George Lucas (Valerie Macon / Getty Images / AFP)
Filmmaker George Lucas’ trust has registered its 2% stake in Walt Disney worth $2.02 billion for possible sale in a filing with US regulators. However, that does not mean a sale is imminent.
The document allows for the potential sale of the 37.1 million Disney shares owned by the Lucas trust.
The company has not indicated how many shares it is planning to sell, and the document said it could decide against selling any at all, AFP reported.
“The selling security holder has not informed us, and we do not know, when or in what amounts the selling security holder may offer for sale the shares of common stock pursuant to this offering,” the trust added.
The Star Wars creator received the shares when Disney took over his LucasFilms company last year for $4.05 billion. The deal included the high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the “Indiana Jones” franchise. Lucasfilm joins animated film producer Pixar, Marvel Studios, ESPN and ABC, all purchased by Disney in recent years.
The seventh part of the Star Wars saga, with a working title of “Episode 7,” is due to hit screens in 2015. It will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9. The trilogy will continue the story of Luke Skywalker, Hans Solo and Princess Leia beyond “Return of the Jedi”. George Lucas will serve as a creative consultant on the new movies. “I’m doing this so that the films will have a longer life,” Lucas said in an interview posted on YouTube. “I get to be a fan now … I sort of look forward to it. It’s a lot more fun actually, than actually having to go out into the mud and snow.”
