Does 20th Century Fox still get any royalties from the Star Wars franchise?
The first six Star Wars movies were financed, distributed, and marketed by the studio 20th Century Fox. In return, Fox earned the net profits of the films. After the production company Lucasfilm was sold to Disney in 2012, future films are now financed, distributed, and marketed by Disney. The profits now go to Disney.
Which (if any) current or future activities of the Star Wars franchise would still earn royalties for 20th Century Fox? Some activities to consider:
- Presentation of the original 6 movies in a movie theater after the 2012 sale
- Television broadcasts of the original 6 movies after 2012
- Re-broadcast of Star Wars TV shows/series
- Releases of the original 6 movies in pre-2012 formats (VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray)
- Releases of the original 6 movies in new formats (e.g. Netflix)
- Future "special editions" of the original 6 movies
- Merchandise licensed prior to 2012 (e.g. books, toys) that was sold after 2012
- Anything created with Disney's involvement (here for completeness; I highly doubt it)
Also, if Fox's rights expire before the copyright runs out, that would be helpful to note.
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Who owns the rights to the Star Wars franchise?
Lucasfilm was founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1971 in San Rafael, California; most of the company's operations were moved to San Francisco in 2005. Disney acquired Lucasfilm on October 30, 2012, for $4.05 billion in the form of cash and stock, with $1.855 billion in stock.Does 20th Century Fox own Star Wars?
Despite the The Walt Disney Company's 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the release rights to all future Star Wars films, Fox was to retain original distribution rights to A New Hope in perpetuity in all media worldwide.Does Mark Hamill get royalties from Star Wars?
For Hamill, the "Star Wars" reissue has been a rare chance to be seen by the public after nearly two decades of obscurity. He will earn royalties from the theatrical showings, which he did not get from the video or television releases.Does George Lucas still own lucasfilms?
'Star Wars' creator George Lucas has largely retired from filmmaking since he sold his Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for $4.1 billion in stock and cash.Disney seeking to purchase 20th Century Fox - WHY?
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