We may have seen the last days of hand-drawn animation.  It’s not going to come from DreamWorks Animation (all of their 2D endeavors flopped), BlueSky, or Sony Pictures Animation.  The last refuge was Disney, who had released the hand-drawn Winnie the Pooh in 2011.  But that looks like the end of Disney’s 2D animation for the foreseeable future.  According to /Film, at “Walt Disney Company shareholder’s meeting, CEO Bob Iger revealed none of Disney’s animation companies, which includes Disney Animation, Pixar and Disney Toons, are currently developing, or have plans to develop, any 2D, hand drawn animation for the big screen. He’s not ruling it out, but the current slate—which probably stretches 3-4 years—has none of it.”

Hit the jump for my thoughts on this sad state of affairs.

We’ve got some Star Wars news to report on today.  We recently (and finally) learned that J.J. Abrams will be helming Star Wars: Episode VII, and today Disney CEO Bob Iger took part in a television appearance where he provided some updates on the studio’s Star Wars franchise.  It was previously reported that screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg had been brought into the fold not only to work on this new trilogy, but also possibly on some standalone films centered around other characters in the Star Wars universe.  Iger confirmed today that that is indeed the case, as Disney is working on Star Wars films that are not a part of the overall saga.  Hit the jump for more.

Well today is certainly one of the biggest news days in recent memory.  We learned earlier this afternoon that Disney has acquired George Lucas’ studio LucasFilm for $4 billion, with plans for Star Wars: Episode VII already in the works.  We’ve already seen a video in which Lucas and LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy discuss the acquisition and the future of Star Wars, and now a further video has been released in which Disney CEO Bob Iger and Lucas talk about the business deal.

Lucas discusses the allure of housing his flagship company at Disney, while Iger explains the finer points of the acquisition (ie. Star Wars theme parks and merchandise = $$$).  Hit the jump to check out the video and to read the full press release regarding this major deal.

In case anyone was worried that Disney and Marvel wouldn’t make a sequel to the film with the highest opening weekend gross of all-time (by far, I might add), Disney CEO Bob Iger is here to alleviate your concerns.  Per Deadline, Iger announced that the studio is developing a sequel to The Avengers, adding that the film’s success “is a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much.”  Anyone who sat through the film’s credits should have a good idea of where The Avengers 2 could go villain-wise, but I think the key to a follow-up will be the return of Joss Whedon as writer/director.  He is the reason The Avengers is a good film as opposed to simply an expensive film, and his recipe of humor, character development, and pure entertainment made for one of the most enjoyable moviegoing experiences in a long time.  Hit the jump for more.

[Update: It appears Iger's quote was taken out of context, and he actually said that there will "hopefully" be another Avengers.  Nevertheless, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point.  More after the jump.]

While Sony recently picked up an awful-sounding Peter Pan prequel starring Channing Tatum to the tune of $1 million, Disney is considering its own Pan prequel and it sounds far more promising.  Disney chief Bob Iger recently told shareholders that the studio is considering an adaptation of Dave Berry and Ridley Pearson’s Peter and the Starcatchers, which sets Peter and his lost boys as the pirates instead of against the pirates.  Said Iger:

“We considered making [it] a movie,” Iger said, noting they went as far as hiring a screenwriter to adapt the book. “We haven’t made a decision on that yet.”

The Wrap reports that Disney has been testing the material Off Broadway production at the New York Theater Workshop to see if it will translate into feature film.  According to New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley, the play is a huge success.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of Peter and the Starcatchers and some images from the Off Broadway production.

With the void left in the superhero genre of television after Heroes’ cancellation and Smallville in its final season, it looks like ABC and its parent company Disney are looking to be the leader in the “Televised Live-Action Superhero Adventures” category for the new decade.

Robert Iger, CEO of Disney, has confirmed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the Disney-owned ABC and ABC Family are currently working on adapting three Marvel properties for live-action series. As we previously reported, ABC has been looking at adapting The Incredible Hulk, Cloak and Dagger, The Punisher, and other series for TV. Hit the jump for the full quote.

The Associated Press is reporting that Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt Disney and former senior executive of The Walt Disney Company, died today at the age of 79.  Disney, while technically a figurehead of the overall company, wielded enormous power throughout the reigns of CEOs Ron Miller and Michael Eisner, both of whom Disney played a crucial role in ousting and making sure that the company never lost sight of its roots in animation.

Hit the jump to read more about Disney’s life and legacy.

Fans wary of Disney’s purchase of Marvel Entertainment can sleep a little easier tonight as we’ve got some comments made by CEO Robert Iger at the D23 Expo in California. Among other things, Iger touched on his excitement surrounding the monumental acquisition, as well the company’s approach to properties currently owned by other studios. Find out more after the jump.