Part of the announcement was the planned release of "Star Wars: Episode VII" in 2015. No indication of a filmmaker or story (or subtitle) was included, but the mind reels at the potential. How far can the universe stretch? More prequels? Expanded mythos in multimedia? In less than a decade Disney has produced four "Pirates of the Caribbean" films -- to diminishing creative returns, yes, but certainly not financial. With a number of filmmakers, many of whom grew up on "Star Wars" and have a soft place for the nostalgia, the studio could easily generate as many or more over the next 10 years.

- Kristopher Tapley