Disney buys Lucasfilm for $4 billion.

[comix4fun]

Lucas is selling before capital gains taxes go up next year. Even if some political compromise is reached and the rate increase does not go into effect, there will be the introduction of the 3.8% surtax on unearned income, including capital gains. By selling now, Lucas ensures he will be paying the lowest capital gains tax rate he will likely see the rest of his life, at a time when asset values are at 4-year highs as well. He can also use option strategies to either hedge his new Disney stock or write options against that position and earn a boatload of income. Seems like pretty shrewd timing on his part.

 

Honestly at his age and how much money he already has I seriously doubt he really cares about his tax bracket. Even if they taxed him 50% on capital gains he has more money in his bank than the empire.

 

 

 

If he was a lotto winner perhaps, but billionaires aren't made by accident. They certainly don't get there by not minimizing and avoiding whatever taxes and liabilities they possibly could. Given the change in laws we are talking about 9 figures in taxes in variance.

 

That's enough to make a master of the universe take notice.

 

At 68 years old after all ready being a multi-millionaire (beyond)) I seriously doubt any of us would really give a spoon at about capital gains from 4 Billion.

 

Even before the deal his children's great great great grand kids do not have to work.

 

Me thinks even if they taxes him 3 Billion of it then still still plenty of money left over that one person can not spend in his/her lifetime.

 

 

He was already a billionaire.

You and I wouldn't care about that amount in taxes, but if it were just about money he would have retired 20 years ago.

Guys who build this kind of empire, and dominate their field, like Morgan or Rockefeller, didn't do it for the cash they did it for the control, the power, and the dominance. It's a different motivation where dollars stopped being the carrot a long time ago, if it ever was at all.

[fantastic_four]

From the press release posted on Aintitcool.

 

In this transaction we will acquire rights to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, a highly talented and expert team, Lucasfilm's best-in-class post production businesses, Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound, and a suite of cutting edge entertainment technologies. Our valuation focused almost entirely on the financial potential of the Star Wars franchise, which we expect to provide us with a stream of storytelling opportunities for years to come delivered via all relevant platforms on a global basis.

 

Yea I read aintitcool first yesterday. Nothing in the language of that statement precludes the possibility that Lucas still owns the rights to the existing films--it just says "we will acquire rights," not explicitly that they acquired "all" or "full" rights to all of Lucas's intellectual property. If he did retain some rights, the statement above is still accurate, but like I said, I don't know yet other than what Bleeding Cool is reporting.

 

More on this--another article claiming that Fox owns rights to distribute all existing Star Wars films through 2020, which includes the 3D versions of the films Lucas has been working on the last few years:

 

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/box-sets-just-got-complicated-rights-for-star-wars-a-new-hope-still-held-by-fox-20121031

 

Re-reading the Bleeding Cool article, it doesn't say Lucas retained rights to Star Wars, just that the existing agreement between himself and Fox is still in effect. So I'm guessing that Disney now owns Star Wars and all existing films, but that they're forced by the existing contract to lease them to Fox until 2020. This happened with a lot of the Marvel properties as well--Spider-Man film rights are owned by Sony, Fantastic Four rights by Fox, etc.

[NewWorldOrder]

And here's some early speculation as to plot:

 

5 Possible Plotlines for Disney’s 2015 Star Wars Film

Disney just paid over $4 Billion for Lucasfilm and the jewel of George Lucas’ eye, the Star Wars Universe. The House of Mouse wasted no time, announcing that a new live-action Star Wars film (tentatively titled Star Wars 7) will be released in 2015, with new films following every few years. With only two to three years to plan, shoot, and edit, a story is probably already in place. Let’s take a look at five possible directions Disney could take the Star Wars film franchise in the next installment.

 

http://amog.com/entertainment/154919-draft/

 

Thrawn Trilogy makes #1, which is believable.

 

Yes all the other would be dumb.

 

I think most SW fans want new material not anymore prequels.

 

If they choose to do a movie set in between III and IV with a "rise of Darh Vader" or whatever that is pointless filler.

 

Disney must know most of the prequels are reviewed by millions as horrible. So they should have the greater creative thinking to conclude they must go forward and make events taking place after VI. Since they already said Episode 7 in 2015 that must mean they are going forward.

 

Sucks because I am assuming they are getting all new actors either way. I can't perceive to think any of the original cast can still do the the films. They are all way to old now and busted looking.

[NewWorldOrder]

Lucas is selling before capital gains taxes go up next year. Even if some political compromise is reached and the rate increase does not go into effect, there will be the introduction of the 3.8% surtax on unearned income, including capital gains. By selling now, Lucas ensures he will be paying the lowest capital gains tax rate he will likely see the rest of his life, at a time when asset values are at 4-year highs as well. He can also use option strategies to either hedge his new Disney stock or write options against that position and earn a boatload of income. Seems like pretty shrewd timing on his part.

