Has Hollywood hit Star Wars overload?
That’s what industry insiders are wondering after the opening weekend box office numbers of Solo: A Star Wars Story came in well below estimates in its much-hyped debut.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Star Wars prequel about the early years of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich, taking over the character from Harrison Ford) is on track for a three-day domestic take of $83.3 million in its opening weekend — a far cry from the $155 million that Rogue One brought in domestically in its 2016 opening weekend.
READ MORE: Ron Howard reveals Harrison Ford’s reaction to Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo
The news is worse internationally, with the film falling well short of estimates, bringing in just $65 million. Solo was predicted to earn $148 million in international markets.
The dire numbers will definitely result in some soul searching at the studio, said Disney’s worldwide distribution chief Dave Hollis.
WATCH: ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ trailer
“We came into the beginning of the year with this one of the most anticipated films,” said Hollis. “We gotta spend some time looking at the exits and get a better handle on all the questions.”
READ MORE: ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ stars Donald Glover and Alden Ehrenreich talk long audition process
However, the reason behind the disappointing box office could be as simple as Star Wars fatigue; while Star Wars films were once seen as cinema events, it seems that the more movies are made, the less interest audiences have in seeing them.
“I think Disney got caught milking the Star Wars franchise a little too much,” a source told Deadline. “Everyone acknowledged the risk of releasing another movie five months after Jedi. They really should have pushed Solo to Christmas.”
Hollis, however, begs to differ. “This is just the fourth movie and the first three did $4 billion combined. I’m not sure it’s so much that people aren’t excited for additional stories,” he explained, noting that the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to churn out new adventures that do huge business at the box office.
READ MORE: Han Solo meets Lando Calrissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ trailer
“We’re in a world where we’re in the same conference rooms planning Marvel movies. We have a Thor and a Black Panther and an Infinity War coming out in November and February and May and each are massively successful. They each do well and people aren’t asking these questions.”
Meanwhile, the film’s troubled production can’t be ignored, with original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller jettisoned from the project three weeks before production was set to end; veteran director Ron Howard was brought in to take over.
While Ehrenreich revealed he’s contracted for two Solo sequels, the fate of any future Han Solo movies appears precarious given the lacklustre box office.
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