By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

The Walt Disney Company announced October 30 that it has entered an agreement to purchase Lucasfilm from George Lucas for a reported $4.05 billion.

This will allow Disney to make new Star Wars movies, and it will indeed do so starting in 2015, as “Episode 7″ hits theaters. Episodes 8 and 9 will follow, with a new movie reportedly coming out every two or three years. Lucas will serve as a creative consultant for the films.

“I’m doing this so that the films will have a longer life,” Lucas said in a YouTube interview. “I get to be a fan now… I sort of look forward to it. It’s a lot more fun actually, than actually having to go out into the mud and snow.”

The Star Wars franchise is now in the hands of Kathleen Kennedy, co-chairman of LucasFilm.

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” Lucas said. “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 strength gives Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

The new movies will reportedly continue the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo. Disney CEO Bob Iger said Lucasfilm had already developed a storyline for the next series of movies.

In addition to the rights to Star Wars, the deal includes Lucas’ companies Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound, and the rights to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Source: Yahoo! News, StarWars.com