George Lucas: the world’s most financially canny film maker

George Lucas' sale of Star Wars to Disney proves there's still money to be made in old franchises.

Star Wars has always divided the punters, as was apparent in the Twittersphere over the news that George Lucas, the obsessive father of the endless multi-trilogies, had sold out to Disney on hopes of continuing the franchise in perpetuity. "Oh good, Star Wars films forever", ran a despairing tweet from the Daily Mail's Tim Shipman. "I am now glad that the earth will one day be consumed by a flaming fireball."

Say what you like about Lucas, says The Economist, this deal "cements his reputation as the most financially canny film-maker alive". Disney is paying $4bn in cash and stock for his production company, Lucasfilm. The "entire bounty" goes to Lucas, 68, who owned 100% of the firm and now becomes one of Disney's largest shareholders (see below).

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