Capitalism: the Disney empire strikes back

Recently, Disney bought Lucasfilm for a whopping $4 billion in yet another high-profile purchase. As a result, it is safe to say the world is going to end. The fateful day that George Lucas signed over his entertainment industry was the day that marked the ruination of one of the most admired and beloved film series in the world.

What will we see in Star Wars Episode VII which, according to USA Today, is set to be released in 2015? Answer: the utter destruction of a meticulously constructed universe.

While this is a shrewd business move for Lucas, who wants to keep his film empire alive after his imminent retirement, Star Wars fans will be sorely disappointed.

Disney made this move for purely financial reasons, and the company is capitalizing on the brand equity of the Star Wars universe. Soon, it’s likely we will be overwhelmed with not only mediocre new Star Wars movies, but we will also have ridiculous spin-off shows shoved down our throats.

Further commercialization of the Star Wars saga will be extremely profitable for Disney. No matter what opinion moviegoers have about Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, they will still pay money to see another Star Wars movie. No matter how terrible Disney makes the movie, the mere mention of the epic Star Wars universe will draw in viewers.

However profitable it may be, Disney will ruin Star Wars simply because it had the perfect ending. At the end of Episode VI, all in the universe was well. The lone Jedi Luke Skywalker overcame the omnipresent Galactic Empire to liberate the galaxy from oppression.
Now, Disney will create a whole new storyline with descendants of previously seen characters that we love and adore, and we will cry at how poorly they try to imitate past characters.

Some may say that the Iron Man series, created by Disney, is a testament to Disney’s ability to produce powerful, serious movies that appeal to a wide audience. However, Disney created the Iron Man series, so it had the power to take the movies in any direction it wanted. The Star Wars movies cannot be adapted to Disney’s whims, as the Star Wars movies’ plot is not malleable and already ended on the perfect note.

Furthermore, even Lucas was not able to revive interest in the Star Wars movies after Episode III. Lucas produced an animated movie and television series set between Episode II and III detailing the adventures of Anakin Skywalker and his apprentice Ahsoka.

The movie and the television show did not prove to be very successful, even with the genius of Lucas. If Lucas, the mastermind behind the Star Wars universe, was unable to resurrect interest in Star Wars films, it will be impossible for Disney.

Maybe it’s best to steal a line from Obi-Wan Kenobi to summarize this deal: “I have a bad feeling about this.”