Is Disney angling to buy Hasbro next?

Disney may be lining up their next major conquest according to a rumor posted by MTV Geek. This is rumor at this point, but MTV points out that there are reputable sources reporting on the discussions.

MTV laid out what merging with Hasbro would mean for Disney: The acquisition would give Disney the rights to Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons and Dragons, Beyblade, Battleship, Nerf, and Magic: The Gathering among several dozen other game titles and IP. When you add Marvel and Star Wars to that list it’s a pretty comprehensive lock on boy’s entertainment; a far cry from a few years back when Disney was heavily criticized for losing its grip on boys.

So, does that mean that Paramount would lose TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE? It is hard to say. Disney could certainly make a deal like they did for IRON MAN to bring everything under one roof. I find it hard to believe that Paramount would make movies only to have Disney reap the rewards from the merchandising sales bearing their films names.

Lucasfilm was a privately owned company which aided in the sale to the Disney company. Hasbro would be a different beast entirely and would likely take a lot longer to complete. But, if it did go through, you can imagine the possibilities. Hasbro currently owns Parker Brothers, Kenner, Tonka, Milton Bradley, and Wizards of the Coast. In essence, Disney would be getting a huge array of projects and possibilities. This would take a lot of the stress from Pixar to churn out more than one movie a year, but would also flood theaters with Disney branded releases.

There is no question that Disney is gaining a monopoly on the marketplace (pun intended). Movies are a business, after all, and the purpose of business is to be the best. if Hasbro falls to the House of Mouse, I find it hard to see any other studio competing with them for supremacy.

What do you think about Disney possibly acquiring Hasbro?