User blog:LukeDocker99/Star Wars: After October 30, 2012

Man, I was so excited when I found out that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm Ltd. and also was going to make Star Wars: Episode VII. I thought there was no better time to be a Star Wars fan.

I was wrong.

On October 30, 2012, the Walt Disney Company purchsed Lucasfilm for $4.06 Billion. They not only announced that Episode VII was coming in 2015, but an entire Sequel Trilogy would be released after that. Eventually Disney/Lucasfilm announced they were also making spin-off movies featuring Star Wars characters. Lucasfilm appointed J.J. Abrams as director of Episode VII and Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg would help with the spin-off's and the sequels. That was great. However, this was the only good news we got since the aquisition.

Early 2013, the 3D rereleases of Star Wars Episode II and III were postponed to focus on the sequel trilogy. This means all the 3D movies will be pushed back, most likely never seen. That was sad because it could have led up to the release of Episode VII. Although this was disappointing, it wasn't too bad.

On March 11, 2013, Lucasfilm announced on starwars.com a New Direction for Lucasfilm Animation. Lucasfilm said they were postponing (most likely cancelling) the comedy Star Wars: Detours. This was previewed at Celebration VI in summer of 2012. After the announcement, all content regarding Detours was removed from starwars.com. All the trailers, allt he clips, gone.

If this wasn't bad enough, it got worse. The popular series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was cancelled. It would no longer air on television. Dave Filoni said the remaing story arcs would be released later on. In the coinciding article, it said they would be released as "bonus content" which did not sound promising.

This "bonus content" was only going to be 2 STORY ARCS! 2 story arcs, which have been confirmed by LFL sources that they do not wrap up the fates of any key characters let alone the series. They are most likely the post-poned Clovis arc and the new arc previewed during Dave Filoni's announcemtn video about the cancellation. This would never do. The Clone Wars deserved a proper and natural ending to lead up to Episode III. Letter writing campaigns and protests followed this.

Soon after the announcement of TCW's cancellation, Lucasfilm Anaimation employees, including the Clone Wars crew were laid off(fired nicely). The brilliant team that deliver 108 action-packed episodes of the Clone Wars were despersed. Disney was tearing apart Lucasfilm.

A few weeks later, more bad news arrived. The video game company, LucasArts, that brought us Star Wars: Republic Commando, Star Wars: Battlefront series, Clone Wars adventures, and more was being shutdown. It's staff was being laid off. All of their current projects were cancelled. Their current projects included the highly anticipated Star Wars 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault (Battlefront 2.5).

LucasArts would stop making games internally, but would continue to license games to other companies to make. For instance, if Lego wanted to make another Star Wars game, Lucasarts would give them permission to do it. That's it.

The bad news didn't even stop there. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), a famous special effects company that has worked on many famous movies and does tremendous effects was also proceeding with lay-offs. They are not releasing how many were laid-off. Disney has made hundreds of people lose their jobs.

I expect more bad news is to come. I noticed some people don't realize how Lucasfilm is set up. Here is how it is.

Lucasfilm is the umbrella company that had several sub-divisions.

LucasFilm

LucasFilm Animation

LucasArts

LucasBooks

LucasOnline

Skywalker Sound

ILM

Lucasfilm owns those companies and Lucasfilm is owned by Disney. I will add more to this blog as I uncover more news. You can do something and let you voice be heard. Write a letter to Bob Iger or Kathleen Kennedy, join the save the Clone Wars campaign on FaceBook and Twitter and sign the pettition. Even Peter Mayhew, the actor who plays Chewbacca, is on our side. May the force be with you.

