"Are Disney and George Lucas Hiding Something?" is the title of Tuesday's New York Magazine article by Kevin Roose.
On Tuesday, "Star Wars" filmmaker George Lucas announced—in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, one of the Noertheast's worst storms in history—that he had sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.05 billion.
It was a huge announcement, made under suspicious circumstances.
The timing of the announcement seems as if Disney and Lucas wanted news of the acquisition to be buried under the story of Hurricane Sandy, undoubtedly the day's headline.
For this entertainment reporter, it's reminiscent of how celebrity couples, such as Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, announce they are divorcing on Thanksgiving or Christmas—when the media is mostly off on holiday.
Roose has three theories in his New York Mag article of why the billionaire filmmaker and the blockbuster studio chose to announce the news during a national disaster when even U.S. stock markets were closed:
1. You want to cheer up the citizens of storm-damaged cities on the East Coast by giving them a new Star Wars film to look forward to.
2. You were going to announce the deal this week anyway, and somewhat callously decided not to delay the release just because Hurricane Sandy happened.
3. The deal is a financial dud, and you want to get the news out with minimum scrutiny.
Based on what little we know of the finances of Lucasfilm (which was private, and 100 percent owned by George Lucas, until today), I'm guessing that something closer to option 3 is happening.
Roose goes on to write, "Compared to its other acquisitions (most notably, its 2006 purchase of Pixar for $7.4 billion), Disney is buying Lucasfilm for a steal. And at a glance, $4 billion does look low for an iconic movie series."
While some estimates have put the "Star Wars" franchise at a $30 billion valuation, Roose points out this is unlikely considering Lucas was willing to sell his entire company for roughly one-eighth of that.
Ultimately, despite hundreds of millions made in "Star Wars" merchandise, Roose believes "if Disney knows it overpaid, or even senses it might have, then burying the news makes all the sense in the world."
But one commenter on the story, who dubbed herself "aprilludgate," thinks Disney got a good deal, saying:
In fact, most "Star Wars" enthusiasts who commented on the article believe, as "JREinATL" does, "$4B is probably a good valuation and a good deal for both sides ... Disney can wring value out of that $4B that other companies and Lucas alone can't. Disney can use the franchise in its theme parks and obtain synergies with its other franchises. Lucas, meanwhile, gets to cash out knowing that his life's work is in the best hands that are available and still be a major Disney shareholder."
SEE ALSO: Why buying 'Star Wars' is a huge gamble for Disney >
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