Craploads of money isn't the obvious answer? Star Wars is a merchandise gold mine.

Buyout = Destroying a company apparently...

Gonna put it simple, the red robot (e102 gamma) is star wars and the white bird is disney and the black robot is the sellout...after the red robot is destroyed it releases a bird (disney own...it's now a ruined)

I have nothing against Disney. If Disney hadn't acquired Lucasfilm and George Lucas decided to make Episodes 7,8,9 I still would probably feel badly towards it.

Disney just did Star Wars a favor by taking it away from Lucas.

The thing I find ironic now is that Pixar is back with Lucasfilms again.

First of all everyone who is worried about messing up the cannon to the expanded universe seem to forget how Lucas is not high on the expanded universe to begin with. In fact, those who want the Heir to the Empire Trilogy are more likely to get it from Disney than Lucas himself. Disney has done a pretty good job with not messing with what works when they acquire a new product. Now, the Clone Wars is all they have going, right now, and that story will most likely be wrapping up pretty soon. Detours seems funny for about two or three episodes max. Beyond that, Star Wars needs a fresh idea, and hopefully, they will get it. I am willing to give them a chance.

I do wonder if the planned/in-development live-action series (intended to be set during the "Dark TImes" aka the 19 year period between the trilogies) will go forward, or will be shelved instead to devote resources towards new films.

The idea of Mark Hamill returning as wise ol' Jedi Master Luke Skywalker appeals to me greatly, and of course Harrison Ford back as Han. Mmm IT MUST HAPPEN!!

Mark Hamill = almost certain that he will because he still has a lot of love for the franchise given his involvement in the computer and console games. Plus he also turns up to the conventions and positively reflects on the films he was involved in.

Harrison Ford = highly unlikely (sadly) because once he was done with Return Of The Jedi, he was done for good. Various comments he's made in interviews over the years have expressly stated this. He even wanted Han Solo killed off at the beginning of Jedi but Lucas wouldn't allow it.

Carrie Fisher = maybe, maybe not. She's a little like Harrison in the way that she hasn't really looked back all that much.

Peter Mayhew = he still loves it, like Mark. Expect to hear some Wookie howling.

Anthony Daniels = yes

Billy Dee Williams = would be awesome

Not unless the company buying is EA.

upons seeing the headline earlier at first glance

NOOOOOOOO THATS NOT TRUE THATS IMPOSSIBLE

reads more about it and realize it could be good as long as disney doesnt influence themselves onto the property of the starwars universe

in the kool aid voice OH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAH

walt disney has no idea of the power he created since the start lol it can not be destroyed

Depending on when Episodes VII-IX are set, i think it's more than likely we'll be looking at a whole new cast (with the probable exceptions of Mayhew and Daniels).

For instance, if they do the Thrawn Trilogy, that's set 5 years after RotJ, meaning Luke & Leia are roughly 28, Han around 38. Hamill, Ford and Fisher would not be able to play their characters (Hamill is 61 now, Fisher is 56, and Ford is 70). If they set it further in the future, say an adaptation of the Legacy of the Force series, it would work.

But i do think that it's more likely that we'll be looking at a re-casting for the main characters, and a storyline set closer in time to RotJ.

OMG, ....Thrawn Trilogy....Dark Force Rising....you read that too???

Oh Snap!

Anyways, how many companies is Disney going to buy?
Let's see, they've bought:

• Pixar (that one wouldn't have cost much)
• ESPN
• Marvel
  And now Lucasfilm. I'm sure there's other companies that they've bought, too.

I just wonder how Family Guy is going to handle this, seeing as how they love Star Wars, but think Disney is evil, lol.

Oh hell yeah. I have the original first edition hardcovers from when it came out in the early 90s, and have read it multiple times. I actually just recently re-listened to the audiobook versions (read by Anthony Daniels and Denis "Wedge Antilles" Lawson) not long ago too.

I'm actually ridiculously into the Star Wars EU — i own and have read basically every SW novel (with the exception of maybe half a dozen here and there), and have the majority of all the comics (not counting the original Marvel comics run) as well

I'd really like to see it twenty-ish (or I guess thirty-ish?) years after RotJ, have Luke in it, and maybe Han cameo in a tragic death or something (which sends his kids down the dark side or something... I don't know!!). It needs to set up an amazing new cast of characters, but if at least some of the original cast returns it'll help a lot to make it feel more continuous and make the transition feel smoother.

We are all talking Star Wars, and it is so huge I can see why. However, LucasFilms owns quite a few franchises. Indiana Jones is lost in this news. I know the last one was so epically bad that it almost killed the series, but I can see that still having some life.

sorry, bro, but Lucas said in '99 that neither he nor any other filmmaker would make episodes VII, VIII, or IX and that the six episodes would be all there was. He was also saying as late as '08 that he didn't want anyone else taking the helm either — "I've left pretty explicit instructions for there not to be any more features. There will definitely be no Episodes VII–IX." (here's a link to the transcription that quote came from if you'd like to see the full interview) He claimed it was because the novels were nothing like how he saw the series petering out, and his version had no story, or at least that's how i'm reading his quotes.

it's in disney's hands now, though, so who knows what they'll follow and what they'll create on their own.