Hasta La Gadget!

This is still breaking, but massive media conglomerate Disney has bought Lucasfilm, the company behind Star Wars. Disney bought Pixar in 2006 and Marvel in 2009, so they’re no strangers to massive purchases. However, the worst (or best, if you loved Attack of the Clones) news is that they’re rebooting the Star Wars franchise and making a seventh film to hit theaters in 2015. From the press release:

Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas…  [With] George Lucas serving as creative consultant, 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.

The conference call for investors starts at 4:30 EST, so we’ll be getting more details then. The purchase includes notable special effects studio Industrial Light and Magic, which produces special effects for a whole bunch of Hollywood blockbusters. This year, it worked on The Hunger Games and The Avengers. We’ll update more as the whole internet shudders.

Image courtesy of Witney Seibold, and it’s not the real logo.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Star Wars: The Complete Saga on Blu-ray, Man embarks on full-scale Millennium Falcon replica project,

The green pigs have had their moment in the sun: it’s time for the Angry Birds to come back. Rovio Mobile has posted a teaser of a collaboration between its frustrated avians and Star Wars that will get a grand reveal on October 8th at Toys R Us’ Times Square location in New York City. No clear giveaways exist as to what’s coming, although Rovio is promising animations, comics and other material in the weeks ahead — we imagine it means more than a toy line, as unique as that can be. But does it mean an Angry Birds Space add-on that goes well beyond the Martian landscape, an entirely new game or something else altogether? We’ve asked the company for more details and will let you know if we’re given more information. In the meantime, get ready for what’s likely to be a geek culture explosion.

[Thanks, Jaakko]

Filed under: Gaming

Rovio hints at Angry Birds tie-in with Star Wars on October 8th, Red Bird Five standing by originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 11:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still have another cube-shaped hole in your vintage computer collection? Then you may be interested in this rare specimen that’s currently up for auction on eBay. Long before Pixar produced its first feature film, it sold the Pixar Image Computer, a high-end system developed at Lucasfilm and intended for a variety of professional uses (from medical to meteorological applications). As the eBay seller notes, the computer also has a distinctive “tombstone” design, with the Pixar logo emblazoned on the front (not to mention a matching CRT). Unfortunately, the seller isn’t able to verify if the computer is actually in working condition as it’s missing a power cord, but that little detail hasn’t gotten in the way of a $15,000 starting bid and a $25,000 buy it now price. Pricey, to be sure, but a steep discount from its original $135,000 selling price.

Filed under: Desktops

Pixar Image Computer surfaces on eBay, $25k will let you buy it now originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fans of the Indiana Jones series already got the good news in March that the flicks are finally coming to Blu-ray this year, and now we know when. Paramount has set September 18th as the release date, and also finally revealed cover art for the set, seen above… yeah, that’s really it. No matter how cartoony it is (or how mind-numbing Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was) we’re sure some will still be lining up when it ships. For their trouble, they can expect a “meticulously restored” edition of Raiders of the Lost Ark, after a process supervised by director Steven Spielberg and sound designer Ben Burtt. This has included a 4K scan of the original negatives, as well as a revisiting to the original audio mix, with music tracks and sound effects that had previously only been used in mono upgraded to stereo surround for the 5.1 DTS-HD MA track. Check after the break for a press release with more details on the restoration and a trailer for the boxed set, or head to Amazon where the price is currently sitting at $90 to preorder.

Continue reading Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures Blu-ray set hits shelves September 18th

Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures Blu-ray set hits shelves September 18th originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 23:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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