| Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC | |
 | |
| Type | LLC subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Letterman Digital Arts Center (Presidio of San Francisco) |
| Founder(s) | George Lucas |
| Key people | Kathleen Kennedy
(President) |
| Industry | Film |
| Products | Motion Pictures |
| Parent | The Walt Disney Company |
| Website | http://www.lucasfilm.com/ |
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 and responsible for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound and computer animation for film. The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm in 2012 at a valuation of $4.05 billion.[1] Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, CA. Most of Lucasfilm's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005.[1][2]
History
Independent era
Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971.[3]
On July 8, 2005, 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 and LucasArts. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California, but shelved the plan due to opposition from neighbors. However, it still plans to expand elsewhere.[4]
In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scale blockbuster films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.[5][6]
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 sole leader.[7]
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.[8]
Disney acquisition
Discussions relating to the possibility of The Walt Disney Company purchasing 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. Lucas told Iger he was considering retirement and planned to sell the company, as well as the Star Wars franchise.[9] On October 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to acquire Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion,[10] with approximately half in cash and half in shares of Disney stock.[1] Lucasfilm had previously collaborated with Disney and Walt Disney Imagineering to create rides and attractions centered on Star Wars and Indiana Jones for various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide.[11]
Kathleen Kennedy, co-chairman of Lucasfilm, became president of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally, she will serve 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 will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant.[12] The company also announced the future release of new Star Wars films, starting with Star Wars Episode VII in 2015.[11]
Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership of Lucasfilm and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production. Disney also acquired Lucasfilm's portfolio of entertainment technologies. The present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.[13] Future films will be co-branded by both the Disney and Lucasfilm names (as Disney | Lucasfilm),[14] akin to what Disney has done with Pixar.[15] 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.[16] On December 21, 2012, the deal was completed, and Lucasfilm became a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney.[2]
20th Century Fox, the distributors of the first six Star Wars films, still retain the distribution rights to the original two Star Wars trilogies, owning permanent distribution rights for the original film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, while holding the distribution to Episodes I-III, V and VI until May 2020.[17] Paramount Pictures retains some distribution rights for the Indiana Jones films, and future films will only be produced if both Paramount and Disney agree on terms.[17][18]
Disney's CEO Bob Iger confirmed that Lucasfilm had plans to have stand-alone Star Wars movies with Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg lined up to develop the movies that would be released sometime during the six-year period the sequel trilogy will be released.[19]
In April 2013, LucasArts division was closed down with most staff fired and the remaining transfered to to the Licensing division.[20][21]
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.[22]
On April 24, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that the Expanded Universe would not become 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.[23] 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.[24]
Related companies
Divisions
- Skywalker Sound - post-production sound design
- LucasArts — video games. Its development arm was shut down in April 2013, but it retained its function as a video game licensor, retaining fewer than 10 employees
- Lucasfilm Animation - animation
- Lucasfilm Animation Singapore - animation
- Industrial Light & Magic - visual effects
- Pixar Animation Studios - computer animation film production company sold to Steve Jobs in 1986, and is now a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Lucasfilm and Pixar are now both subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company after they were both purchased by them.
- Lucas Licensing - licensing and merchandising
- Lucas Books - Book publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, licensed from Lucasfilm.[25]
- Lucas Learning - educational materials
- Lucas Online - websites
- Lucas Marketing - marketing
Former Divisions
- Kerner Optical - Practical effects division (model shop) and 3D development team (spun off from ILM in 2006)
- THX Ltd. - theater sound system (spun off in 2001)
Filmography
In development
- Star Wars Episode VII (2015) — co-production with Walt Disney Pictures and Bad Robot Productions
- Star Wars Episode VIII (TBA) — co-production with Walt Disney Pictures
- Star Wars Episode IX (TBA) — co-production with Walt Disney Pictures
Status unknown
Television series
- Star Wars: Droids (1985–1986)
- Star Wars: Ewoks (1985–1987)
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–1996)
- Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003–2005)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2013)
- Star Wars Detours (TBA)
- Star Wars Rebels (2014)
- Star Wars live-action TV series (TBA)[27]
Television films and specials
- The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) (uncredited)
- Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure (1984)
- Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
- The Great Heep (1986)
Other productions
- The Making of Star Wars (1977) (produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television)
- SP FX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) (produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television)
- 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)
- Return of the Ewok (1982)
- Captain EO (1986)
- Star Tours (1987)
- 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:
- 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)
Gallery
See also
Footnotes
- Distribution rights will be transferred to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures by May 2020.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Schou, Solvej. Mickey meets 'Star Wars': Walt Disney Co. completes acquisition of Lucasfilm. Entertainment Weekly.
- ↑ Moss, Stuart (2009). The Entertainment Industry. Wallingford, UK: cab international, 89. ISBN 9781845935511.
- ↑ Les Christie CNN Money 5:43 p.m. PDT, May 21, 2012. After ritzy neighbors block Skywalker Ranch expansion, George Lucas strikes back with proposed low-income housing development - KCPQ. Q13fox.com.
- ↑ George Lucas Ready to Retire From Blockbuster Filmmaking. /Film.
- ↑ George Lucas Promises Retirement (From Blockbusters... Not Counting Indiana Jones 5). Movie Line.
- ↑ Richard Verrier and Ben Fritz, "Kathleen Kennedy to helm Lucasfilm as George Lucas phases out", Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-27.
- ↑ Gregg Kilday, "Longtime Lucasfilm President and COO Micheline Chau Retiring", The Hollywood Reporter, September 5, 2012, Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ↑ Never mind about Star Wars 7. Who is going to be Bob Iger's No. 2?. Jim Hill Media.
- ↑ Burr, Ty. What to expect when Disney buys 'Star Wars'. The Boston Globe.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Disney purchases Lucasfilm, announces new Star Wars. 3 News.
- ↑ NEW STAR WARS MOVIES ANNOUNCED AS DISNEY ENTERS AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.. http://starwars.com.
- ↑ Smith, Ethan. Mickey, Darth Vader Join Forces in $4.05 Billion Deal. The Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Patten, Dominic. Disney-Lucasfilm Deal Cleared By Feds. Deadline Hollywood.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Masters, Kim (October 30, 2012). Tangled Rights Could Tie Up Ultimate 'Star Wars' Box Set (Analysis). The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ Adam B. Vary. What about Indy? The Disney/Lucasfilm deal and the future of 'Indiana Jones'.
- ↑ Zakarin, Jordan. It's Official: 'Star Wars' Stand-Alone Films From Lawrence Kasdan, Simon Kinberg in Development. The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Droege, DB. The future of Star Wars comics under Disney Read more at http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-entertainment-opinion/68306-the-future-of-star-wars-comics-under-disney#dhjWhGoVEi4KW67w.99. TG Daily. Retrieved on January 6, 2013.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Peaty, James. "Rick McCallum interview: Dennis Potter, Star Wars TV series, George Lucas & Red Tails" Den of Geek.com, June 2012.
External links
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This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Lucasfilm. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Lucasfilm Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |