And to think that last Sunday as I was posting Geek Girl, I thought to myself that this week was going to be a light one as far as news went- maybe a new Star Wars Angry Birds video or two, perhaps some book news, but it didn't look like anything huge was on the horizon. And then the week actually happened- the week that the internets asploded with the news that Disney has acquired Lucasfilm for the hefty sum of $4.05 billion.
4.05 billion, people!
I've never really reported the geeky news here on my Sunday posts- instead, my goal is always to link you up to what's hot and happening in the world of sci-fi (and mostly the Star Wars side of sci-fi, at that) in a more manageable "casual fan" type format (because, let's face it, I'm still just a casual fan, too). With that in mind, I've rounded up lots of links related to this surprising acquisition and separated them into news, reaction, and speculation categories in addition to this week's picks, just in case you want to read about the purchase and what it means for the future of Star Wars in a little more depth.
On the news front:
- Lightsaber Rattling republished the original acquisition press release in its entirety.
- Knights Archive, Club Jade, Roqoo Depot, EU Cantina, and Big Shiny Robot all ran news articles carrying portions or all of the press release along with their own original reporting
- Perhaps the biggest announcement to come out of this from a fan perspective is the news that Episodes 7, 8, and 9 are pretty much a done deal. Lightsaber Rattling reported on this original announcement, while Club Jade, Big Shiny Robot, and TheForce.net all reported that sources were saying that the new movies would be original works and not based on the existing novels.
- Club Jade does a great job (as always!) of rounding up news from lots of different sources.
- It's perhaps not quite news, but it looks fairly certain that the Clone Wars animated series will be moving from Cartoon Network to Disney XD after the current season has ended- at least according to the Hollywood Reporter.
You can also hear the news straight from Lucas himself in the video below.
There have been lots of different reactions to the news, of course, including:
- Knights' Archive has rounded up reactions from some of the Star Wars notables, and has also posted two reaction articles here and here.
- Roqoo Depot likewise posted two articles with reactions to the big announcement.
- JediNet carries the news and reaction in the same article.
- Timothy Zahn weighs in with his thoughts on the new films at Inside Movies. Club Jade also carried similar content.
And of course we can't have such a huge announcement without at least some speculation (wild or otherwise) going on!
- Club Jade theorizes about how Disney's (remember, they own Marvel comics, too) acquisition of Lucasfilm will impact the current publishing contract that the franchise has with Dark Horse Comics. CJers are actually fairly vocal in their speculations, also posting articles about how the purchase might mean the end of Star Wars Happy Meals at McDonalds, and also a lengthy treatise on whether or not the Star Wars EU might survive the new movies.
- EU Cantina also has some theories on how the new movies might affect the Expanded Universe.
- Lightsaber Rattling speculates on all kinds of impacts the acquisition might have on a variety of Star Wars properties.
- Big Shiny Robot has jumped right on board with the new films with articles discussing the pros and cons of various choices for directing the movies and composing the score.
- JediNet lists 10 things they hope do or don't happen in Episode VII.
I'm sure there's going to be a lot more news on this as the Lucasfilm transitions under Disney's umbrella, and I'll be sure to keep you updated about anything exciting.
And, hey, I also have the usual selection of geekiness for you this week!
From the top left:
- Of course the news about the Big Event is already making it's way into fandom, including these images of Disney-fied scenes from Star Wars.
- Black Milk (the company that brought us last year's C-3P0 and R2-D2 swimsuits) has unveiled a new collection now expanded to include dresses and leggings.
- Cupcakes Take the Cake posted an adorable set of Doctor Who cupcakes.
- Nail polish powerhouse (is there such a thing as a nail polish powerhouse?) OPI released a new collection themed after the latest James Bond flick, Skyfall.
- A few weeks ago I posted a fantastic mad scientist party for grown-ups, and this week Hostess With The Mostess has a version for kids, too!
- Check out how one fan dressed up her cat for Halloween...as one of the My Little Ponies!
- Believe it or not, you can actually play Tetris on this amazing Halloween pumpkin featured at Bit Rebels.
- And speaking of Bit Rebels, they've posted a list of top-secret Disney/Star Wars movies that are in the works. ;)
- The set of Harry Potter themed cupcakes rounds out the picks for this week.
But wait, there's more! In the midst of all the Disney/Lucasfilm hoopla, Rovio has quietly released four more teaser videos for Angry Birds Star Wars, due out this week.
So, maybe next week we'll have that quiet week?
MTFBWY!