Walt Disney Pictures brought the curtain down on the Skywalker Saga (and the most lucrative year for a single movie studio ever) this weekend with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with the J.J. Abrams-directed film opening below expectations with a still-impressive $373.5 million worldwide.
Episode IX had been tracking a North American opening of around $200 million and $450 million worldwide, but fell short of those predictions, grossing $175.5 million domestically and an additional $198 million from international markets.
Looking at this in terms of Disney’s Star Wars movies, that’s down on both Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($529 million) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($450.8 million), but up on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story ($290 million) and last year’s box office dud Solo: A Star Wars Story ($147.5 million). Current projections have it finishing its run with between $1 billion and $1.2 billion, assuming it continues to generate enough interest over the Christmas period.
While a $373.5 million start is certainly nothing to be sniffed at, given mixed-to-negative reviews and the fact that Rise of Skywalker is being marketed as the finale of the 42-year-long Skywalker Saga, there’s certainly an argument to be made that the film’s global opening is a “disappointment”, and with diminishing returns, Disney is surely relieved that it scrapped plans for another Star Wars movie next year in favour of a much-needed big screen break for the franchise.
Are you surprised by The Rise of Skywalker’s opening weekend? What did you make of the film? Let us know in the comments below, or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker sees J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) directing a cast that includes Star Wars veterans Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Greg Grunberg (Snap Wexley), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian), Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine) and Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) as well as new additions Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth), Richard E. Grant (Logan), Dominic Monaghan (Lost), and Keri Russell (The Americans).
