...What's it going to really take to get this franchise back to being a major box office draw?

Mandalorian & Grogu didn't even break $300 million, after opening on a holiday weekend.

Does there need to be something either so new and exciting, or such a big "event" that people get renewed enthusiasm for the franchise?

I hate to say it, but... I'm not massively surprised at Mandalorian and Grogu. It didn't have a strong enough hook; it was a film made purely for the sake of making a film. There needs to be an actual reason for a film, a pitch, a hook.

14 hours ago, KOutlaw said:

What's it going to really take to get this franchise back to being a major box office draw?

Ryan Gosling (obviously not just him but I do think Starfighter will be a hit, and if it isn't that's when I'll worry about the franchise)

I think Starfighter will be a hit too because of Gosling and the fact it's doing something new. It'll (hopefully) feel fresh and exciting.

Yep, one more for Starfighter.

I didn't dislike Mandalorian & Grogu. It's a nice, harmless adventure. But time and money are limited resources, and I would NEVER recommend people watch it in theaters.

Star wars needs to break away from the Skywalker story, or anything related to a story any fan would "expect" to see in a movie. There are SO many options to choose from, even if you consider the Disney focus on creating a new multi-decade fan base, and stop dividing the most solid/loyal global fanbase. I feel Disney may have recognized the error that was made when solidly established EU lore suddenly "didn't exist". This did not make the Skywalker story those choose to tell more successful. It did the opposite. And the Star Wars franchise has, thus far, still not recovered.

With this in mind I would choose a story that, arguably, could relate to that issue. The Yuzung Vong for example, and yes I realize the irony there as it relates to Skywalkers, would be an amazing choice. Skywalkers could be completely left out of said story, the war encompassed an entire era of time. It also deals with Jedi coming to terms with situations where their ability to wield the force is entirely negated. In my humble opinion it's some of the best EU storytelling that's been done to date. And all of it was wiped from canon simply so Chewbacca could make an appearance in a couple of movies, for a couple of minutes, and have virtually zero actual impact on the story. I think that, not only could it help repair damage that has been done to the fan base, but if done well it could completely excite an entire new generation of fans.

Edited June 25Jun 25 by WrathofCaedus
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22 hours ago, WrathofCaedus said:

Star wars needs to break away from the Skywalker story, or anything related to a story any fan would "expect" to see in a movie. There are SO many options to choose from, even if you consider the Disney focus on creating a new multi-decade fan base, and stop dividing the most solid/loyal global fanbase. I feel Disney may have recognized the error that was made when solidly established EU lore suddenly "didn't exist". This did not make the Skywalker story those choose to tell more successful. It did the opposite. And the Star Wars franchise has, thus far, still not recovered.

With this in mind I would choose a story that, arguably, could relate to that issue. The Yuzung Vong for example, and yes I realize the irony there as it relates to Skywalkers, would be an amazing choice. Skywalkers could be completely left out of said story, the war encompassed an entire era of time. It also deals with Jedi coming to terms with situations where their ability to wield the force is entirely negated. In my humble opinion it's some of the best EU storytelling that's been done to date. And all of it was wiped from canon simply so Chewbacca could make an appearance in a couple of movies, for a couple of minutes, and have virtually zero actual impact on the story. I think that, not only could it help repair damage that has been done to the fan base, but if done well it could completely excite an entire new generation of fans.

THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSS