It’s no surprise that Disney is trying to make the most of their investment in the Star Wars franchise they acquired a few years ago. Star Wars: The Force Awakens has already made around $1.9 Billion at the box office and that is excluding merchandising, which has potentially made much more. In other words, Disney is close to making their $4 billion purchasing price back already on the franchise after just one outing.
But they don’t want to just stop there or even with the planned future trilogy, but want to continue in investing and making movies in the franchise. We are already aware of four more Star Wars movies on the way. This year we are expecting to get the standalone Rogue One: A Star Wars story, Star Wars: Episode VIII (set for 2017), Star Wars: Episode IX (as yet, no official date, but planned for 2019) and also a Han Solo spin off (planned for 2018).
And further word has come from Disney chairman, Bob Iger that there are even more films in development, as he told Newsbeat.
“There are five Star Wars films – four more with Episode VII: The Force Awakens – that are in varying stages of development and production. There will be more after that, I don’t know how many, I don’t know how often.”
Now there is no commitment from Iger that they will be maintaining their annual release on the franchise, which is no surprise as keeping that pace in the movies is going to be quite difficult, yet something they have managed comfortably with the Marvel studios films, where there are 2-3 movies releasing every year and all of a decent quality and fitting into each other. So it certainly is possible, but that doesn’t mean it is a good thing. Star Wars is a franchise that if they ruin, they can upset a whole host of fans which can have massive negative impact on their reputation in the industry, so I doubt they will risk overdoing it too much.
However, on the Marvel side, they seem to be less risk averse and more happy to continue with the fast pace of production that they are currently following:
“Marvel, you’re dealing with thousands and thousands of characters – that will go on forever.”
“No, I don’t think [fans] are getting weary, but I think we keep raising the bar in terms of telling stories that bring them back, that excite them, that make it feel new and that is what we do for a living.
Now I tend to disagree with him. I love all the news coming from the new Marvel movies, but I do feel it needs to crescendo at some point or people will grow tired of the franchises, so I do hope they realise that and stagger things a bit. Their current Marvel release schedule is already quite busy and I think they would do well to slow it down and make individual movies more special or take a break and do something different rather than just think it is a license to continue printing money (and they are indeed printing a lot of it with both Marvel and Star Wars).
Marvel’s next release will be the upcoming Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016. Following it on the current schedule is Doctor Strange on November 4, 2016, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5, 2017, their and Sony’s Untitled Spider-Man Film on July 7, 2017, Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017, Black Panther on February 16, 2018, Avengers: Infinity War – Part I on May 4, 2018, Ant-Man and The Wasp on July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019, Avengers: Infinity War – Part II on May 3, 2019, and Inhumans on July 12, 2019, with three more untitled Marvel Studios films set to premiere on May 1, 2020, July 10, 2020, and November 6, 2020.
That’s a lot of films and a lot of lore and strong franchises that they need to develop carefully. Yes, there are thousands of comic book storylines for Marvel that they can still draw upon, but not every one of those storylines is as good or necessarily equates well to the big screen, so I suspect they may actually run out of stories unless they reboot certain characters or franchises to enable them to draw upon these differ storylines.
What do you think – are you excited at the news of more Stars and Marvel movies that could run on potentially forever or are you worried that it will start to become stale? Also, are there any other stories you think that still need to be told – perhaps a Jar Jar Binks spin-off? Don’t worry, meesa only kidding.
This article originally appeared on TheMovies.co.za
Last Updated: January 28, 2016
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 13:34
Mmm, it will get to a critical point and implode on itself. Can’t keep dishing this out without saturating the market.
BakedBagel
January 28, 2016 at 14:08
Ubisoft: “We plan to release an AC every year”
AC proceed’s to become more trash as the years go on. This is what will happen with Star wars.
Print screen and frame this comment. Im predicting the future here.
Ir0nseraph
January 28, 2016 at 14:11
Marvel is on the light side and DC brings us the darker side, one thing is for sure we are spoiled for choice for the next few years, and with that competition between the 2 I hope they keep the quality up.
This year superheroes movies Deadpool is the one I want to watch the most, then the bat v superman , not total sold on Civil war yet, don’t know if Marvel has the balls to do what needs to be done.
