Hoping to generate excitement for the new Star Wars Film, Walt Disney Pictures plan on releasing five of the six prior movies in the Star Wars franchise to Netflix. Walt Disney pictures owns rights to 5 of the 6 Star War movies; however, 20th Century Fox still owns the rights to the first Star Wars movie (released in 1977). Star Wars fans may have been rejoicing once they heard the latest news; however, there is a major catch. The Star Wars franchise will only be available for viewers in Latin America.

If you were an American hoping to gain streaming access to the Star Wars franchise, you better look elsewhere; Netflix plans to only give this streaming opportunity to people in Latin America. Although this might be a tough pill to swallow for American fans, this still is a smart move for the Star Wars Franchise. With Netflix instant play, people in Latin America will be able to catch up and watch all of the enchanting and memorable Star Wars movies before seeing Star Wars Episode : VII. The tactic of releasing media to Netflix to help promote a current project is not new to Netflix. Several Tv shows like Once Upon a Time, American Horror Story, Pretty Little Liars, and the well known The Walking Dead all send their prior seasons to Netflix to help viewers catch up on the storyline and help get them addicted to the series.

In the latest move by Disney Pictures and LucasFilm, the producers want people to remember the glory of all the prior star wars films so that they are certain to get excited and thrilled to see the new one in theaters. Therefore, if this plan pans out for the producers, the box office revenues should skyrocket. Walt Disney Pictures, which purchased LucasFilms within the past several years, is trying to increase their out of country revenue. The producers are banking on the idea that American viewers will see the new Star Wars movie no matter what; however, producers want to expand the fan base and expose people in Latin America to the land of Star Wars.

The biggest indicator that the Star Wars franchise is coming to Netflix is the recent Wall Street Journal Article that came out on Thursday, September 17th. The Wall Street Journal states, "Walt Disney Co. is in talks with Netflix Inc. to put the five “Star Wars” movies it controls on the digital streaming service…" (WSJ). However, there is one major catch. Netflix and Disney have agreed that this streaming service will only be available for viewer consumption in "Latin America." As the Wall Street Journal states, "Disney’s highest priority, however, is boosting awareness of the franchise ahead of the debut of “The Force Awakens” in December in order to sell tickets and associated consumer products," (WSJ).

Although websites like Techtimes and websites like Cinemablend have all captured screenshot based evidence that Star Wars will be on Netflix, none of these screenshots have proven that Star Wars will be available on the streaming service. The only hardcore proof that Star Wars will be on Netflix comes from the Wall Street Journal, and even they believe that Star Wars will only be accessible in Latin American Countries.

Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker are going to reach new areas of the globe if this contract is signed. Unfortunately, American fans will have to settle with buying the franchise on DVD. However, if you are Latin American, be sure to watch the amazing franchise through your Netflix account.