The galaxy far, far away just got a little bigger with Solo, the latest addition to the Star Wars saga. Unfortunately, the Force is not with Solo, or at least it's not with Solo in the box office. For the first time in a franchise spanning 40 years and ten movies, it appears Solo will be the first to financially flop.
Sure it looks like it will make enough money to make back its $250 million budget, but only barely. By Star Wars standards, that is a bust. It's a rotten shame since Solo is actually a good Star Wars movie. It's fun, exciting, different, and helps to expand the Star Wars universe.
So what went wrong? Here is my breakdown of how I see it.
1. Star Wars: Revenge of the Fans.
I firmly believe the biggest reason is the fandom is partially punishing LucasFilm and Disney for The Last Jedi, which has easily been the most divisive film in the saga. Star Wars certainly isn't a stranger to irate fans (cough cough, Phantom Menace, cough, Jar Jar Binks), but no other film has split the base quite like TLJ. While many enjoyed the new direction, those who despised it seem to be the more vocal fans.
What hasn't helped is the fact LucasFilm and Disney have appeared to be quite dismissive of the angry fans, essentially telling them to get on board and be quite. Maybe it's not such a smart move to ignore the very people who buy all the movie tickets and merchandise.
2. Was this really a story people were asking for?
Although I really ended up enjoying Solo a lot (certainly more than the other anthology film Rogue One) I can't say I was circling my calendar in anticipation of this one. I know I wasn't the only one in this camp, either. Despite having an A-list director like Ron Howard and star actors like Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Paul Bettany, and Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke, the hype for this movie just wasn't there.
Perhaps fans weren't all that interested in a movie about the hero they love before he becomes the hero they love. Perhaps fans are more interested in anthology films about other characters. Maybe LucasFilm and Disney should take the fan response into consideration and extend an olive branch by giving us an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie like we've been asking for!
3. Star Wars isn't Marvel, and that's ok.
Marvel Studios has been on an unprecedented tear of dominance this past decade. They are able to routinely pump out 2-3 movies a year and keep the public interest because the Marvel universe is so unbelievably expansive. Marvel has captured lightening in a bottle, what they are doing is not something I believe can be easily duplicated, even with a franchise as beloved as Star Wars.
Maybe LucasFilm is realizing the Marvel formula isn't one-size-fits all. I'm not saying Star Wars suddenly isn't going to stop being profitable if they keep trying to pump out a movie every year, but the phrase "good things to those who wait" comes to mind.
Maybe part of what makes Star Wars so special is the fact we used to have to wait a few years in between movies. We had the anticipation and hype to build, so when we finally got the movie it really felt like its own unique chapter to the saga. When it comes to Star Wars it could be argued that more is less, and having a movie every year like assembly line clockwork could dilute the excitement we as fans have in the franchise. The truth is, that's perfectly ok. Not every movie franchise has to be exactly like Marvel to still be make money and keep fan interest.
Star Wars is a global pop culture staple. It is one of the most iconic, profitable and enduring franchises in cinematic history. From 1977 to today, people still love this story and these characters. It's clear Star Wars isn't going anywhere, nor would I want it to. The point I'm trying to make is that the fans aren't going to stop loving Star Wars if we have to have more wait time between films.
