Disney & LucasFilm Reportedly Developing Darth Vader TV Specials

LucasFilm and Disney may be bringing Darth Vader to TV.

Jedi News has managed to obtain a brochure from the studios, detailing their future plans for the STAR WARS franchise. Multiple projects are outlined within, including a series of 'Darther Vader Themed Themed TV Specials,' which were described by the publication's source as "exciting" and "fast approaching."

The studios are also planning STAR WARS mobile LEGO games, due out in Spring or Summer 2014, as well as a digital library detailing the saga, which is expected to launch in Fall or Winter 2014. The brochure also confirms that STAR WARS EPISODE VII is still slated for a Spring/Summer 2015 release, despite previous reports that a Dec. 2015 bow was Being considered.

The first film in the STAR WARS series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year intervals. Sixteen years after the release of the trilogy's final film, the first in a new prequel trilogy of films was released.

The three prequel films were also released at three-year intervals, with the final film of the trilogy released on May 19, 2005. In October 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and announced that it would produce three new films, with the first film, Star Wars Episode VII, planned for release in 2015. 20th Century Fox still retains the distribution rights to the first two Star Wars trilogies, owning permanent rights for the original film Episode IV: A New Hope, while holding the rights to Episodes I-III, V and VI until May 2020.

Reactions to the original trilogy were mostly positive, with the last film being considered the weakest, while the prequel trilogy received a more mixed reaction, with most of the praise being for the final movie, according to most review aggregator websites. All six of the main films in the series were also nominated for or won Academy Awards.

All of the main films have been box office successes, with the overall box office revenue generated by the Star Wars films (including the theatrical Star Wars: The Clone Wars) totalling $4.49 billion, making it the third-highest-grossing film series. The success has also led to multiple re-releases in theaters for the series.