Theme Park

Adding another marquee pop-culture property to its roster, Walt Disney Co. has agreed to pay $4.05 billion to acquire the company that controls the blockbuster "Star Wars" franchise -- allowing Disney to exploit the brand through film, television, consumer products and theme parks. With the purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd., Disney plans to churn out new "Star Wars" movies every two or three years beginning in 2015 with "Star Wars Episode 7," Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said in conference call with analysts late Tuesday.

Even before the fake blood and plastic skeletons are put away after Halloween, Todd Faux is already thinking of new ways to dispatch his 1,000 or so monsters to scare the living daylights out of you next year. As entertainment design manager at Knott's Berry Farm, Faux has unleashed vampires, a deranged butcher, zombie cannibals and a homicidal Pinocchio on park visitors during its annual Halloween Haunt event. His task now is to come up with something even creepier for next Halloween.

Ted Dougherty is an unassuming Glendale paralegal and classical musician with an overt dark side that reaches its monstrous zenith every October. Dougherty stumbled upon his twisted passion in 1987 during a visit to Knott's Scary Farm, which ultimately led to a fan website dedicated to the seasonal theme park event, an annual job as an undead werewolf and now a new book, "Knott's Halloween Haunt: A Picture History. " > Photos: The history of Halloween Haunt at Knott's Berry Farm The authorized but unofficial pictorial compendium traces the history of the "Scariest Place on Earth" and its expansion over the past four decades at Knott's Berry Farm into the "Granddaddy of Halloween Events.

After the coffee. Before trying out as Jets quarterback. The Skinny: I can't decide whether to see "Here Comes the Boom" this weekend or wait until Monday and catch it on DVD. Tuesday's headlines include the sale of Variety, a Charlie Brown feature film, a preview of News Corp.'s annual meeting and Paramount's plans to build a theme park in Britain. Daily Dose: DirecTV still doesn't have a deal with Time Warner Cable to carry its SportsNet, which is home to the Lakers.

The Angry Birds, the Bad Piggies, the eggs - you know the game-on drill. But what if you use your hands and feet instead of a smartphone app to move to the next level? That's the idea behind Angry Birds activity parks planned at three hotels in Finland - and they're not your typical amusement parks. "There will be different kinds of activities for children as well as for grown-ups," Iiro Rossi of Holiday Club Resorts wrote in an email. "There will be climbing, sliding, crawling, parkour, jumping, scoring, driving, playing, you name it. One thing missing are traditional rides usually seen in amusement parks.

"Angry Birds" will enter a galaxy far, far away with a new version of the game that combines the familiar feathered friends with well-known characters and settings from "Star Wars" "Angry Birds Star Wars" debuts Nov. 8, taking players from the deserts of Tatooine to the sphere of the Death Star. The forthcoming title, a result of a partnership between "Angry Birds" creator Rovio Entertainment and Lucasfilm, will depict "Angry Birds" characters as the heroes of the science fiction saga.  "As a big 'Star Wars' fan myself, I'm really excited about this new universe," Peter Vesterbacka, chief marketing officer of Rovio, said in a statement.

A group of British developers has signed a licensing deal with Paramount Pictures for a planned 2-billion  pound theme park outside of London. The development consortium, London Resort Co. Holdings, has signed a deal to make Paramount film properties such as "Mission: Impossible," "Star Trek" and "Paranormal Activity" part of the park, which it intends to build in North Kent in Southeast England. The agreement is exclusive in the Britain. (Paramount does not have the right to license its "Transformers" movies, as the property is owned by Hasbro.)

As we slip into October, I decided to assemble my first-ever Fantasy Halloween League of the Top 13 haunted mazes at theme parks around the world. Think of the Top 13 list as a nightmare fantastic park with the most demented, disturbing and disgusting collection of haunted attractions ever gathered in one virtual place. Or my definition of a dream vacation if I had a bottomless budget and unlimited vacation time to jet around the world to the best and most bizarre haunts.

The increasing popularity of Halloween theme park events has spawned a new generation of exclusive reservation-only haunted mazes that promise a more intense and intimate experience for those willing to pay a premium. Photos: 10 extreme haunted mazes and attractions The new Trapped maze at Knott's Halloween Haunt is the latest entry in an emerging trend toward up-charge attractions that cater to individuals and small parties prepared to bleed green for exclusive VIP treatment.

After a growth spurt over the past few years, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood has hit its stride as the leader in blood, guts and gore in Southern California. Photos: Halloween Horror Nights 2012 at Universal Studios Hollywood Following a reboot in 2006, Horror Nights has settled on a mix of terrifying haunted mazes tied to major horror movies, introducing a few new attractions every year while refreshing older offerings. The formula has proved wildly successful, with the movie theme park teeming with hordes of horror fans on weekends in late September and October.