Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm, Ltd. LLC
Lucasfilm Ltd.
Subsidiary
Industry Film
Founded 1971 (1971)
Founder George Lucas
Headquarters Letterman Digital Arts Center
1 Letterman Dr., Presidio of San Francisco, California, United States
Number of locations
5
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products Star Wars
Indiana Jones
Number of employees
2,000 (2015)[2]
Parent The Walt Disney Company
Divisions LucasArts
Lucasfilm Animation
Lucas Online
Subsidiaries Industrial Light & Magic
Skywalker Sound
Website Official website Edit this at Wikidata

Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company based in the Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco, California. The studio is best known for creating and producing the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as its leadership in developing special effects, sound and computer animation for film. Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California; most of the company's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005.[3] The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in December 2012 for $2.2 billion in cash and $1.855 billion in stock.[4][5][6]

History

Independent era (1971–2012)

Lucasfilm headquarters at the Letterman Digital Arts Center

Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971,[7] and incorporated as Lucasfilm Ltd. on September 12, 1977.[8] In 2005, Lucasfilm opened a studio in Singapore.[9]

On July 8, 2012, Lucasfilm's marketing, online, and licensing units moved into the new Letterman Digital Arts Center located in the Presidio in San Francisco. It shares the complex with Industrial Light & Magic. Lucasfilm had planned an expansion at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, California, but shelved the plan in 2012 due to opposition from neighbors. However, it still plans to expand elsewhere.[10] Skywalker Sound remains the only Lucasfilm division based at Skywalker Ranch.[11]

In January 2012, Lucas announced his retirement from producing large-scale blockbuster films and instead re-focusing his career on smaller, independently budgeted features.[12][13]

In June 2012, it was announced that producer Kathleen Kennedy, a long-term collaborator with Steven Spielberg and a producer of the Indiana Jones films, had been appointed as co-chair of Lucasfilm Ltd. It was reported that Kennedy would work alongside Lucas, who would remain chief executive and serve as co-chairman for at least one year, after which she would succeed him as the company's chairperson, which she did in June 2013.[14]

On September 5, 2012, Micheline Chau, who served as president and COO of Lucasfilm for two decades, announced that she was retiring. With her departure, senior executives for each of the Lucasfilm divisions will report directly to Kathleen Kennedy. Chau was credited with keeping the Lucasfilm and Star Wars brands strong, especially through animation spin-offs and licensing initiatives.[15]

Disney subsidiary (2012–present)

Discussions relating to the possibility of The Walt Disney Company signing a distribution deal with Lucasfilm officially began in May 2011, after a meeting that George Lucas had with Disney CEO Bob Iger during the inauguration of the Star Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction.[16] Lucas told Iger he was considering retirement and planned to sell the company, as well as the Star Wars franchise.[17] On October 30, 2012, Disney announced a deal to acquire Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion,[18] with approximately half in cash and half in shares of Disney stock.[4] Lucasfilm had previously collaborated with the company's Walt Disney Imagineering division to create theme park attractions centered on Star Wars and Indiana Jones for various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide.[19]

Kathleen Kennedy, co-chairman of Lucasfilm, became president of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she serves as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Kennedy serves as producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas originally announced as serving as creative consultant.[20] The company also announced the future release of new Star Wars films, starting with Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens in 2015.[19]

Under the deal, Disney acquired ownership of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lucasfilm's operating businesses in live-action film production, consumer products, video games, animation, visual effects, and audio post-production.[21] Disney also acquired Lucasfilm's portfolio of entertainment technologies. The intent was for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.[22] Star Wars merchandising would begin under Disney in the fiscal year 2014.[23] Starting with Star Wars Rebels, certain products will be co-branded with the Disney name,[24][25] akin to what Disney has done with Pixar.[26] On December 4, 2012, the Disney-Lucasfilm merger was approved by the Federal Trade Commission, allowing the acquisition to be finalized without dealing with antitrust problems.[27] On December 18, 2012, Lucasfilm Ltd. converted from a corporation to a limited liability company, changing its name to Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC in the process,[28]. On December 21, 2012, Disney completed the acquisition and Lucasfilm became a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney.[6]

Iger confirmed that Lucasfilm had plans to have standalone Star Wars films released sometime during the six-year period the sequel trilogy is being released, with Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg each developing a title.[29]

In April 2013, the development arm of the LucasArts division was closed down and most of its staff was laid off.[30][31] However, LucasArts remained open with a skeleton staff of fewer than ten employees so it could retain its function as a video game licensor.[32] On May 6, 2013, Disney announced an exclusive deal with Electronic Arts to produce Star Wars games for the core gaming market. LucasArts retained the ability to license, and Disney Interactive Studios retained the ability to develop, Star Wars games for the casual gaming market.[33][34]

20th Century Fox, the original distributor of the first six Star Wars films, still retains the physical distribution rights to the original two Star Wars trilogies, currently owning permanent full distribution rights for the original 1977 film, while also holding the theatrical and home video distribution rights to Episodes I–III, V, and VI until May 2020.[35] On December 14, 2017, Disney agreed to acquire the studio's owner, 21st Century Fox, in a deal that includes the studio; which would combine all these rights under its umbrella. Lucasfilm retains the television and digital distribution rights to Star Wars episodes 1 through 6 with exception to episode 4.[36] In December 2013, Walt Disney Studios purchased the distribution and marketing rights to future Indiana Jones films from Paramount Pictures, although the latter studio will retain the distribution rights to the first four films and will receive "financial participation" from any additional films.[37][38]