 

Honestly at his age and how much money he already has I seriously doubt he really cares about his tax bracket. Even if they taxed him 50% on capital gains he has more money in his bank than the empire.

 

 

 

If he was a lotto winner perhaps, but billionaires aren't made by accident. They certainly don't get there by not minimizing and avoiding whatever taxes and liabilities they possibly could. Given the change in laws we are talking about 9 figures in taxes in variance.

 

That's enough to make a master of the universe take notice.

 

At 68 years old after all ready being a multi-millionaire (beyond)) I seriously doubt any of us would really give a spoon at about capital gains from 4 Billion.

 

Even before the deal his children's great great great grand kids do not have to work.

 

Me thinks even if they taxed him 3 Billion of it then still still plenty of money left over that one person can not spend in his/her lifetime.

 

Were not talking here about a house left to any of us by our parents and we are middle-income here. We are talking about a person who was rich (in the 1%) before the sale.

 

If the government stormed skywalker ranch and made Lucas sell to Disney and Lucas got nothing I still wouldn't feel bad what so ever.

Just because he can't spend it before dying doesn't mean he wants top pay it as taxes.

 

Well if we both had the problem you worry about paying taxes and I will worry what private island I will buy that comes with 21 year old girls.

 

Oh I would buy the STL Cardinals just to have them by my hand go 0-162 every year.

[fantastic_four]

He was already a billionaire.

You and I wouldn't care about that amount in taxes, but if it were just about money he would have retired 20 years ago.

Guys who build this kind of empire, and dominate their field, like Morgan or Rockefeller, didn't do it for the cash they did it for the control, the power, and the dominance. It's a different motivation where dollars stopped being the carrot a long time ago, if it ever was at all.

 

He is a HUGE control freak. Mark Hamill burned his bridges with Lucas decades ago by calling him out on this. They all described him as not being an "actor's director" (think those are Carrie Fisher's exact words) and being aloof and uncommunicative on the set, which likely contributed to him not directing the second and third films. Liam Neeson hated working with him and has been quite open and vocal about that. I don't think Harrison Ford has publicly spoken about Lucas, but the odds are good he feels the same way and has just been more diplomatic than some of Lucas's other stars. Certainly Ford refused to do more Indiana Jones films for almost twenty years because he thought the idea of crystal skulls for the fourth film was a stinker but Lucas was pigheaded and said it was crystal skulls or nothing at all, so Ford and Spielberg chose nothing for over fifteen years until they finally relented, realizing Lucas's stubbornness is eternal.

[NewWorldOrder]

Lucas is selling before capital gains taxes go up next year. Even if some political compromise is reached and the rate increase does not go into effect, there will be the introduction of the 3.8% surtax on unearned income, including capital gains. By selling now, Lucas ensures he will be paying the lowest capital gains tax rate he will likely see the rest of his life, at a time when asset values are at 4-year highs as well. He can also use option strategies to either hedge his new Disney stock or write options against that position and earn a boatload of income. Seems like pretty shrewd timing on his part.

 

Honestly at his age and how much money he already has I seriously doubt he really cares about his tax bracket. Even if they taxed him 50% on capital gains he has more money in his bank than the empire.

 

 

 

If he was a lotto winner perhaps, but billionaires aren't made by accident. They certainly don't get there by not minimizing and avoiding whatever taxes and liabilities they possibly could. Given the change in laws we are talking about 9 figures in taxes in variance.

 

That's enough to make a master of the universe take notice.

 

At 68 years old after all ready being a multi-millionaire (beyond)) I seriously doubt any of us would really give a spoon at about capital gains from 4 Billion.

 

Even before the deal his children's great great great grand kids do not have to work.

 

Me thinks even if they taxes him 3 Billion of it then still still plenty of money left over that one person can not spend in his/her lifetime.

 

 

He was already a billionaire.

You and I wouldn't care about that amount in taxes, but if it were just about money he would have retired 20 years ago.

Guys who build this kind of empire, and dominate their field, like Morgan or Rockefeller, didn't do it for the cash they did it for the control, the power, and the dominance. It's a different motivation where dollars stopped being the carrot a long time ago, if it ever was at all.

 

Well that is why I am socialist I guess cause I wouldn't care. If I have enough money to buy pretty much everything I ever wanted I would take that and call it a life.

[NewWorldOrder]

He was already a billionaire.

You and I wouldn't care about that amount in taxes, but if it were just about money he would have retired 20 years ago.

Guys who build this kind of empire, and dominate their field, like Morgan or Rockefeller, didn't do it for the cash they did it for the control, the power, and the dominance. It's a different motivation where dollars stopped being the carrot a long time ago, if it ever was at all.

