Where Is Disney Taking The STAR WARS Franchise?

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm, catalysing a new era of Star Wars. Reviewing these recent years, The Force Awakens and Rogue One were released to an objectively good response, but The Last Jedi impression was divisive from fans, while Solo: A Star Wars Story ultimately failed to capture not just my attention, but the world’s too. With half of their films on hold and the other half delayed, where is Disney taking Star Wars from here?

Lighting the Fire

A somewhat muddled and contradictory theme keeps reappearing with Disney’s handling of the Star Wars title. It’s a limitless brand and Disney have already gone to great lengths to prove that its universe can be expansive, new and fresh. They did that with The Force Awakens, a smash hit – critically acclaimed and one of the highest grossing films ever made. Lucasfilm and J.J. Abrams forced Star Wars 30 years ahead, into the now, where they appealed to a wide audience, gaining new fans and retaining the old.

A year later we had Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Mostly, our venture into this newly subtitled spinoff species of blockbuster Star Wars was enjoyable. However, one ear-biting irritation: Lucasfilm returned to a time of Stormtroopers and the Empire. We had just been thrust 30 years forward with The Force Awakens, only to be suddenly thrown back into nostalgia. Nevertheless, for the time, it was only a subtle discord.

Along came Rian Johnson’s landmark, The Last Jedi. Quite a thrilling cinema experience. It’s spectacular, overtly manic and purposeful with its storytelling. It’s not all great, but it’s always trying something new. Through the imposing and young image of Kylo Ren, director Rian Johnson vows to “kill the past if you have to.” Adam Driver delivers the line with a ferocious confidence two-thirds into the running time; surely this was Lucasfilm’s message of intent, intent that would see Star Wars head in an ultimately new direction for a new generation.

Then came the trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story. The production had already faced backlash for its confidence in trying to reinvigorate or unnecessarily add to a beloved character – Han Solo, who had died in The Force Awakens (some 3 years ago now). The era of the Empire returned again, faintly, instinctually; this kind of unkillable and predictable opposition reminds me of Megatron in the Transformers franchise. Constantly returning and constantly unthreatening, especially considering we had disposed of the Empire in 1982, just as the Autobots seem to dispose of Megatron in just about every movie.

Later, Solo’s box office return would be poor, its extensive reshoots making it the most expensive Star Wars film and it had made the least money. It made a loss for the first time in Lucasfilm history.

“No, no, you’re still holding on!”

James Mangold), both set to be taking place between episodes 3-4, the same time period as their previous two spin-offs, Rogue One and Solo. All this is now on hold, since news has been murky about how Disney is choosing to progress.

Meanwhile, despite The Last Jedi backlash, Rian Johnson has been hired to make a return in his own original Star Wars trilogy. Lucasfilm resumed this thinking, and hired Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to write a new saga of Star Wars films, and finally hired longtime Disney collaborator Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book) to write and produce a big budget miniseries set for Disney’s new streaming service.

One could argue it’s an issue of branding, but you could also say this is the plan. Bring in something new regularly and simultaneously serve up what fans already love and what they know works. But it’s worth talking about how this affects the perspective of each Star Wars film and really every new Star Wars production, whether it be TV or film.

“Why does everyone want to go back to Jakku!”

Maybe if I worked at Disney, perked up straight and stood on my tiptoes, I would be able to see Marvel Studios where they maintain a simple philosophy in their storytelling – it’s practical. If the Russo brothers introduce Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, it’s because he’s going to have a definitive effect within the next year or so.

Solo: A Star Wars Story, however, doesn’t affect anything and neither does Rogue One – they simply work as products because of what’s already come before; by their very nature they’re going to be disappointing or limited.

It’s not a risk and it’s not heartbreaking that Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso, or any of the Rogue One characters perish in the film’s final act. Why would it be? They would’ve had to, for the sake of the writers. We know they won’t appear in future films; they physically can’t and that’s not to do with the screenplay or the performances, but the first choice. Setting and time period – a facet which is mostly in the hands of Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy and Disney’s producers. By returning to the era of the Empire, Disney are inadvertently lowering the stakes of that production, as the Empire has already been served their defining loss in Return of the Jedi. No matter how much ‘new’ they try and inject into this well known era, ultimately it will still be limited and familiar.

Whenever the Empire is brought up in new media, whether it be Star Wars: Rebels (a surprisingly good animated series) or Solo, it feels like an unnecessary detour from a contemporary and strong future of new original stories with characters that have the potential to be just as iconic. Worldwide, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi are Lucasfilm’s highest grossing Star Wars films, so there’s a clear hunger for something we haven’t seen before.

Finally, the question still remains fueled by uncertainty. “Where is Disney taking Star Wars?”. It’s been three years and four films since The Force Awakens and frankly, they seem to push two contradictory messages just as vigorously – “Leave the past behind” and “There’s still more great stuff in the past.”

Maybe you’re a Star Wars fanatic or a casual audience member but what would you like to see from Disney and Lucasfilm outside of Episode IX?

J.J Abrams is writing and directing the franchise’s next instalment, Star Wars: Episode IX, set for release 20th December 2019.