Since Disney bought Lucas Films and the highly addictive Star Wars franchise, it has been churning out one blockbuster after another. But with Solo: A Star Wars Story, the eponymous Star Wars franchise faces a threat it had never faced before – a Box Office Bomb. What happens to the Star Wars saga if Solo actually is a flop at the theaters??
Disney and Lucas Films are tightlipped when it comes to revealing any plot detail about Solo. It will be the second anthology after Rogue One and the first two feature none other than Han Solo as the sole lead. The trailer was released to extremely good reviews and the Star Wars fans seem satiated for now. But Solo is more of a gamble and quite a risky one at that for Disney and Lucas Films. If the movie does bomb, disaster will strike the Studio and the franchise.
The movie has changed hands quite a bit. The original directors were Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. They were then replaced by Ron Howard under the orders of Disney Studios. Reshoots have plagued the movie from the very beginning. Along with the news that the lead actor Alden Ehrenreich requiring a last-minute acting coach for the movie, the movie seems to be going through enough carnage as it is.
Though it is not new for a Star Wars movie to go through so many behind the scenes changes so close to the release date. Colin Trevorrow replaced Star Wars: Episode IX’s Original director and even the Rogue One movie went extensive subsequent reshoots later on during post-production. But it is Solo that has garnered the greatest ire of fans. The Last Jedi faced a significant amount of backlash for its unconventional plot line. That backlash could be amplified when Solo hits the theaters and Lucas Films could lose it big time.
Will the movie be a flop??
What exactly is a flop? In today’s Box Office scenario, there is no such thing as a flop. Most movies actually make it to their breakeven point and make up for their sole budget. But a hit is something when the movie makes at least two and a half times the budget of the movie itself, taking into account the marketing and distribution costs. Co-incidentally, all Star Wars movies except Attack of the Clones have crossed the most coveted 1 Billion Dollar Market the Box Office. So could Solo be expected to do that too??
Just because its predecessor did something amazing does not mean it has to do the same too. If it could reach even 750 Million USD, we would be more than happy. Howard’s reshoots have reportedly doubled the budget so some profit must be made else the movie won’t be as much of a hit. But it is not the Box Office we are worried about. Han Solo is one of the iconic characters of the Star Wars franchise. If the movie does not do him enough justice, the movie will face a severe backlash. It does not matter if Solo becomes a billion-dollar blockbuster. But if it is not up to the mark, it will become a curse that will doom the entire franchise.
What happens if it does flop??
If it actually does bomb, then there will be quite some changes in Lucas Films’ way of thinking. First of all, the Star Wars hiring young and prodigiously talented filmmakers to direct movies would be an idea of the past. Howard was hired to replace Lord and Miller because the Studio wanted someone with a good track record to direct Solo after the debacle of Star Wars. Secondly, the huge budgets that are allocated to every Star Wars project could be slashed, rendering their legs too small to run. The most important of all is that the idea of Spinoff movies could go down the drain.
Does Star Wars need a Course Correction??
It would be foolish to think it does. Disney is one of the highest and most popular production houses out there in Hollywood. If Solo does indeed bomb, it will still be regarded as an exception. Their model has worked wonders with the rest of the movies. One was bound to bite the dust one day. No pain, no gain right? Star Wars is already expanding its Big Screen base with further spinoffs and movies that are set beyond and even apart from the Skywalker legacy. To think one single movie could doom a half a century old franchise is foolish and stupid. So the naysayers can go cry in the corner.
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