The Star Wars film franchise might be one of the most popular media franchises in Hollywood history, but that doesn't really translate to profitability.
Forbes just recently wrote an article comparing the profitability of the Fast and Furious film franchise to that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the publication decided to go all out by breaking down the most commercially successful media franchises in Hollywood.
It turns out, Star Wars doesn't even rank in the top three most profitable film franchises in history. The galaxy far, far away is sitting in fifth place.
According to the publication, Star Wars only has a 6.16 rate of return, making it less commercially successful than Shrek which has a slightly higher rate of return. Indiana Jones even beat the galaxy far, far away with a 6.98 rate of return. Jurassic Park comes in second with an 8.13 rate of return.
Surprisingly enough, the title of the most profitable franchise in Hollywood goes to Despicable Me with an overwhelming 12.63 rate of return.
While the results of Forbes' study might disappoint the ever passionate Star Wars fanbase, we aren't entirely surprised to see Star Wars in the midsection of the publication's list.
Sure, Star Wars might be earning Disney billions in terms of box office revenue, however, the Mouse of House spends a whole lot of money producing and marketing the films in its franchise. It cost 306 million USD alone to produce Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and that's not counting the money that Disney had to spend marketing the movie.
Despicable Me has a much higher rate of return because it has a much lower production cost compared to Star Wars movies. Of course, this doesn't necessarily make one franchise better over the other. The Star Wars film franchise still enjoys undeniable popularity, one that's lasted for decades. Despicable Me doesn't enjoy that kind of power.
Read: James Gunn Reveals His Favorite Superhero Movie and No One Will Disagree
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Star Wars