From Anime News Network
The city of San Diego and Comic-Con International have agreed to extend their current contract by one year to 2016. The agreement to stay in San Diego through 2015 was made in 2010.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON TO STAY IN SAN DIEGO UNTIL 2016
From Anime News Network
BREAKING: DISNEY TO ACQUIRE LUCASFILM LTD.
Major news breaking and here is the press release.
Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – 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.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.
"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas," said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value."
"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."
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and "evergreen" Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, 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 acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.
Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm's legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world's top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney's strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.
The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney's very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company's unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney's portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company's ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world's highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.
Note: Additional information and comments from Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, and Jay Rasulo, senior executive vice president and CFO, The Walt Disney Company, regarding Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, are attached.
Investor Conference Call:
An investor conference call will take place at approximately 4:30 p.m. EDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT today, October 30, 2012. To listen to the Webcast, turn your browser to /investors/events or dial in domestically at (888) 771-4371 or internationally at (847) 585-4405. For both dial-in numbers, the participant pass code is 33674546.
The discussion will be available via replay on the Disney Investor Relations website through November 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
ORLANDO ANIME CLUB MEMBER FOUND
Good news From ANN
Lisa Marie Smith, the missing member of an anime club in Orlando, Florida, updated her Facebook page on October 11. The then 23-year-old was reported missing to the Orange County Sheriff's Office as of September 26.
Smith's update is as follows: "sry for having everyone so worried. imma be going uphill now its been hard and i kno i have a ways to go but im finally taking steps towards something better."
Friday, October 19, 2012
NYCC PHOTOS ARE NOW ON THE ROBOTECH FACEBOOK PAGE
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
ROBOTECH LOVE LIVE ALIVE CAST ANNOUNCED
The Robotech.com website has an article that reveals the cast of Robotech: Love Live Alive.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
ROBOTECH CONVENTION TOUR AT THE NEW YORK COMIC-CON THIS WEEKEND
Harmony Gold and Reed Exhibitions are proud to announce that the Robotech Convention Tour will make a stop at the 2012 New York Comic-Con. Fans will get the latest updates on all animated and live action Robotech projects.
The New York Comic Con (NYCC) is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. The NYCC show floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. Our panels and autograph sessions give fans a chance to interact with their favorite creators. Our screening rooms feature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit either big or small screens. And with dedicated professional hours, New York Comic Con is a market place, bringing together the major players in the entertainment industry. New York Comic Con is the second largest pop culture convention in America and the only one that takes place in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world — Gotham City.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
ORLANDO ANIME CLUB MEMBER MISSING
From AnimeNewsNetwork.com
Lisa Marie Smith, a 23-year-old woman and a member of an anime club in Orlando, Florida, has been reported as missing to local authorities. Smith was last seen in the downtown Orlando area on September 26. She is reported to be approximately five feet and eleven inches tall and weighs 145 pounds. She has blue eyes and black hair. She wears glasses, and has tattoos on the inside of both wrists, the back of her neck, and an initial on her leg.
Posters currently circulating of Smith list her as six feet tall and 150 pounds with dark brown hair and blue/hazel eyes.
Smith requires medication and the family is asking those with tips to report anonymously to Crimeline at (407) 423-TIPS; to contact the Orange County Sheriff's Office at (407) 254-7000 before 5:00 p.m. or at (407) 836-HELP after 5:00 p.m.; or to leave information on her Facebook page.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
RTUCN FAN ART POSTED ON FACEBOOK
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
VIDEO OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE FLYING OVER HOLLYWOOD
The Robotech.com website has video of the view from near Harmony Gold's offices in Hollywood as the retired Space Shuttle Endeavor is escorted over downtown Los Angeles.
Monday, October 1, 2012
DO YOU WANT TO HELP FUND YURI LOWENTHAL'S NEW PROJECT?
Yuri Lowenthal (Marcus in Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles) is working on a new web series called Retcon with Sean Maher (Firefly) and Miley Yamamoto. They've got an IndieGoGo set up to fund the series, but are falling short of their $30,000 goal. If they can at least get to $10,000 they can put together a kickbutt pilot episode. Let's support Yuri in this new project!
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