fact, it is favored by many over Abrams’ outing.
All was rosy in Star Wars world, and Disney
announced giant sections in their theme parks
dedicated to the world.
Things, however, started to get a bit more
complicated for Lucasfilm.
Abrams didn’t want to commit to a second film,
so Lucasfilm hired Rian Johnson to direct the next
film in the new trilogy, ”Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” A
well-respected actor who loves the franchise was
ready to take on the tall order. He would not only
direct but write the film.
Production was smooth and anticipation was
palpable. Would fans’ greatest questions be
answered? When the movie was released, it again
received rave reviews. All seemed well. Then the
fickle fans saw it.
To say this was the most divisive blockbuster
film in recent times would be an understatement.
Some fans loved it but to the surprise of Lucasfilm,
passionate fans loathed the decisions made in
the story. Some felt characters didn’t match their
personality, others felt cheated by long-awaited
answers to burning questions.
Was this just fans’ expectations running too
high or was it them wanting an ending of their own
design? No one will really know. This writer thought
it was daring and evolved the franchise.
It didn’t hurt at the box office. It didn’t reach the
epic heights of its predecessor, but it did make
$620 million in the states, a nice chunk of change.
But it poses a big problem for Disney and
Lucasfilm, with their dedicated and fickle fanbase.
If they stick to the formula of the original films,
they receive criticism for being the same old and
not exploring new ideas, planets and characters.
But try to do something different and rock the boat,
and fans complain it doesn’t stay true to the spirit
of the franchise. What is one to do?
Granted, when two different filmmakers take on
different films in the same trilogy, the feel can be a
bit inconsistent. But it also offers fresh ideas.
The ultimate blow was the latest side film, “Solo:
A Star Wars Story.” This was a tricky proposition
from the beginning. A new actor, Aiden Ehrenreich,
had the tall order of playing a young version of
Ford’s iconic character. Fans didn’t like the idea.
The idea was to make a smaller stakes and
lighter film to diversify the slate of movies.
However towards the end of production, directors
Chris Lord and Phil Miller were fired. This doesn’t
happen often. Things seemed to be in disarray.
Then, veteran Oscar-winning director Ron Howard
took over the helm. The result was a fun movie that
delivered on its lighter fare.
But for the first time in Star Wars history, a movie
in the franchise was considered a bomb. Although
recently released, it fell well below box office
projections. Why? There are many theories. The
movie was released less than half a year after the
last Star Wars film in a crowded summer instead of
during the winter. Marketing, the idea in the first
place -- those are the issues Disney and Lucasfilm
will have to think about moving forward.
The final installment of the new trilogy will be
released in December, 2019. Abrams will return
after Colin Trevorrow, who was supposed to direct
it, was also fired. Following that, the future is
unknown. New stories featuring new characters
and planets are rumored. Star Wars will always
make Disney tons of money, but moving forward,
it’s no longer a slam dunk.
But as an iconic character, once said, “Never
underestimate the power of the dark side.”
QNS.COM
16 SUMMER 2018