Disney Exec Says 'Star Wars' Movies Will Continue After Episode 9

Walt Disney Co DIS CEO Bob Iger stated to BBC's entertainment vertical Newsbeat that the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" launched the beginning of six new "Star Wars" movies from now until 2019. "There will be more after that, I don't know how many, I don't know how often," Iger told Newsbeat. "The Force Awakens" December debut has made it the third highest-grossing movie of all time with $1.9 billion in revenues. This could mean many things, according to Tech Insider's latest report. "One idea is that Lucasfilm will plan to do more spin-off films or breakout some spin-offs into their own film series, similar to what Marvel is doing with its comic-book adaptations," noted Tech Insider. "Another thought is that we'll potentially see another trilogy after Episodes VII, VIII, and IX are over. We could also get some of both." For investors, studios like Walt Disney's have big things ahead, despite weakness in the cable-TV market. Disney's ownership of several popular franchises like the comic book series from Marvel and George Lucas' "Star Wars" just about guarantee the studio is capable of churning out a hit. Walt Disney's return on investment is presently 13.20 percent. Shares of DIS closed at $96.27 on Tuesday. The monthly performance for the company stands at -8.80 percent while its year to date performance is -8.38 percent.