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"Disney has confirmed new Star Wars movies after buying Lucasfilm in a multi-billion dollar deal. The Walt Disney Company announced that it has agreed to acquire the George Lucas-founded firm for $4.05 billion (\u00C2\u00A32.5bn) in cash and stock.  Disney has now confirmed that Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015. Walt Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger added in a shareholder conference call that the studio also plans to release Episodes 8 and 9, explaining: &amp;quot;Our long-term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years.&amp;quot; &amp;gt; &amp;#039;Star Wars Episode 7&amp;#039; confirmed for 2015: Is it a good idea? - poll Kathleen Kennedy, current co-chair of Lucasfilm, will become Lucasfilm&amp;#039;s president as part of the deal. Watch George Lucas discuss the future of Star Wars below:      In a statement, Lucas said: &amp;quot;For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It&amp;#039;s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;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&amp;#039;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. &amp;quot;Disney&amp;#039;s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.&amp;quot;  Earlier this year, Lucas said that he had retired from filmmaking and would not be involved in any more Star Wars feature films. A Star Wars TV series - provisionally titled Star Wars: Underworld - is also in development. It is said to focus on &amp;quot;the criminals and the gangs&amp;quot; of the sci-fi&amp;#039;s universe. Photo gallery - Star Wars Episodes I-VI in pictures:  Watch a trailer for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace below:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/star-wars/news/a434524/star-wars-episode-7-confirmed-for-2015-as-disney-buys-lucasfilm/>