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 14:34
Agreed, Deadpool may bring something new to the table!
Mistake Not...
January 28, 2016 at 13:38
“No, I don’t think [fans] are getting weary…”
I kinda am. I love comic books, I love comic book movies, but I feel like the Marvel movies are starting to focus on fan service and money making. Their movies are good, but it doesn’t make me want to watch it a second time. I’m all for continuing to eternity with these movies, but theres no need for so many. Just slow it down, take your time, make it memorable instead of diluting it.
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 13:48
Agreed. Think that’s why I liked GoTG more because it was funny as hell and rewatchable.
The Grand Admiral Chief Prime
January 28, 2016 at 13:55
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 13:58
Winna!
Mistake Not...
January 28, 2016 at 14:00
Hell yes!
Original Heretic
January 28, 2016 at 13:49
I hate this. The longer they go, the more chance there is that everything is going to go pear shaped. They’re focusing too much on making money, that is obviously their prime motivation in this. Making good movies should never take a back seat to making money.
HvR
January 28, 2016 at 13:51
Then everybody will only make Sundance Film Festival movies.
Original Heretic
January 28, 2016 at 13:55
Disagree. The Marvel movies up until now (most of them, anyway), you could see that they focused on making them great. Making money was the added bonus. That’s what happens when you get a fanboy to make a movie.
miaau
January 28, 2016 at 13:59
Spiderman movies? Ech……. Or was that just me? Or not Marvel? (Egg on face then)
miaau
January 28, 2016 at 13:56
Also the lunchbox, toothbrushes and all that jazz. Seriously. Money machine.
I am concnered that more movies are made just for the sake of it and the art of movie is lost. Does that sound pretentious? I love Star Wars and would love to see more, but the quality must be there. It must be like seeing an old friend again, re-watching Star Wars movie.
LOTR movies were all great. But to rewatch? I lack the strength, I really do. Is it because they are very long? For other reasons? Not sure. But Disney needs to keep the quality, so that in ten years time I re-watch them all for the 5th time and get that old friend feeling.
Original Heretic
January 28, 2016 at 14:10
Heh, I’ve rewatched the LOTR movies more times that I can count. And that’s the extended editions!
miaau
January 28, 2016 at 14:11
I have tried, got them years ago. Tend to fast forward and stuff. I have no idea why. I love fantasy and Scifi, I love books. I just cannot sit down and watch an entire movie.
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 14:21
Me too!
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 28, 2016 at 14:20
I noticed that with the new Star Wars. Tons of toys & collectibles before the movie’s even out.
I didn’t like the LOTR movies much, 1st one was okay but the other 2 were kinda meh, never rewatched them. Haven’t been arsed to watch The Hobbit movies because of that.
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 14:22
Don’t waste your time with the Hobbit movies, kak, all of them. I mean, no! Waste, I mean, use your time!
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 28, 2016 at 14:23
Why are you so angry!?
RinceThis
January 28, 2016 at 14:33
I”M NOT!
The Grand Admiral Chief Prime
January 28, 2016 at 14:36
He needs a release it seems
Alien Emperor Trevor
January 28, 2016 at 14:39
That’s why they invented Mortal Kombat, which he has.
miaau
January 28, 2016 at 14:46
Watched half of the first hobbit movie. Meh. but long winded to get somewhere. So, then, ultimately, not good anymore.
HvR
January 28, 2016 at 15:39
Happens when you try your best to coin it and split a 300 page book into 3 x 3 hour movies.
Enjoyed the 2nd one when I fast forwarded half the movie.
CypherGate
January 28, 2016 at 15:32
The marvel movies can keep on coming. As long as they good. Star Wars? Meh…
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
January 29, 2016 at 13:58
All things come to an end, and sadly so too will comic book movies – All it takes is one (or two) shit movie, and moviegoers start to vote with their wallets. Don’t forget, Joel Schumacher almost killed Batman (with Batnipples and nippleboy). Superman IV almost killed Superman, and it took well over two decades for a new Superman movie to be made.
Eventually, it’s going to hit the wall, and not even She Thor in a bikini will save the genre.