1 Number That Defined Disney in 2012

For all its success building and acquiring brands -- (cough) Marvel and Pixar (cough) -- Walt Disney's $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm, creator and shepherd of the Star Wars franchise, may be its smartest acquisition yet.

How big could it be? We'll know a lot more come 2015, when Episode VII is unleashed on a willing audience. Marvel grants some clues in the meantime. Disney has allowed the comic book king to develop an entire cinematic universe under the direction of Joss Whedon, who, in turn, guided Marvel's The Avengers to a $1.5 billion box office performance worldwide.

Can a new Star Wars film do even better? I answer this question and more in the video below. Please watch and then weigh in using the comments box below.

More expert advice from The Motley Fool
Disney has been a longtime pick of Motley Fool superinvestor David Gardner, and has soared more than 2,525% since he first recommended it in June 2002! David specializes in identifying game-changing companies like this long before others are keen to their disruptive potential and helping like-minded investors profit while Wall Street catches up. Learn more about how he picks his winners with a free online tour of his flagship service, Supernova, open to new members for just a short time. Inside you'll discover the science behind his market-trouncing returns. Just click here now for instant access.

The article 1 Number That Defined Disney in 2012 originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakersstock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Walt Disney at the time of publication. Check out Tim's web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.The Motley Fool owns shares of Walt Disney. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.