Earlier this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to double down on the Mickey Mouse House's plans for the Star Wars franchise, saying that the development of Star Wars films would slow down after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. According to Iger, "there didn't seem like there was that much demand for another standalone Star Wars movie" after Solo flopped at the box office. However, it seems like industry analysts disagree with the Disney CEO.
Business Insider asked several media analysts about what they thought about the status of Star Wars standalone movies after Iger told Bloomberg about the demand for films like Solo, and it seems like these professionals still consider the Han Solo spinoff a profitable investment for Disney.
"'Solo' still made a lot of money," Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the publication, "It earned over $213 million in North America. But in the world of 'Star Wars,' that's a pittance. [Disney] probably felt they put a lot into it and didn't get enough out of it."
Solo would have probably done better had the film been marketed properly by Disney. Fans gave the movie good reviews and critics didn't dislike the film either. The only problem was the controversy surrounding the film as well as the barely palpable marketing campaign. At the time, Disney was putting most of its efforts on Avengers: Infinity War.
"Once the negative sentiment was expressed and the behind-the-scenes issues [were reported], it really hurt the movie," the analyst added.
Boxoffice Pro chief analyst, Shawn Robbins, shares the same sentiment, saying that the demand for spinoff movies like Solo is actually still there to a "certain extent."
"'Rogue One' proved that. What hurt that demand was the quality of ['Solo']. Fans want 'Star Wars' to feel like an event," Robbins explained.
Honestly, it wouldn't hurt having a few more Star Wars movies after The Rise of Skywalker. What do you think? Did you enjoy Solo and Rogue One? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premieres December 20, 2019.
Read: Disney CEO Bob Iger Says More Star Wars Shows are in Development for Disney+
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