Discussion Why didn't 20 th century Fox buy out Lucasfilm instead of Disney?

Well ya but they were still owned/greenlit/produced by Fox. Singer is quality with X-Men for sure. But still Fox was my point. But ya they have not owned the market in a while. Universial is the one that truly is in trouble, they have not ruled it since the 70's/80's and a little bit of the early 90's. WB owned this past decade pretty well with Harry Potter, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Matrix, (technically LOTR since New Line was a Division), Hangover trilogy ect. They got most the box office. But now it seems like Disney is the new force to be reckoned with.

 

Lucas thought Disney would best protect the characters. With how Disney has been able to stop their own characters from entering the public domain for so long.

Kathleen Kennedy was chosen to replace him as head of LFL. That had nothing to do with Disney.

 

Disney and LFL already had a good relationship so I'm not shocked if no one else was even allowed to offer. I can see how it might have become an impressive bidding war, but I figure Lucas wanted it to go to someone he trusted to do right by Star Wars.

Though everytime I see a Fox movie and the fanfare comes on, I get a little sad.

That would be your browser... the forums don't have their own spell check.

 

What about Brave?

 

Let's hope that the OOT never being released wasn't also one of the keys.

 

It's probably because the Star Wars franchise is worth more to Disney than it is to 20th Century Fox. Sure, both of those corporations could produce movies and TV shows, but Disney has so much more in place to profit directly from the Star Wars universe, such as theme parks, stores in most malls in the country, a children's cable network, publishing, comics, games, etc.

 

Pretty big slap in the face for fox, after all they did pony the money up for the first film even if no one believed in it.

Disney was around then and i have never heard Disney even coming close to helping this movie at that time. What prompted this big change of heart?

A few theme parks? Fox could have milked this as much as Disney will if they had the right person at the head of the franchise at fox....

something else went on....

 

Maybe if Alan Ladd, Jr. was still at Fox, GL would have sold to them.

 

Disney was a different company in the 70s, though. And Lucas had his issues with Fox, while he's been willing to partner with Disney in the past with the theme parks.

I don't think this is a big mystery.

 

Darth Iger, disguised as Chancellor Fox, said, "We're not interested in LFL."

 

Fox doesn't have the resources or knowhow to handle Star Wars. They are distributors and nothing more.

Never had a chance.

 

Are you serious? Companies change. Fox became one of the worst companies with Tom Rothman behind it. Disney was a very different company with different objectives back then. Actually they have changed a lot in the past 8 years. They have new goals ect. Lucas knew that they would take care of it, and Disney is the better company right now. Fox is starting to pick themselves up but they don't have the resources to hold up Star Wars either. And as others said he has had problems with Fox ever since Ladd left. Ladd was the only one that really believed and fought for George...not Fox really. They kept trying to shut down the original left and right but Ladd fought for him.

 

Just remembered that the distribution of the prequels by Fox was limited to just that: Distribution, and a paltry slice of the profits from tickets (I think 25%, may have been less.) The OT and the constant back and forth between LFL and Fox for creative control during their production probably left a permanent bad taste in Lucas' mouth, IMO.

 

Oh ya LFL/Lucas did not like working with Fox after Ladd left. he left like in 79 or something.

 

I didn't picture Disney buying the franchise, but I can understand why they did. Star Wars has been a part of Disney for 30 years now, with the attractions at Disney World. I can also recall back in the late 80's, when you could find A New Hope airing on The Disney Channel.

I think if Disney really wanted to, they could create a 24/7 Star Wars channel. Besides the films already in existence, there will be numerous new films, and character spin-off films as well. Add the 'Rebels' animated show in development, and likely the rights to 'The Clone Wars', and you've got something to build on.

 

I have no doubt it was simply about dollars and cents. Oh sure he gives lip service to how it would be "Disney or no one" and he talks about how wonderful Disney is, but that's simply the sort of thing someone says about a company that has just given him $4 billion. If 20th Century Fox offered $5 billion, he would have taken that offer and we'd be reading quotes about him saying "20th Century Fox was with us right from the beginning. It would have been them or no one."

I doubt anything went on beyond Lucas selling to the highest bidder.

 

Remember, FOX turned Lucas down for The Clone Wars Movie.

 

And Lucas didn't keep the overwhelming majority of the money anyway.

 

But he might have wanted lots of money to give to charity.

 

Which he did get. 4 billion is a pile as far as charities are concerned. And the other two pages of posts explain it pretty well.

 

Brave is a Pixar project and not consider Disney main.

Here is an article from 2010 about Disney and moving the focus towards boys.

 

I'm not denying that Disney wants to be more inclusive in regard to the films it releases - and having boy-attractive properties is a big part of that.

I can see their acquisition of Marvel being the lynch-pin of that drive. I suppose I'm just sensitive to the idea that SW is a "for boys" property. (All these years of being told that SW is for boys can make one defensive.) In fact, I think it's one of the few things guaranteed to draw almost everyone - men, women, boys, girls, droids...

 

Pixar is Disney now. Merida is officially a Disney princess.

The focus towards boys meant things like Marvel, Star Wars, Cars/Planes, etc. They're still doing princess movies. Brave was one, and this Christmas' Frozen is another.

 

Only one flaw in this logic. There was no bidding war. Lucas didn't go to Fox to see if they would top it. He didn't go to anyone but Disney. It wasn't just about making money. He wanted to give the franchise to someone he trusted.