Walt Disney Co. announced on Tuesday that it would buy Lucasfilm Ltd, the production company behind, "Star Wars," from its chairman and founder, George Lucas for $4.05 billion.
The blockbuster deal announced on Tuesday will see
Disney pay half the acquisition price in cash and half in newly issued stock. The company expects it to add to earnings in 2015 and said that as an example of its earnings power, Lucasfilm made $550 million in operating income the year "Sith" came out. Along with the cash, Lucas will end up owning about 40 million Disney shares, which is about 2.2 per cent of the 1.83 billion shares that will be in circulation when the transaction closes. Disney did not say when that would happen.
A decade since George Lucas said "Star Wars" was finished on the big screen, a new trilogy under new ownership is destined for theaters
The seventh movie, with a working title of "Episode 7," is set for release in 2015. Episodes 8 and 9 will follow. The trilogy will continue the story of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia beyond "Return of the Jedi," the third film released and the sixth in the saga. After that, Disney plans a new "Star Wars" movie every two or three years. Lucas will serve as creative consultant in the new movies.
The deal brings Lucasfilm under the
Disney banner with other brands including
Pixar,
Marvel,
ESPN and
ABC.
With AP inputs 
People walk past a fountain showing the Yoda character from the Star Wars movies outside of Lucasfilms headquarters in San Francisco on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. <em>Photo: AP</em> 
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