Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012 for a little over $4 billion dollars and has already nearly made back half of their investment with only threeStar Warsmovies. But, that has been three movies in three years and some fans, includingMark Hamill, are worried that Disney might be making too manyStar Warsmovies too soon, oversaturating the market.Star Warsmovies used to be something that fans would have to wait years for, and now, five months after the release ofThe Last Jedi,Solo: A Star Wars Storyis hitting theaters.
In a recent interview, Mark Hamill talked about his fears in regard to Disney making all of these newStar Warsmovies so close together. The Luke Skywalker actor believes that it could lead to fan burnout and admits that he even said something to Disney but realized that they have a lot more going on than just the massiveStar Warsfranchise. Hamill is not alone in his opinion, as many fans have echoed the same sentiment when the release date for theSolomovie was announced. Hamill explains.
“I will say they should pace themselves because you don’t want to over-saturate it. I said to Disney, Really? Five months after we come out comesSolo: A Star Wars Story? Can’t you at least wait until Christmas? But they’ve got things booked, they’re doing Marvel and their own movies, so that’s beyond my (purview.)”
There’s no doubt that theStar Warsmovies have beenincredibly profitableforDisney, but how long can they sustain this model of a new movie from the franchise every year before fans get burned out and stop heading to theaters?The Last Jediwas still a massive success, but the box office earnings were down 47 percent when compared to 2015’sThe Force Awakens, which could be the beginning of the fatigue that Mark Hamill was alluding to. The movie was also very divisive amongstStar Warsfans, leading to less of a box office haul than its predecessor.
When it comes to theStar Wars standalone movies, Mark Hamill is a fan. The actor likes that stories can deviate from the traditionalStar Warsformula to tell a new story. Additionally, Hamill doesn’t believe that there should be a limit to the storytelling. It’s more of the flood of newStar Warsmovies that the actor has a problem with. Hamill had this to say.
“Well, there shouldn’t be (a limit to the storytelling), as it’s a canvas that’s so infinite. With the standalone films, they can all have their own identity. Rogue One can be gritty and like a war film… I’m assuming, I don’t know, but I would assume that Solo will be more comedic-ly oriented because he’s a rogue, a scoundrel, and a gambler, and a womanizer and all those things. So, I think the advantage of the standalone films is that they don’t have to follow the formula of a trilogy, so they can establish their premise, get it on, get it done and get out leaving the audience wanting more. So there’s infinite possibilities.”
Mark Hamill has not been afraid to reveal his opinions these days and he was very vocal about not initially agreeing with the way that Luke Skywalker was portrayed inThe Last Jedi. It comes as no surprise that the actor would be so protective of something that he has been a part of for over 40 years now. Hamill lives withStar Warson a daily basis and pretty much been in touch with hardcore fans for a number of those years.
Hamill knows what the fans want and what they don’t, so much likeFrank Oz’s thoughts on The Muppetsand the crew, maybe Disney should listen to what some of the veteran cast has to say about the future of the franchise. You can read the rest of the interview with Mark Hamill and his thoughts on the oversaturation of theStar Warsfranchise atCinemablend.
