Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is just around the corner and the marketing machine is in full swing now. There are billboards going up, trailers before every major feature and shelves stuffed with every imaginable form of branded merchandise. It makes sense, too, as Lucasfilm and Disney have a lot riding on the movie.
Though The Last Jedi was a huge hit at the box office, it doesn’t have the best reputation amongst fans. On top of that, last year’s Solo was a big flop and has caused the Mouse House to rethink their plans to release a new Star Wars movie every year. In fact, Disney CEO Bob Iger reflected on the last little while recently, explaining that he’s learned that less can be more when it comes to Star Wars.
Speaking to BBC Radio 1, he said:
“I have said publicly that I think we made and released too many Star Wars films over a short period of time. I have not said that they were disappointing in any way. I’ve not said that I’m disappointed in their performance. I just think that there’s something so special about a Star Wars film, and less is more.”
This willingness to change direction means that the future course of the franchise rests on The Rise of Skywalker‘s shoulders. If it’s a record-breaking hit, I’d expect to see a couple of spinoffs featuring Sequel Trilogy fan favorites, or perhaps a ‘sequel’ to the Sequel Trilogy.
If it underperforms, though, we might see the focus shifting more firmly towards a ‘fresh’ start for the series, with the planned Knights of the Old Republic trilogy being set so far in the past that it could be considered a soft reboot. But as always, the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding hits theaters on December 20th.
Are you ready for the Skywalker saga to conclude, though? Be sure to let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment down below.
