Where has big-screen Star Wars been? 7 years since the last feature film to hit cinemas. Episode XI: TheRise of Skywalker(2019) was certainly seen as a limp across the finish line, rather than a grand finale.
Alot can happen within film industry in 7 years. Disney+ igniting the streaming with Disney/FOX content, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA 2023 strikes, and that other thing in 2020…
Answer 1: Time
Disney released five films within 4 years (with the smallest gap being 5 months; between Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story). Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm spurred new creativity and multiple new ideas for “episodic” films, and “anthology” films. This projected plan started fantastically, critically and commercially, with the release of Episode VII – The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, being released a year apart, in December 2015, and 2016 respectively.
And then, 12 months later, the most diversive Star Wars film came to be, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017). Although grossing $1.33 billion worldwide, the reception was far from what Disney were expecting, and fairly off projected profits, given the previous episodic film grossed $2.07 billion worldwide. A mere 5 months later, the “production hell” of Solo: A Star Wars Story entered cinemas. A May release was decided to be trialled given all pre-existing Disney Star Wars films had been released in May also.
This was Disney’s first recorded “Box-Office Bomb” for a Star Wars film. The production of Solo had been rocky from the start. Excessive reshoots, changing directors late into production; the budget had already been blown out of proportion. Critically panned, there was an idea that the films that had come out by that point, shouldn’t have been produced that quickly.
For reference, the original trilogy (Episode IV, V, and VI) came out within three years of each other: 1977, 1980, and 1983 respectively. That was repeated with the prequel trilogy (Episode I, II, and III): 1999, 2002, and 2005. Disney’s first confirmed plan stated “Episodic films every 2-3 years”. Being on the lower end of that scale AND implementing other films around them…
The fatigue is strong with this one
Answer No. 2: Disney+
Content galore!
Once the idea of Disney+ was finally up and running, Disney wanted to capitalise, not only on their new merger with 20th Century Fox, but also with their own library.
The television side of Lucasfilm had focused on animation (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) before Disney. This being Disney’s bread and butter, they also jumped on board with an animation series as soon as they could (Star Wars: Rebels).
As mentioned before, Disney’s purchase made way for creative freedom, along with little/limited financial worry.
The creation of new content for Disney+ was designated as parallel consumption. However, Disney’s reputation for “childish” content spooked fans from the very beginning, any amount of alternative content couldn’t change their minds (famously, the Star Wars fandom are the trickest to please). This superfluous content would be beginning at a time where Star Wars fans simply weren’t happy with Disney’s output already (circling back to the episodic films that were poorly received, and released quicker than you can say “Dank farrik!”).
Heed caution with the handling of Star Wars Disney, quantity over quality is a misnomer.
Answer No. 3 Handling
What’s the name of this new Star Wars film?
Not just “The Mandolorian”. “The Mandolorian& Grogu“. The little green guy holds the USP. Is this “movie” different in any way to the show on Disney+? Well, no. This project was birthed out of Season 4 of The Mandolorian (2019-2023). Why was this decision made? Possibly because The Mandolorian acted as an anchor for their streaming service, as well as being met with critical and commercial high praise.
Season two ends with a magnificent scene (which is slightly pandering towards original fans but I’ll allow it) in which Luke Skywalker saves the day. The Mandolorian and Grogu must part ways. It’s sad, but it must be done. Great finale. (And the film will most definitely NOT reach the height) But when you come to Season three, Grogu is back with Mando… Huh?!
Why? Well, the unofficially dubbed “Mando-verse” interconnects all Disney+ shows that exist within the same time. The Book of Boba Fett (was originally suppose to be the third anthology film) decided to involve The Mandolorian in its story. Not just “involve”, but reunite Grogu with Mando. Kind of an important story point to put in a completely different show don’t you think?
Which, of course, leads to the point; Would you have to watch the show (or, indeed, ANY show) to understand anything in The Mandolorian & Grogu? As the film is not officially out yet, it’s hard to say. But, given the trailer involves the likes of Zeb Orrelios (Star Wars: Rebels, 2014-18), and Rotta The Hut (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, 2008), and the general care of Star Wars lore and fan-service material, I’d say it’s fair to say that pre-existing knowledge of Star Wars will probably be needed.
Early reports from preview screenings in which the first 15 minutes were shown, suggest the film “feels like a generic Netflix show.”. You don’t say…
There really are multiple, tailing reasons as to why there is next-to-no hype surrounding The Mandolorian & Grogu (2026), from fans and non-fans alike. You would think that a May release would atleast be on the fourth…
