Disney's Lucasfilm Needs to Refocus on Creativity, Not Fan Service
A few weeks past initial release, and it's nearly official: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will enter the $1 billion global box office club. If the final chapter in the Skywalker family drama cost about the same to produce as the previous installments -- somewhere in the $250 million to $300 million range -- that means Lucasfilm and parent Disney (NYSE: DIS) have another big hit on their hands.
Or do they? Just as the last episode, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released with some controversy, so was The Rise of Skywalker. Though a film that grosses $1 billion in sales is a success for anyone else, expectations are always ratcheted up for a Disney production, let alone something carrying the Star Wars name. The film continues to rake in receipts from moviegoers (a total global box office of $928 million through Jan. 8, according to Box Office Mojo), but at its current pace, it will fall well short of The Force Awakens' $2.07 billion take and be more in line with (or even less than) The Last Jedi's $1.33 billion haul.
Image source: Star Wars/Disney.
Source Fool.com
