginning of a long process towards the sale. Lucas was understandably conflicted over selling his company, something Iger respected, but after seven months, Lucas arranged a lunch meeting to start putting the deal in motion.
October 30, 2012 - Disney Acquires Lucasfilm
After months of negotiations and an audit to determine the value of the Star Wars franchise, Disney agreed to buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. The deal was officially announced on October 30, 2012, with Lucas g the company to Disney in a press release. It was confirmed that Kathleen Kennedy, a longtime collaborator of Lucas', would take over as president of Lucasfilm and oversee the development of new Star Wars movies.
10 Best Disney Star Wars Characters (& 5 Worst)
Since Disney took over Lucasfilm in 2012, multiple Star Wars titles have come out, as have new characters. Here are both the best and the worst.
December 21, 2012 - Acquisition Is Completed
On December 21, 2012, Disney's acquisition of Star Wars and Lucasfilm was completed. Both companies immediately got to work on Star Wars Episode 7, announcing J.J. Abrams as the film's director a few months later. Disney also began developing the first Star Wars spinoff movies and a new animated series set to premiere in 2014. More than a decade later, Disney continues to branch out to new Star Wars projects, ensuring that George Lucas' creation will reach a new generation of fans.
Why Did George Lucas Sell Lucasfilm?
There are quite a few reasons why Lucas ultimately decided to sell Lucasfilm to Disney, though he's very recently spoken out about his true motivations for doing so. Star Wars because he simply felt as if he couldn't keep up with the way the film industry was developing, specifically in of streaming. He could foresee all the ways in which streaming would change the game, as well as the problems it would develop, and he decided to retire and place the company in safer hands rather than adapt to the massive change he saw coming.
There is, however, a lot of fan speculation still about why else Lucas may have sold Star Wars, especially based on things Lucas has said in the past. It's common knowledge that Lucas was often in disagreement with some of the more vocal portions of the fandom, specifically around the time of the prequel Star Wars trilogy, and some think that these harsh comments made by ionate fans may have contributed to Lucas' desire to walk away from it all. Regardless, Star Wars has now been in Disney's hands for over a decade, and there is certainly more to come.
Star Wars Movies |
Release Date |
|---|---|
The Mandalorian & Grogu |
May 22, 2026 |
- Created by
- George Lucas
- First Film
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
- Star Wars: Visions
- Video Game(s)
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Movie(s)
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