On January 3, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that Dark Horse Comics' license for Star Wars comics would end in 2015, and return to fellow Disney subsidiary Marvel Comics.[39] On April 24, 2014, Lucasfilm announced that the Star Wars expanded universe would no longer be explicitly sub canon (but may be drawn upon for future works) and that The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series would be considered canon and future Star Wars projects would be overseen by a new story group to keep to that canon. Additionally, the Star Wars Legends banner would be used for those Expanded Universe materials that are in print.[40] Disney Publishing Worldwide also announced that Del Rey would publish a new line of canon Star Wars books under the Lucasfilm Story Group being released starting in September on a bi-monthly schedule.[41]

On January 16, 2014, Lucasfilm opened its Sandcrawler building on Fusionopolis View in Singapore as its regional headquarters with all staff moved from Changi Business Park. The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia and ESPN Asia Pacific were moved into the building.[9]

In 2018, Kathleen Kennedy's contract as president was renewed for three additional years.[42]

Company structure

Former divisions

Filmography

Year Film Director(s) Story by Screenwriter(s) Distributor(s) Budget Gross RT MC
1973 American Graffiti George Lucas George Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Universal Pictures $777,000 $140 million 96% 97
1977 Star Wars George Lucas 20th Century Fox1 $11 million $775.4 million 93% 90
1979 More American Graffiti Bill L. Norton Universal Studios $3 million $15 million 22% N/A
1980 The Empire Strikes Back Irvin Kershner George Lucas Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan 20th Century Fox2 $33 million $538.4 million 95% 82
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Steven Spielberg George Lucas and Philip Kaufman Lawrence Kasdan Paramount Pictures $18 million $389.9 million 95% 85
1983 Return of the Jedi Richard Marquand George Lucas Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas 20th Century Fox2 $42.7 million $572.1 million 80% 58
Twice Upon a Time John Korty and Charles Swenson John Korty, Bill Couturié and Suella Kennedy John Korty, Charles Swenson, Suella Kennedy and Bill Couturié Warner Bros. Unknown N/A
1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Steven Spielberg George Lucas Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz Paramount Pictures $28.2 million $333.1 million 85% 57
1985 Latino Haskell Wexler Cinecom Pictures Unknown N/A
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Paul Schrader Leonard Schrader and Paul Schrader Warner Bros. $5 million $20,758 88% 81
1986 Labyrinth Jim Henson Dennis Lee and Jim Henson Terry Jones TriStar Pictures $27.68 million $11.6 million 68% 50
Howard the Duck Willard Huyck Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz Universal Pictures $37 million $48 million 15% 28
1988 Willow Ron Howard George Lucas Bob Dolman Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $35 million $57.3 million 53% 47
Tucker: The Man and His Dream Francis Ford Coppola Arnold Schulman and David Seidler Paramount Pictures $24 million $19.7 million 84% 74
The Land Before Time Don Bluth Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss Stu Krieger Universal Pictures $12.5 million $84.4 million 70% 66
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Steven Spielberg George Lucas and Menno Meyjes Jeffrey Boam Paramount Pictures $48 million $474.2 million 88% 65
1994 Radioland Murders Mel Smith George Lucas Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz, Jeff Reno and Ron Osborn Universal Pictures $15 million $1.3 million 24% N/A
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace George Lucas 20th Century Fox2 $115 million $1.027 billion 55% 51
2002 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones George Lucas George Lucas and Jonathan Hales $115 million $649.4 million 66% 54
2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith George Lucas $113 million $848.8 million 79% 68
2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Steven Spielberg George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson David Koepp Paramount Pictures $185 million $786.6 million 77% 65
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Dave Filoni Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching, Scott Murphy Warner Bros. $8.5 million $68.3 million 18% 35
2012 Red Tails Anthony Hemingway John Ridley John Ridley and Aaron McGruder 20th Century Fox3 $58 million $50.4 million 40% 46
2015 Strange Magic Gary Rydstrom George Lucas David Berenbaum, Irene Mecchi and Gary Rydstrom Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures $70-$100 million[52] $13.6 million 17% 25
Star Wars: The Force Awakens J. J. Abrams Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams and Michael Arndt $250 million $2.068 billion 93% 81
2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Gareth Edwards John Knoll and Gary Whitta Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy $200 million $1.056 billion 85% 65
2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Rian Johnson
$200 million $1.313 billion 90% 85
2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story Ron Howard
Uncredited:
Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan $275 million $392.7 million 71% 62

Upcoming

Year Film Director(s) Story by Screenwriter(s) Distributor(s) Status
2019 Star Wars: Episode IX J.J. Abrams J.J Abrams and Chris Terrio Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Filming[53]
2021 Indiana Jones 5 Steven Spielberg David Koepp and Jon Kasdan[54][55] Development[56]

Television series

Live-action

Animated

Television films and specials

Other productions

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Although the theatrical and home video distribution rights to all other Star Wars films were to be transferred to Walt Disney Studios by May 2020,[35] 20th Century Fox was to continue to own theatrical, home video, digital, and broadcast distribution rights to A New Hope for the foreseeable future.[36] On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company announced it is acquiring most of Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox, including the film studio and all distribution rights to A New Hope.[58]
  2. ^ Physical distribution rights were to be transferred from 20th Century Fox to the Walt Disney Studios in May 2020. (Disney has now agreed to acquire 20th Century Fox so this transfer may occur sooner).[35] The digital distribution rights are held by Disney, as Lucasfilm had retained the digital distribution rights to all Star Wars films produced after the original.[36][59]
  3. ^ On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company announced it is acquiring most of Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox.[60]

References

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