Lucasfilm deal tightens ties between Hollywood and Bay Area

With the announcement that Disney will buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion, the ties between Hollywood and the Bay Area have been cinched tighter. As new technologies reshape the entertainment landscape, the Bay Area -- and specifically Silicon Valley -- is emerging as a major force in the future of filmmaking.

"I do think there is something that is happening under the surface in Silicon Valley that is very exciting," said Jim Breyer, a partner at Accel Partners who personally invested in Marvel Entertainment, acquired by Disney in 2009 for $4.3 billion. He added that leading movie and television executives in Hollywood and New York, while worried about how Silicon Valley technology is upending their businesses, are also keenly aware of how that same technology can help them make better movies and attract bigger audiences.