By the time that Taika Waititi’s untitled Star Wars film hits theaters in 2023, it will have been four years since the franchise has been on the big screen.
By the time Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi’s untitled Star Wars film is set to hit theaters in late 2023, it will have been four years since a tale from a galaxy far, far way has been on the big screen — and that’s OK with fans.
“The movies as a whole have been really underwhelming”, said Alex, an assistant administrator at an architectural millwork manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He did not provide his last name. “Whereas the shows have been phenomenal. Better than the movies themselves, especially the sequel trilogy.”
Alex was among the thousands of die-hard fans who attended the Star Wars Celebration this past weekend in Anaheim. It was the fourteenth incarnation of Celebration, an event that has occurred intermittently since 1999, before Disney bought George Lucas’ space opera franchise. The convention started as a way for fans to gather and celebrate their love for Star Wars, but has grown into a platform for Disney to announce new projects and stir up fervor for upcoming releases. Star Wars television shows have helped bolster Disney’s fledgling streaming service by drawing in subscribers who are devoted to the franchise, which has rung up $6 billion in global box office receipts. “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, became Disney+’s most-watched premiere globally over the weekend, the company reported Tuesday, proving that fan fervor is strong for this 45-year-old franchise no matter what format it comes in. Streaming growth is a key part of Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s business plan. He set a goal of 230 million to 260 million subscribers by the end of 2024. As of the end of the fiscal second quarter, Disney said it had nearly 138 million subscribers. Between Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe series offerings on Disney+ this year, including “Moon Knight” and “Ms. Marvel”, the company is hoping customers have several compelling reasons to remain with the service until the end of the year rather than cut ties and re-up on a month-to-month basis. But while Disney has continued to release multiple Marvel movies a year, it has embraced a streaming-centric model for Star Wars, at least for the time being. This year at Celebration, Disney touted its upcoming slate of television series, including “Andor” and “Ahsoka”, which are about popular supporting characters from previous stories. The first season of “Andor” will have 12 episodes and will premiere in August.