 

He is a HUGE control freak. Mark Hamill burned his bridges with Lucas decades ago by calling him out on this. They all described him as not being an "actor's director" (think those are Carrie Fisher's exact words) and being aloof and uncommunicative on the set, which likely contributed to him not directing the second and third films. Liam Neeson hated working with him. I don't think Harrison Ford has publicly spoken about Lucas, but the odds are good he feels the same way. Certainly he refused to do more Indiana Jones films for almost twenty years because he thought the idea of crystal skulls for the fourth film was a stinker but Lucas was pigheaded and said it was crystal skulls or nothing at all, so Ford and Spielberg chose nothing for over fifteen years until they finally relented, realizing Lucas's stubbornness is eternal.

 

Then I 100% blame Harrison Ford then for crystal skulls being made because he had the power then not to make the film.

 

That film ended Indiana Jones for me. That was worse then all 3 of the SW prequels combined.

[buuduh]

[fantastic_four]

Then I 100% blame Harrison Ford then for crystal skulls being made because he had the power then not to make the film.

 

That film ended Indiana Jones for me. That was worse that all 3 of the SW prequels combined.

 

No percentage points at all for the guy who was content to end the series forever if his cohorts wouldn't accept his dumb idea? The PARTICULARLY dumb thing about crystal skulls is that when Lucas first decided in the early 1990s that it would be the concept of the next film, the fact that the real crystal skulls in existence are fakes wasn't entirely proven, just presumed to be hokey by anyone with any amount of intelligent skepticism, which included Spielberg and Ford. But in the 2000s they were determined to have been crafted in modern times, yet Lucas still held out on the idea in the mid-2000s knowing by then that they were fakes, making the concept far, far less compelling. But he had already dug his heels into the idea over a decade ago, so he still wouldn't give it up, forcing Ford and Spielberg to accept it or give up a character they both loved forever.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

A couple zingers:

 

 

[NewWorldOrder]

Then I 100% blame Harrison Ford then for crystal skulls being made because he had the power then not to make the film.

 

That film ended Indiana Jones for me. That was worse that all 3 of the SW prequels combined.

 

No percentage points at all for the guy who was content to end the series forever if his cohorts wouldn't accept his dumb idea? The PARTICULARLY dumb thing about crystal skulls is that when Lucas first decided in the early 1990s that it would be the concept of the next film, the fact that the real crystal skulls in existence are fakes wasn't entirely proven, just presumed to be hokey by anyone with any amount of intelligent skepticism, which included Spielberg and Ford. But in the 2000s they were determined to have been crafted in modern times, yet Lucas still held out on the idea in the mid-2000s knowing by then that they were fakes, making the concept far, far less compelling. But he had already dug his heels into the idea over a decade ago, so he still wouldn't give it up, forcing Ford and Spielberg to accept it or give up a character they both loved forever.

 

They should have given up.

 

Ford could have just said to Lucas, "When you get a better plot then give me a call."

 

That last film tarnished Mr. Jones.

[fantastic_four]

They should have given up.

 

Ford could have just said to Lucas, "When you get a better plot then give me a call."

 

He did for almost two decades, so give him some credit. And cut him some slack for finally relenting...I suspect he was looking past that fourth film and just hoping to get it out of the way to do another one after it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's ECSTATIC about this sale, wouldn't surprise me at all if he is given the last two decades of stubbornness he's endured from Lucas. He's said consistently for a decade or more he loves Indiana Jones and has long wanted to revise the role and has commented several times this year about wanting to do the fifth one.

[NewWorldOrder]

They should have given up.

 

Ford could have just said to Lucas, "When you get a better plot then give me a call."

 

He did for almost two decades, so give him some credit. And cut him some slack for finally relenting...I suspect he was looking past that fourth film and just hoping to get it out of the way to do another one after it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's ECSTATIC about this sale, wouldn't surprise me at all if he is given the last two decades of stubbornness he's endured from Lucas. He's said consistently for a decade or more he loves Indiana Jones and has long wanted to revise the role and has commented several times this year about wanting to do the fifth one.

 

He is too then and he is too old now to reprise the role. He looked so busted in part 4.

[fantastic_four]

They should have given up.

 

Ford could have just said to Lucas, "When you get a better plot then give me a call."

 

He did for almost two decades, so give him some credit. And cut him some slack for finally relenting...I suspect he was looking past that fourth film and just hoping to get it out of the way to do another one after it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's ECSTATIC about this sale, wouldn't surprise me at all if he is given the last two decades of stubbornness he's endured from Lucas. He's said consistently for a decade or more he loves Indiana Jones and has long wanted to revise the role and has commented several times this year about wanting to do the fifth one.

 

He is too then and he is too old now to reprise the role. He looked so busted in part 4.

