TLJ to blame?

[suarezguy]

Do you feel TLJ is to blame for Solo's failure?

Probably both yes and no. I don't know if the content of predecessors was particularly alienating, it was to some but probably not many, but the franchise over-exposure (fourth film in four years) definitely at least contributed to the film feeling like nothing special. IDK.

Personally I think Solo failed due to being an origin story that nobody asked for

Yeah, even for a prequel its events seemed particularly superfluous and uninteresting, Han's story seemed already pretty complete and his backstory not important or exciting, let alone epic.

 

[Tuskin38]

I still don't understand the whole "nobody asked for" for bit.

There are a lot of popular movies I bet most people never thought they wanted.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't see how it's Lawrence's fault.

He is the one (thus far that I have read) that pushed for Lord and Miller, as well as the whole concept of the film being pitched to Iger.

I still don't understand the whole "nobody asked for" for bit.

There are a lot of popular movies I bet most people never thought they wanted.

This is true.

 

[Kibbin]

George Lucas was a big deal, in theory, in Hollywood. I'm sure if he had pitched the story of getting the Death Star plans or how Han got the Falcon to a studio exec it would have been grenlit. The thing is these are the stories that the old guard thought were only fit for video games and paper backs. I fear they just don't worry the lavish budget being thrown at them. Heck for aaaaages I was convinced that the Death Star plans would be secured at the end of Rebels so that Disney could tell the story and link the show to the main movies in a seemingly meaningful way. To me it just doesn't warrant a full motion picture. I'm sure an amazing writers could have come and made something out of these but to me a decent writer should have passed and pitched something else.

I still don't understand the whole "nobody asked for" for bit.

There are a lot of popular movies I bet most people never thought they wanted.

I think the problem is, as is being seen with Solo, that even after it's come out not many people want it. If I said do you want to go see a movie about how Han and Chewie met you'd ask if it's any good and too many people are walking out going 'eh. The pitch isn't grabbing you and neither is the word of mouth leaving you with no reason to go see it.

 

[Tuskin38]

Well technically, Rogue One was pitched by one of the Old Guard, except it was by a Visual Effects Supervisor at ILM, not a producer or anything.

And Solo had been on the drawing board for a couple years before the Disney purchase.

 

[fireproof78]

Well technically, Rogue One was pitched by one of the Old Guard, except it was by a Visual Effects Supervisor at ILM, not a producer or anything.

And Solo had been on the drawing board for a couple years before the Disney purchase.

I think Kasdan would fall under "old guard" as well.

 

[ALF]

Couldn't be simpler - one Star Wars movie per year, and make sure it hits around the same time. Licence to print money. Lucas had the summer, Disney does the winter.

I believe these people, those who look at the Disney SW films and perceive an agenda to diminish manhood, are a minority of the fanbase.

Had to chuckle at this agenda to diminish manhood as I briefly imagined a pair of castration scissors with The Mouse on them!! Plus it would be a *killer* title for the cap of the Skywalker saga -

Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the CLones
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi
Star Wars: Episode IX The Agenda To Diminish Manhood

 

[Kor]

No. Solo failed on its own terms.

I believe these people, those who look at the Disney SW films and perceive an agenda to diminish manhood, are a minority of the fanbase. I think the idea that Disney is a party to such an agenda is absurd.

Yes, there is no such agenda. Disney is a business. The only agenda they care about is maximizing their profit.

Kor

 

[fireproof78]

Yes, there is no such agenda. Disney is a business. The only agenda they care about is maximizing their profit.

Kor

Amazing. What a concept! O_O

 

[Kibbin]

Well technically, Rogue One was pitched by one of the Old Guard, except it was by a Visual Effects Supervisor at ILM, not a producer or anything.

And Solo had been on the drawing board for a couple years before the Disney purchase.

I stand corrected but I don't think it changes my major point that the answer to some of these things are better served in other media that massive live action movies. They just don't warrant it without something more to push them over the edge. Which to me neither of these have.

