Though a $100 million Memorial Day weekend would be nothing to scoff at for your typical movie, it was far below what was expected from Solo: A Star Wars Story, the tenth entry in the saga from that galaxy far, far away, which has always blasted through the box office. Why has it fallen so short of expectations, though? Well, there are probably several factors, but one that’s being discussed a lot is the threat of franchise fatigue. After all, The Last Jedi only came out five months ago.
With that perceived to be the problem, Disney and Lucasfilm are reportedly in the midst of rethinking their release strategy for Star Wars pics in the future. According to The Hollywood Reporter, their “insiders” tell them that the studios are “unlikely” to drop two entries in the franchise so close together again, regardless of whether they’re one of the trilogy films or an Anthology spinoff.
What’s more, word has it that the plan is to return to the December release date that worked so well for The Force Awakens, Rogue One and The Last Jedi and stay clear of the hectic summer blockbuster schedule from now on. In Solo‘s case, for example, it arrived in theaters shortly after two massively successful superhero movies – Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2.Â
Clearly, Solo: A Star Wars Story was an effort on the studio’s part to try their hand at the Marvel Cinematic Universe style of releasing multiple films very close together with great success. In this instance at least, the tactic doesn’t seem to have paid off, as it’s only made returning to the Star Wars universe feel like less of a special event. Much like franchise legend Mark Hamill previously stated might happen. Clearly, Lucasfilm should listen to Luke Skywalker more often.
