NEW YORK (AP) — Disney’s $4 billion deal for Lucasfilm and “Star Wars” just keeps getting better for the House of Mouse.
The company is banking on the latest installments, “The Last Jedi” in December and a Han Solo movie in May, to drive people to theaters. But that’s far from the end of money-making opportunities from Han Solo, R2-D2, Kylo Ren and Rey. In fact, CEO Bob Iger said Thursday that the company is now planning a brand-new “Star Wars” trilogy, which will be the fourth in the franchise.
Disney has drawn big profits from the strengths of its TV channels — namely ESPN — but that growth is challenged as more people dump cable subscriptions. As people turn to online replacements such as Netflix, Disney is hoping to lure them with a streaming service planned for 2019. “Star Wars” movies will be a big part of that; so will a new “Star Wars” series Iger also announced Thursday.
Disney also wants to squeeze cash from “Star Wars” fans in the forms of toys and, theme park visits and hotel stays.
