Disney Planning Attractions Based On New Star Wars Films

(RTTNews) - Disney is aiming to expand the Star Wars presence in its theme parks, with a number of new attractions rumored for a re-imagined Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida.

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion and began production of a third Star Wars trilogy. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the first of these films, is set for release in 2015.

"There will be a much larger Star Wars presence in our parks globally," Iger told Variety at their Dealmakers Breakfast in Beverly Hills. "But we want to do this big, which takes time, and to do it right."

Disney CEO Bob Iger wants his Imagineers to build rides based on the new trilogy instead of leaning on iconic characters from the past.

"I didn't want someone to say, 'I just saw the movie and there's nothing in that movie in this (attraction)," Iger added. "We waited to see what this film would have in it."

"I slowed it all down so what we come forward with will have a blend of the past, present and maybe the future.

The company has been quiet about where a so-called "Star Wars Land" will go, but Disney's Hollywood Studios seems a natural fit -- the park has struggled to inspire the same devotion as Magic Kingdom or EPCOT and already has the simulator ride Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.

In betting that director J.J. Abrams will breathe new life into the Star Wars franchise, Disney is hoping it can turn the tables on rival Universal Studios following Universal's wildly successful Harry Potter expansion.