 

He's already said he wants to fill the Sean Connery-type role in the next one as a back seat to presumably LaBeouf.

 

I don't really find the fourth one to be significantly worse than the second one. Temple of Doom was really hokey, I just didn't realize it when I was a kid during its release. They've all got some eye-rolling elements when looked at with adult eyes, although the first one sure does hold up the best. I still like Last Crusade best though, yet can see how Raiders is a better film. Last Crusade was my favorite film ever all the way up until "The Dark Knight" came out.

[montrealfilmguy]

First half hour is pretty standard Indy.

 

Save for that damn fridge.

 

When it got to interdimensional aliens,it reminded me why i hated the last few seasons of conspiracy X-files.

 

Thats another thing i always mention.

 

Before Star wars,the cast acted honestly because at the time of shooting,there was no Star wars.

 

When the cast of Phantom menace stepped on the greenscreen stage,theyre thinking "cool,i'm a part of Star wars" and this surely affects the acting.

 

Then again,running around all lovey near CG waterfalls a la Days of our lives doesnt help either.

[CDaBruce]

I don't know if anyone has started speculating about this yet but last year Disney announced that they were going to do an Avatar Land theme park. Earlier in September this year they postponed/canceled it due to creative differences with James Cameron and the Disney Imagineers. Any idea if they just scrap Avatar Land and knock out Star Wars Land?

 

OMG thank god Avatar land is postponed and hopefully just cancelled off building blocks.

 

Star Wars land makes total sense over Avatar. One movie should not deem a theme park.

 

Avatar besides the special effects has a story-line that is just one notch above a Sunday afternoon SyFY movie.

 

The rumors that the Avatar land (Pandora) aren't happening are just that - rumors. Here is the latest from a good source.... Avatar Land still in development...

 

I'm a huge theme park fan but am not real excited for Avatar Land. Disney paid quite a bit of money for those theme park rights and I doubt they are going to cancel these plans especially with the two (possibly three) Avatar sequels coming soon regardless of how difficult Cameron is to work with. Perhaps they will scale back what they had planned for Avatar and put it towards LucasFilm attractions.

 

A Star Wars land, or entire theme park, is inevitable. Now that is exciting.

[Hawkman]

are the original, unedited versions of the films availabel in vhs or dvd (other than bootleg versions)? i've never bought star wars in any medium since i figured one day they'd release the originals as well as the edited versions all at once and i'd have to buy another set of dvd's.

 

 

IIRC,one of the dvd's is indeed the original film but apparently its been really hard to locate nowadays since the Bluray release.

 

The very best is still one of the Laserdisc versions.

And the 3 people who have one are partying right now.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Two-Disc-Widescreen-Theatrical/dp/B000FQJAIW/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1351666009&sr=8-8&keywords=Star+Wars+DVD

 

This is the only official released DVD that has the original 1977 version of the film.

 

 

Thanks for that info.

 

Unfortunately the steep price of 89 bucks and the original isn't in widescreen.

 

Only in 4:3 ratio.Not 2:35.

 

Which is useless.

 

See great examples and comparisons of widescreen SW and panscan SW here.

 

http://jfswt.tripod.com/eng/ws/index.html

 

 

59 used for $18

[fantastic_four]

He is too then and he is too old now to reprise the role. He looked so busted in part 4.

 

The other thing to remember is he was ALWAYS too old to play Indiana Jones. He was 38 when they made Raiders and 41 during Temple of Doom, yet that movie took place years before Raiders, so he was always playing a character who was a decade or more younger than he actually is. He knew after waiting two more decades that his gift of a great body and fairly youthful appearance wasn't going to cut it anymore if he wanted to keep playing the character and didn't give in to Lucas.

[Dale Roberts]

Raiders was awesome.

Temple of Doom blew

Last Crusade was pretty cool (Sean Connery factor)

Crystal Skulls took blowing to a new level.

 

Star Wars was cool when I was 13, doesn't hold up now.

Empire was pretty cool.

Return was stupid. Between the teddy bears and the limited dialogue of Vader and the Emperor (didn't they share one line for the whole movie).

 

Episode 1 was okay with the exception of JarJar.

Episode 2 was pretty good (except for trying to figure out why she would ever be interested in that d-bag).

Episode 3 was solid.

 

The age of Obi Wan/Luke was too big of a problem for me to just let go. Plus the movies made in the 1970s and 1980s are so dated, they just don't really hold up now.

 

 

[montrealfilmguy]

George :Here Harrison,have another one.

 

Kathleen Kennedy :Yeah Harrison,one more and this'll be your 45th shotglass.Oh,and sign here.

 

Harrison : Yeah,yeah..mumbles..dhdvfwhiv...fridge whatever.(pukes )

 

George:Next guy to try and break the record is STEVEN !!!

 

Steven: