Tuesday afternoon the Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion. Why is Lucasfilm Ltd. worth this gigantic mound of cash? Because it is the owner of two large movie franchises known as Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
Yes, Star Wars. The same company who owns Mickey, Donald and Goofy now has equal share over Luke, Han and Chewbacca. Also, keep in mind, the Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment in Aug. 2009 for a slightly smaller $4 billion. Along with owning Pixar, Disney now controls arguably the most iconic characters in entertainment history.
George Lucas, chairman and chief executive officer at Lucasfilm, said in the press release Tuesday he always wanted another group to have a chance to continue the franchise.
“It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers,” said Lucas.
Disney wasted no time in announcing the continuation of the films. “Star Wars: Episode VII” has been officially announced for a 2015 release. Episode VII will be the beginning of a new trilogy with a new movie being released every two to three years.  With “Avengers 2” also slated to be released during this time, 2015 will be a monumental year for Disney. 
The movies are the first step in the creative process, but the possibilities are endless for how these characters can interact. Captain America could encounter Darth Vadar. Wall-E could find himself on the Death Star. R2-D2 and C3PO could find their way into Stark Tower. Only time will tell what the juggernaut Disney has become will do next.