Three years ago today: Disney bought Lucasfilm

disney-lfl-iger-lucas

It was October 30, 2012 when it was announced that Disney was buying Lucasfilm and making Episode VII. Today, the long wait is almost over – we’re less than 50 days away from actually seeing The Force Awakens.

Here are a few fun links: Our tweet roundup from sale day, and our discussion post from the one-year mark.

We’ve seen drastic changes in the landscape of the franchise and fandom – the sad but ultimately merciful alternate universing of the old Expanded Universe, the cancellation of The Clone Wars, saying farewell to beloved licensees like Dark Horse – but we’re getting not only more films, but theme parks and fresh starts aplenty from Disney, Marvel and Del Rey. Things have changed a lot, but what of it? Sometimes, change is necessary, and I think the last three years prove that – at least so far.

It’s been a trip, and the franchise has reached some crazy highs in that time, a heightened interest from all quarters, a surge that we haven’t seen since The Phantom Menace. Could we be setting ourselves up for disappointment? Even if The Force Awakens is indeed well received, I doubt anything will go completely smoothly, as we’ve already seen some dark undercurrents regarding the changes. But if someone as cynical and jaded as I am can be hopeful, why not?