DISNEY BUYS LUCASFILM, ANNOUNCES 'STAR WARS: EPISODE VII' FOR 2015

Trust the Mouse, Luke? In a surprise move that shocked the entertainment world, Disney announced on Tuesday that it was acquiring Lucasfilm, the studio behind Star Wars, for $4.05 billion. And that's not all. Disney has already announced that Star Wars: Episode VII will hit theaters in 2015. George Lucas, the creative mind behind Star Wars, had the following to say about selling his company to Disney:

"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. "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 reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."

Pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers? Think about that for a second. We're going to get a new Star Wars movie from a director other than Lucas. Christopher Nolan? Joss Whedon? This is very exciting. Disney has also made it clear that the studio doesn't plan on stopping with Episode VII, saying, "Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future."

More on this news as the night progresses.