Although for some (I admit) it is hard to understand why The Rise of Skywalker grossed over 1 billion dollars at the global box office, the truth is that seven years have passed, and many things in between: the audiovisual landscape has completely changed and the arrival of Disney+ has made Star Wars go from being an event to becoming a mere habit. And of course, it has completely dampened the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is far from being “a grand affair”.
From bad to worse
For now, we only have data from the previous passes, which have grossed 12 million dollars. And what does that mean? For now, nothing, but it is important to note that Han Solo: A Star Wars Story grossed 14.1 million in the same period, so things do not look good for this television spin-off. It is true that it is almost impossible for, as happened with that one, The Mandalorian and Grogu to lose money thanks to its tight budget, but everything will depend on the word-of-mouth from the audience.
For every action, there is a consequence, and in the case of Disney, which has decided to live large during the franchise era, this is to endure the devaluation of its brand. There was a limit that has been greatly exceeded, and now the only question is whether the weekend will manage to place the spin-off of The Mandalorian in a privileged enough position to surpass Han Solo. This, I assure you, is not what they expected.
There is no other family movie until Toy Story 5, and that might save it, but right now box office fans (and there are some, it’s a whole science) don’t really know what to expect from this weekend which, quietly, will mark the future of Star Wars. If we’re lucky, the future of all franchises. Let’s cross our fingers.
