We are at the very beginning of what could be the greatest cinematic renaissance in the history of the platform. What we are talking about is the absolute domination of Hollywood by the team at Disney. From Marvel to Star Wars and everything in between, the box office is about to get and stay very, very busy. The most recent Disney release to hit the big screen was the highly anticipated ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ which is a continuation of one of the most storied franchises in the history of Hollywood. With reviews of ‘The Last Jedi’ split, questions arose as to the success of the film at the box office. So, how well did ‘The Last Jedi’ do and what does Disney have to look forward to in the future in order to stay relevant?
When ‘The Last Jedi’ left the weekend box-office, Disney couldn’t help but give a metaphorical smile. ‘The Last Jedi’ went on to rake in nearly $220 million in their opening domestic box office returns. This monstrous haul was actually an upgrade over their initial estimations put forth by Disney earlier in the year when the company expected around $215 million. Disney would end up racking up nearly $45 million alone on their opening night release. This number didn’t quite overcome ‘The Force Awakens’ opening night numbers, but it was right up there.
Right now, it is hard to judge how the legs of ‘The Last Jedi’ are going to hold up over the next few weeks. Critics have been adoring ‘The Last Jedi’ in a way that just hasn’t been reciprocated by fans at the same level. While the film holds a 90%+ rating on the review aggregate, Rotten Tomatoes, audience reception has been much more lukewarm. There have been several major complaints about the film that, without getting into spoiler territory, might mar its longevity. Fans have notably been upset by the shift away from the lore that ‘The Force Awakens’ set up as well as the handling of a notable returning cast member from the Original Trilogy.
Still, Disney is at the beginning of what will certainly be decades of new ‘Star Wars’ films. Right now, energy is at an all-time high for the franchise and we expect it to continue to rake in big money. The announcements of an Obi-Wan solo movie, as well as a Boba Fett solo movie, have hinted that there is much to come in the future.
