Lucas: ‘Time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers’

As most of you know by now, a new Star Wars film is planned to release in 2015. Although there are still plenty of questions surrounding The Walt Disney Company's plans to produce the new film after acquiring Lucasfilm today, one thing we do know is that Star Wars creator George Lucas will serve as creative consultant — and he actually seems quite content to let the franchise into the hands of others.

"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers."

"I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come."

"Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products," he concluded.

Disney has plans to release the first new Star Wars film in 2015, followed by episode 8 and episode 9. From there, the company has plans to release one film every two to three years. This is all part of Disney's target of 8-10 live-action films per year. Additionally, Star Wars will be utilized in other aspects of Disney businesses including Parks & Resorts, games, and television.