Amidst continued speculation, Disney CEO Bob Iger, has revealed some details on how the Star Wars brand it purchased in 2012 for US$4bn (€3.2bn, £2.6bn) will fit into the company’s theme parks.

Speaking at Variety’s Dealmakers Breakfast on 10 December, Iger revealed that new attractions would be based on the new sequels and any subsequent spin-offs, not the older films in the George Lucas franchise.

“There will be a much larger ‘Star Wars’ presence in our parks globally,” said Iger. “But we want to do this big, which takes time, and to do it right.”

Iger went on to say that early development at Disney Imagineering had been temporarily halted on various attractions so as to make them as close in detail to the new films as possible and because of that, the team has a better idea of what would be featured in the upcoming films.

“I keep telling J.J. Abrams this is a US$4bn movie,” said Iger, in reference to the Lucasfilm deal. “We need to treat this very special. It’s an unbelievable privilege and unbelievable responsibility to take a jewel and treat it in a way that is respectful of its past but brings it into the future.”