Disney buys Lucasfilm and announces a new release of Star Wars | Key4Communications |

The Walt Disney Company has bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. Half of the payment will be in cash and the rest with 40 million shares of Disney, according to its listing on 26th October.

This company founded by filmmaker George Lucas is behind franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. In fact, Disney is planning a new trilogy of the Star Wars films, with a first release (and seventh episode) to hit screens in 2015. The company's goal is to launch a new film in the series every two or three years.

Star Wars was released in 1977 and was followed by The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). The second trilogy explained the events that occurred before Star Wars (1977) and started with Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) and continued with Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). The franchise also features the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The six movies grossed in theaters more than $4.3 billion dollars, making it the third most successful franchise in history, surpassed only by the eight Harry Potter films and the 22 James Bond movies. In addition, the licensing programme has generated revenues of more than $1.5 billion.

Disney adds Lucasfilm to other companies in its group, as the sports television channel ESPN, the TV channel ABC, the animation studio Pixar and the Marvel superhero world.