Talks...On STAR WARS!

     I know this is all over the news, but to me, and many others, Disney buying Lucasfilm is a BIG deal!  I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan that has read all the books and watched the movies numerous times; however, I do like to step into my inner-nerd and Yoda talk like.  I grew up watching Episodes IV, V, and VI and going to the midnight premiers of the first three Episodes with my dad.  It's something me and my dad can relate to in the midst of our rock-hard heads clashing together.  We're too alike for our own good.  Now that Disney bought Lucasfilm for the ridiculous price of $4 billion, the Star Wars franchise will for sure move forward! Even though no one has a clue what the next three Episodes will be about, it will definitely be fun for my dad and I to get back on the Star Wars train. I can't wait for there to be a Star Wars marathon we can watch together before we go and see these new films. 

     I like what George Lucas said about Disney and the buy-out in an article from USA Today, "For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers."  Yes, Disney is going to make an ass-load of money off of this buy, and I know that's the main reason they chased after Lucasfilm, but to me this is is a win-win situation.  Disney gets bigger with more money, but those Star Wars fans get more Episodes to enjoy!

All of this ties into our discussions about conglomerates.  Disney is a major conglomerate in our culture today.  Here's a list of all the companies Disney owns, coming out of an article from the Columbia Journalism Review:

Film and Theater

Disneynature

Disney Theatrical Productions

Hollywood Pictures

ImageMovers Digital

Miramax Films

Touchstone Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures

DisneyToon Studios

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International (Distribution)

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Music

Disney Music Group

Hollywood Records

Walt Disney Records

Television

ABC-Owned Television Stations Group

WLS (Chicago, IL)

WJRT (Flint, MI)

KFSN (Fresno, CA)

KTRK (Houston, TX)

KABC (Los Angeles, CA)

WABC (New York, NY)

WPVI (Philadelphia, PA)

WTVD (Raleigh-Durham, NC)

KGO (San Francisco, CA)

WTVG (Toledo, OH)

Disney ABC Television Group

ABC Television Network (ABC Daytime, ABC Entertainment, and ABC News)

ABC Family

ABC Studios

A&E Television Networks (42.1%)

The Biography Channel (42.1%)

Disney ABC Domestic Television

Disney ABC International Television

Disney-ABC-ESPN Television

Disney Channel Worldwide (Disney XD, Playhouse Disney, Jetix, and ABC Kids)

History (formerly The History Channel) (42.1%)

History International (42.1%)

Hungama

Lifetime Entertainment Services (42.1%)

SOAPnet

Disney Junior (Flanders and the Netherlands)

ESPN, Inc. (80%)

ESPN (and ESPN.com and ESPN360.com)

ESPN2

ESPN Classic

ESPN Deportes

ESPNEWS

ESPNU

ESPN Enterprises

ESPN Interactive

ESPN International

ESPN Mobile Properties

ESPN on Demand

ESPN PPV

ESPN Regional Television

Radio

WDDY AM (Albany, NY)

WDWD AM (Atlanta, GA)

WMKI AM (Boston, MA)

WGFY AM (Charlotte, NC)

WRDZ AM (Chicago, IL)

WWMK AM (Cleveland, OH)

KMKI AM (Dallas-Fort Worth, TX)

KDDZ AM (Denver, CO)

WFDF AM (Detroit, MI)

KMIC AM (Houston, TX)

WRDZ FM (Indianapolis, IN)

KPHN AM (Kansas City, MO)

KDIS FM (Little Rock, AR)

KDIS AM (Los Angeles, CA)

WMYM AM (Miami, FL)

WKSH AM (Milwaukee, WI)

KDIZ AM (Minneapolis, MN)

WBYU AM (New Orleans, LA)

WQEW AM (New York, NY)

WDYZ AM (Orlando, FL)

WWJZ AM (Philadelphia, PA)

KMIK AM (Phoenix, AZ)

WWCS AM (Pittsburgh, PA)

KDZR AM (Portland, OR)

WDZY AM (Richmond, VA)

KIID AM (Sacramento, CA)

KWDZ AM (Salt Lake City, UT)

KRDY AM (San Antonio, TX)

KMKY AM (San Francisco, CA)

KKDZ AM (Seattle, WA)

WSDZ AM (St. Louis, MO)

WWMI AM (Tampa, FL)

ESPN Radio

WMVP (Chicago, IL)

KESN (Dallas-Fort Worth, TX)

KSPN (Los Angeles, CA)

WEPN (New York, NY)

WEAE (Pittsburgh, PA)

Publishing

Hyperion Books

ABC Daytime Press

Hyperion

Voice

Disney Publishing Worldwide

Disney Digital Books

Disney English

Disney FamilyFun Group (FamilyFun Magazine and Disney en Familia Magazine)

Disney Global Book Group

Global Children's Magazines

ESPN The Magazine

ESPN Books

Parks and Resorts

Adventures by Disney

Disney Cruise Line

Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort Paris

Disney Vacation Club

Hong Kong Disneyland

Shanghai Disney Resort

Tokyo Disney Resort

Walt Disney Imagineering

Walt Disney World Resort

Other

The Baby Einstein Company

Club Penguin

Disney Consumer Products

The Disney Store

Disney Apparel

Disney Accessories & Footwear

Disney Fashion & Home

Disney Food

Disney Health & Beauty

Disney Stationery

Disney Toys

Disney Interactive Media Group

Disney Interactive Studios

Disney Online (Disney.com)

Disney Online Studios

Disney Mobile

El Capitan Theatre

ESPN Zone

Muppets Holding Company

Playdom

Rocket Pack

     
    I don't know about you, but that's a LOT of money, contracts, lawyers, workers, assets....you name it! That's just A LOT! I am almost overwhelmed with all of this, but I guess that is the name of the game.  Stay tuned and see which company Disney either creates or buys out!

Until next time...


P.S: Here are the links to the articles I referenced!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/30/disney-star-wars-lucasfilm/1669739/

http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=disney