I still don't understand the whole "nobody asked for" for bit.

There are a lot of popular movies I bet most people never thought they wanted.

It's like Batman, (because everything comes back to Batman eventually), at some point someone pitched Batman Begins and odds are not a lot of people cared. The last two movies were terrible and I think even then most people knew the origin of Batman and didn't need to sit through a two hour movie to see it again. But the writing, the acting, the directing soon had people going to see it. The pitch is bad but everything else made it a must see. Likewise there was Snakes on a Plane. This was a cheap, paint by numbers creature feature that would push no boundaries or do anything note worthy or different. The pitch of Sam Jackson in a movie called Snakes on a Plane made it a must see however. Solo however doesn't have the pitch nor the background to make this a movie people are fussed about.

I want to say I haven't seen the movie but reviews off people I game with and stuff are saying that its decent so I'm not giving a review of the movie and it could be the best thing ever just giving my opinion on the buzz, marketing and general feeling that I think is keeping a few people from seeing it.

 

[suarezguy]

I think the marketing did make the story look pretty bland and the film pointless-it seemed to be Han meets Chewie for the first time, meets Lando for the first time and wins the ship, takes the ship into hyperdrive for the first time and gets excited doing so, and some other stuff also happens ... .

 

[Tuskin38]

Lucas had the summer, Disney does the winter.

At least one of those winter releases was because of a delay.

TLJ was originally slated to come out May 26th, 2017, a day after the 40th anniversary of ANH

I don't remember why it was a delayed.

 

[ALF]

At least one of those winter releases was because of a delay.

TLJ was originally slated to come out May 25th, 2017 (the 40th anniversary of ANH)

I don't remember why it was a delayed.

Indeed - one of my fears is that they'll push Episode IX back to May '19, there's a danger of it. These movies seem to really take off during the holidays. I love it because even if you have a shit Christmas, there's still a new Star Wars to look forward to. Even worse would be Christmas 2020.... Avatar 2.

I couldn't find the exact reason TLJ was delayed but ultimately it may be a by product of Disney's own ambition. Too close to Rogue One, maybe. They won't be releasing another cinema offering within 5 months of each other anytime soon.

 

[Ithekro]

I was surprised they kept to the May release date instead of pushing Solo to December to match the, one a year, vibe they had since TFA. This leaves a larger gap to Episode IX's December 2019 release date.

 

[Tuskin38]

According to rumours (so grain of salt etc) LucasFilm wanted to push Solo to December but Disney said no.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the marketing did make the story look pretty bland and the film pointless-it seemed to be Han meets Chewie for the first time, meets Lando for the first time and wins the ship, takes the ship into hyperdrive for the first time and gets excited doing so, and some other stuff also happens ... .

Which is far from what the film actually was.

 

[EnderAKH]

I think they didn't want Solo to compete with Mary Poppins Returns, which is going to be their big Christmas release.

 

[Mudd]

You can't tell from a poll of a few dozen people on a Trek BBS who are worked up enough to vote what "fandom" thought of the movie or why it failed.

TLJ was a huge success, so it's hard to see it leading to the failure of an associated project.

SW, of course, generates all kinds of ancillary revenue as well as rentals and sell-throughs of the productions in other media. The real answer to "In what universe does a film franchise not depend on box office returns" is very simply: this one, for decades now, thank you.

 

[Kane_Steel]

All TLJ figures are now selling for $1 each clearance at Canadian Wal-Marts. I saw them this morning. Ticos, Reys, Finns.. loads to choose from. Fans of TLJ, here's your chance to build an army of Ticos.

 

[fireproof78]

All TLJ figures are now selling for $1 each clearance at Canadian Wal-Marts. I saw them this morning. Ticos, Reys, Finns.. loads to choose from. Fans of TLJ, here's your chance to build an army of Ticos.

And yet I can't find any at my local Wal-Marts, aside from the occasional Paige or Finn.