The Force…there’s a Dark Side, a Light Side, and a Disney Side

Image from Disney Parks Blog

The big news of the week is that Disney bought Lucasfilm, home of the Star Wars franchise, from George Lucas for $4 billion. Connected to this sale is the news that Disney is going to film episode 7 of the Star Wars saga. It is due out in 2015 and I am sure episodes 8 and 9 won’t be far behind. All I can say is, this is the best news since the destruction of the Death Star.

I love the Star Wars universe. Perhaps because of when I was born, or because they are just better, I really only love episodes 4, 5, and 6. 1, 2, and 3 might have been necessary, but seeing them once was enough for me. I was actually dreading episode 7 because I knew I would have to see it and I was sure I wouldn’t like it. Now I can’t wait for it to come out. And here are 5 reasons why.

5 reasons why Disney buying Lucasfilm is good for the universe:

1) Disney is already involved in Star Wars. Star Tours. Jedi Training Academy. Star Wars Weekends. Disney is strong in the force. It makes sense for them to make a Star Wars movie since Star Wars already has a presence in the parks.

2) Disney has been making some good movies. I’m not saying Disney can’t make a bad movie. (Haunted Mansion proves that.) But they can also make awesome movies like Pirates of the Caribbean. Plus they understand how a series should work (seamlessly).

3) They have treated Marvel well. I can understand people who are worried that the Star Wars universe is going to become Mickey Mouse with light sabers. The Marvel fans had the same fear. However, Disney has done a great job of keeping the different franchises separate and I’m sure the same will be true for Star Wars.

4) We can get more Star Wars in the parks. I know I just said that Disney would keep the franchises separate, but I wouldn’t mind seeing more Star Wars in the parks. Here is an example. Disney is talking with James Cameron about bring the Avatar movies to the parks. Instead, why don’t we just create a land in Animal Kingdom that is the Endor Moon. It’s very similar to Pandora and we could have Ewoks instead of Navi. They are so much cuter.

5) The Universe is the limit. Why stop with episodes 7, 8, and 9? There are hundreds of spin off stories that can be explored. I look forward to seeing what can be found.

In honor of this news I’m going to go watch my DVDs of the original versions of episodes 4, 5, and 6. Which reminds me of another reason to be glad Disney is buying Lucasfilm. Maybe George Lucas will stop messing with perfection. The original 3 movies didn’t need to be remastered and added to. They were perfect the first time. Happiness squared.

Goofy Tip: If you have never seen the Jedi Training Academy I would not miss this. It is great fun for the kids and the audience. You can find out when and where the Jedi Training Academy is happening in the park guides for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. If you have children who like Star Wars than you should sign them up to become Jedi apprentices. It does fill up quickly so be sure to arrive first thing in the morning and make the academy your first stop. May the force be with you.