Darth Vader. Mickey Mouse. Princess Leia. Cinderella. Chewbacca. The Mad Hatter. These contrasting characters are now all owned by the same magical company, thanks to Disney’s $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. Since 2006, when Disney bought Pixar, the House of Mouse has continued to buy out other companies in order to expand.
The merge of Disney and Pixar turned out to be highly profitable, as the pair have churned out some of the greatest children’s movies of all time. Likewise, the purchase of Marvel Comics in 2009 also worked well for the Magic Kingdom, since Disney hardly interfered with Marvel’s image.
“Star Wars won’t be the same,” says senior Quentin Bellon. Junior Erik Harden adds, “I think they’re going to try to ‘Disnify’ it.” Because Disney’s target fan base is younger children, it is possible that the new Star Wars movies will be less violent and not as serious as the original films. Harden also says, “The new movies won’t be as good as the old originals.” Junior Richard Shu also questioned the quality of the upcoming movies, saying, “It’s exciting to have new Star Wars films, but I don’t expect great quality.” Senior Olivia Simon adds, “I think Disney is stretching out too far because they kind of have everything, that they’re taking credit for other people’s work.”
Freshman Jack Loar disagreed, saying, “It’s not as terrible as people are saying it is because Disney won’t ruin it.” Loar himself isn’t a huge fan of Star Wars, but he says, “I would definitely watch the new movies.” Junior Miles Bowman adds, “I think the Star Wars franchise is in good hands with Disney… they won’t add cartoon characters or talking deer.”
Junior Austin Moore, who has been a Star Wars fan for years, also thinks buying Star Wars was a good move for Disney, saying, “It will be interesting to see how they interpret it.” He adds, “I hope the new movies do well, but hardcore fans will think they’re bad.” With every new interpretation of a story, there are always original fans who criticize the changes. However, freshman T.J. Bonbright, a fan who has seen every Star Wars movie, says, “This is a good opportunity for Disney to show what they think of Star Wars,” so not all fans are so harsh.
Many fans’ concerns were dispelled when it was recently announced that Michael Arndt will be writing the screenplay for the new film with Lucas’ input. Arndt has previously won Oscars for his writing of “Little Miss Sunshine” in 2006 and “Toy Story 3” in 2010. Arndt is currently working on the upcoming “Hunger Games” sequel, “Catching Fire.”
English teacher Jennifer Wei’s classroom is adorned with a calendar of comic book characters, and plastic super heroes guard her desk, so there is no doubt about her love of comics. However, when Disney first bought Marvel, she thought it was a good thing. Said Wei, “Disney has a stereotype of having to be G-rated, but I’m not sure that they actually do that.” Her expectations turned out to be correct as Marvel has continued to survive and prosper, and Disney produced the hugely successful film “The Avengers,” which grossed more than “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” in its initial showing. Fans may find that the success of Marvel and Pixar under Disney is indicative of continued success with Lucasfilm Ltd.
But will Disney’s purchase really be a good decision? Only time will tell. Said Simon, “The new movies could be good if they bring in the right actors or directors.” In recent years, George Lucas has alienated fans by coming out with endless new editions to his Star Wars movies, so the change in ownership could be good for Star Wars’ fans. Also, if Disney is able to appeal to new, younger audiences while still giving Lucasfilm Ltd. creative freedom, the galaxy that was far, far away may continue to be loved by new generations.
