Would cinema benefit if Star Wars failed?

[Powerboy]

So, there's some mumbling that The Star Wars franchise is in trouble, failing to connect with segments of its existing fans, but more seriously, failing to create new fans. Is that a bad thing?

There are those who think Hollywood has become too reliant on the familiar brand blockbuster. Some even think that Lucas original epic steered Hollywood down a bad path in the first place, as compelling story begin fall prey to special effects, and tie-in merchandising.

Should Disney's Star Wars gamble fail, might this make studios think twice about what they need to provide an audience?

It would make them wonder why this particular blockbuster franchise was failing and what they need to do to keep the other blockbuster franchises being successful.

As someone already said, it's the blockbusters that are keeping the theaters going and supporting all the other movies.

[motherofpearl1]

Thing is, Solo was probably more like the OT than the sequels. Yet it was also the least successful box office wise.

[gwhh]

Yes, it would!

Watch this video and be informed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Xq9Wn_Bt4

[Star_Jammer]

Yes, it would!

Watch this video and be informed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Xq9Wn_Bt4

LOL! This is the exact type of complaining I was talking about, Beadle. This is not someone who's "made peace" with the situation.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

The film industry benefits of Disney as a whole fails. They saturate the market with blockbusters

[AJBopp]

The film industry benefits of Disney as a whole fails. They saturate the market with blockbusters

Interesting proposition. The film industry would be better if it wasn't for all those blankety-blank successful films.

[WebLurker]

Star Wars has moved forward, but some people don't want that. And I'm sorry. But the childish ways some fans have acted, such as demanding the last film be remade and sending it's director death threats, is ridiculous. I was deeply disappointed in Thor Ragnarok. I still don't like it. But no way would I send it's director threatening letters. Sadly social media has brought out the worst in people.

It's sad, but I think, with any people who respond this way to any entertainment media, there's a common thread; the perception that the makers owe them.

[Vakanai]

Short answer: No.
Long answer: God no!

[Username taken]

Interesting proposition. The film industry would be better if it wasn't for all those blankety-blank successful films.

Exactly.

How does hugely successful films disappearing NOT kill the industry?

[Vakanai]

Exactly.

How does hugely successful films disappearing NOT kill the industry?

I can't help but wonder what the OP thinks the cinema industry should be like...

[ChrisIII]

I'm a fan of the OT, I was twelve when the first film was released - yes, my age is showing.

I am not, however, a fan of the EU.....I went off them when they gave Han and Leia's sons such gloomy downbeat endings.

I was originally not going to see the ST, but I decided to give The Force Awakens a go - and to my astonishment loved it.

I actually think the sequels are far superior to the prequels, but I suspect much of the hatred the sequels are getting is due to the 'killing off' of the original characters plus a lot of sulky fan boys who resent the new protagonist being a woman.
The fact is, Harrison Ford wanted to kill off Han Solo for years, Carrie Fisher has sadly passed, and Mark Hamil, like his co stars, is now at the age where he's best suited to the role of mentor.
There's also the argument that the OC have been somehow painted as 'villains', and have lost their 'happy ending'.

But they did have a happy ending. Han and Leia married and had a child, Luke became the greatest Jedi of all time, and they had years of 'doing their own thing' so to speak.
People's problems lie with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa being 'demonised' when in fact, watch the original films again and they are actually true to character.
Han and Leia were always going to have a stormy relationship. And Luke was a shades of grey character from the start, as Yoda pointed out he had '
much anger in him'. What the sequels have done have painted them as true to life characters who made mistakes. The biggest mistake was how they treated Ben Solo. And sadly that stemmed from their lives being scarred by the memory of what his grandfather was. Han avoided his son by flying off in the Falcon whenever he could, marriage and a child failed to make a man with the heart of a pirate grow up. Leia, always one for the 'greater good' buried herself in politics. Luke, who had no children, sensed the darkness that was Snoke's influence in his nephew and unfortunately acted as his master when he should have been his uncle. This didn't make them villains, simply flawed human beings. And as for making out that the Jedi were wrong....heck the prequels already showed their massive flaws in judgement.
.

Yeah, pretty much there's peace and tranquility until around six years before TFA, according to some of the off-screen material. Basically, the First Order was built mostly in secret, but the downfall of the heroes pretty much came when Leia's heritage was leaked by a rival senator (and first order spy), which presumabely led to Ben becoming even more messed up (at this point he was training with Luke) and of course ripe for Snoke's manipulations (although we're still not sure exactly where he came into the story). Leia also retires and forms the resistance as well.

[WebLurker]

Yeah, pretty much there's peace and tranquility until around six years before TFA, according to some of the off-screen material. Basically, the First Order was built mostly in secret, but the downfall of the heroes pretty much came when Leia's heritage was leaked by a rival senator (and first order spy), which presumabely led to Ben becoming even more messed up (at this point he was training with Luke) and of course ripe for Snoke's manipulations (although we're still not sure exactly where he came into the story). Leia also retires and forms the resistance as well.

The Leia stuff was in the Bloodline novel and set six years before TFA. Kylo Ren's defection and slaughter of Luke's Jedi Academy was also six years before TFA. In fact, in Bloodline, Leia even notes that she can't get a call through to the academy. While she doesn't find this odd, since Luke is often out of contact, that could suggest that Kylo had already turned and slaughtered the others by that point (although the timing of Kylo's defection in regards to Bloodline has yet to be confirmed beyond them being in the same calendar year.

Snoke came into the story very early; the TFA novelization establishes that Snoke was working to manipulate Kylo to his side from "the very beginning" (before the kid was born?). The TLJ novelization also establishes that Snoke influenced Luke away from just traveling and learning about the Force to founding the school as that was the last prerequisite to getting Kylo into the First Order.

[Beaddle]

The film industry benefits of Disney as a whole fails. They saturate the market with blockbusters

Blockbusters that are of the others. Blockbusters were much cooler in the 90s, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Titanic, The Matrix, The Lion King.

The Blockbusters now are not only made by the same studio but they are all come from the same formulaic tree, you have the saturation. Disney does not have to fail what they need is more flavor.

I don't feel bad about star wars, I have made peace it ended with ROTJ. Disney is just doing an after party, not all after parties have to be good.

[DrNewGod]

I can't help but wonder what the OP thinks the cinema industry should be like...

I have no opinion on this one. Only curiosity.

[Star_Jammer]

I don't feel bad about star wars, I have made peace it ended with ROTJ. Disney is just doing an after party, not all after parties have to be parties I want to attend.

Fixed that for you (bolded).