Effect of Disney's purchase of Lucas Film on Universal?

[mainejeff]

Let's face it........Disney hit a home run with today's announcement. Star Wars is the one franchise that is bigger than HP and obviously gives Disney some great movies, characters, and settings to build attractions, lands and maybe even an entire park around. I see Disney doing an entire Star Wars land at DHS and possibly a new Disney Studios theme park (long rumored 3rd gate) in Anaheim now that Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Marvel are all under their belt.

Thoughts?

 

[JungleSkip]

IMO, very little.

Universal will have successfully built up its base long before Disney is able to open a Star Wars attraction in Orlando. And HP will keep them going as they continue to improve their parks.

 

[jtsalien]

As happy as a lot of us are, the reality staring us in the face is that Lucasfilm as a business addition and a Lucasfilm land of any sort in Orlando are too VERY different things.

 

[Clive]

Some things that won't affect Uni, but will have an impact elsewhere...

-End of Clone Wars television show within a season or two on Cartoon Network (they're going to want the show on their own channels)
-The possible movement of Star Wars Detours to a Disney channel eventually (not sure what the status is here)
-Possible rift in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic MMORPG
-Shift from Dark Horse Comics (current official Star Wars comics outlet) to Marvel (synergy!)

Anyone have more?

 

[mainejeff]

IMO, very little.

Universal will have successfully built up its base long before Disney is able to open a Star Wars attraction in Orlando. And HP will keep them going as they continue to improve their parks.

I agree that Universal has a great head start on their new theme park additions for the next few years. I don't have full confidence that Disney will manage the Star Wars franchise appropriately or develop new theme park attractions in a timely manner (they are SO freakin slow in that regard).........but the Lucas Film library does give them the potential ammo to battle Universal theme parks toe to toe if they choose to do so.

 

[Splatter]

Not much at all in the long run unless they really do something wowzers.

The theme parks are small potatoes with a long term investment profit to return. They are more interested in movies, merch and TV shows. (that canceled concept for TV? Will probably end up on
ABC now)

That being said look at it this way, they have had a ton of creative rights and ability to do a lot with Star Wars for over two decades now and we still just have Star Tours and Star Wars Weekends.

 

[JungleSkip]

but the Lucas Film library does give them the potential ammo to battle Universal theme parks toe to toe if they choose to do so.

But they've had the ammo and ability to do so for a long time already, imo

 

[mainejeff]

Not much at all in the long run unless they really do something wowzers.

The theme parks are small potatoes with a long term investment profit to return. They are more interested in movies, merch and TV shows. (that canceled concept for TV? Will probably end up on
ABC now)

That being said look at it this way, they have had a ton of creative rights and ability to do a lot with Star Wars for over two decades now and we still just have Star Tours and Star Wars Weekends.

Yeah........but Universal and Harry Potter have kicked them in the *ss. I don't expect them to shell out this type of money for the greatest movie franchise ever to just sit back and do nothing. Believe me, I am not a Disney fan........but this could be a game changer for them.

 

[JungleSkip]

Yeah........but Universal and Harry Potter have kicked them in the *ss. I don't expect them to shell out this type of money for the greatest movie franchise ever to just sit back and do nothing. Believe me, I am not a Disney fan........but this could be a game changer for them.

This was done more as a movie/merch move than a parks move.

 

[jtsalien]

This was done more as a movie/merch move than a parks move.

I think the new movies could push for more park action, but we're a long ways away from that.

 

[JungleSkip]

I think the new movies could push for more park action, but we're a long ways away from that.

I don't think they won't add to the parks...but this is much more of a guarantee that the studio will churn out money makers. The theme park benefits are secondary.

 

[Millionaire2K]

YES HP is top dog today. However if disney made Star Wars the NEXT big thing in 5 years or so then HP will no longer be top dog. People like NEW when it comes to their theme park rides. In 5-6 years HP will be old and Star Wars will be NEW again. And with no more HP books or films to support the brand Universal will need to find another brand to replace another land at IOA to keep the tunstiles spinning.

I have FAITH that Universal will be fine and do GREAT to respond. BUT this is a GREAT day for any and ALL Disney/SW fans.

NOTE: I"M A HUGE HP FAN. I VISIT UNIVERSAL JUST AS MUCH AS DISNEY. IM JUST STATING BUSINESS FACT. I"M NOT BASHING ANYONE OR BRAND.

 

[jtsalien]

YES HP is top dog today. However if disney made Star Wars the NEXT big thing in 5 years or so then HP will no longer be top dog. People like NEW when it comes to their theme park rides. In 5-6 years HP will be old and Star Wars will be NEW again. And with no more HP books or films to support the brand Universal will need to find another brand to replace another land at IOA to keep the tunstiles spinning.

The attractions and experiences need to be new. Not just the franchise.

 

[TheMackMachine]

I gotta be honest, even though I like Star Wars better than Potter, I don't think Star Wars can beat Potter. Potter has so much going for it right now, and Star Wars is gonna be years away from getting close to Potter in the parks. It will take, what, five years just to get a project out the discussion room? Universal is on fire with Potter, TF, DM, Spidey, and has many more attractions to come.

 

[captainjack]

:rofl: all this talk of Potter dying off and Rowling never once said she wouldn't write more books :thumbs: or let Harry Potter get stale. Look at Pottermore as a great example.

 

[Cruiseshipfan]

What I am saying is not my opinion, it is basically a summary of what I have seen in the reactions of people before and after the announcement.

Actually it is not a 100% good day for SW fan, a large majority of them actually hate this idea. Firstly because its Disney, who very little have much trust in to do anything other then kids movies and the odd original movie (stuffing up ever sequel, non-animated). Secondly the fact that the series is continuing. Like any movie their is a point where enough is enough and SW has reached beyond that point. Just like people love BTTF but don't want to see a sequel. After the last trilogy it would be best to just leave it how it is and not risk stuffing it up any more.

On to the theme parks, it is highly unlikely this would create anywhere near the amount of excitement that potter created. This is mostly due to the age of the fanchise. May of the die hard fans of the SW series (as in the real die hard fans) are getting older, so as time goes on the attractions will lose relevance quicker when put into comparison with Potter, due to the die hard potter fans being younger. This is only if they don't completly reinvent the series and attract a newer younger audience like DR Who has done in recent times. Plus if Disney wanted to do anything with SW they would of already done it by now as they have had the rights for many years, and if potter gave them the idea to do it they would of already started it by now, just like they have with Avatar.

 

[captainjack]

Well written CSF :thumbs:

 

[jtsalien]

Disney is just going to ruin these non-princess and kiddie characters just like they've done to the Avengers.

:bonk:

 

[JungleSkip]

Disney is just going to ruin these non-princess and kiddie characters just like they've done to the Avengers.

:bonk:

While I mostly agree...it is a bit of a different situation. Marvel/Avengers had an amazing creative core when Disney brought them in, and they didn't mess with them.

LucasFilm doesn't have that.

 

[jtsalien]

While I mostly agree...it is a bit of a different situation. Marvel/Avengers had an amazing creative core when Disney brought them in, and they didn't mess with them.

LucasFilm doesn't have that.

It's totally different. But the other argument has no basis in reality either.

It doesn't. But I also don't believe anyone can be naive enough to think George wrote those treatments to be bought by Disney. The movies were going to happen, Disney or no Disney.