Despite The Fan Backlash, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Was 2017's Most Profitable Blockbuster
Despite the fact Star Wars: The Last Jedi pretty much split the fanbase straight down the middle, that didn't have a particularly negative impact on the sequel as it was 2017's most profitable release...
When Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened last December, it had the second biggest debut of all-time with a massive $220 million (The Force Awakens remains in first place with $247.9 million). While the sequel failed to outperform its predecessor, it was still a huge hit and ended up making $1.3 billion globally. As a result, Deadline reports that the Rian Johnson helmed release was 2017's most profitable movie.
Disney paid $4 billion for Lucasfilm but the studio has made close to 40% of that back from The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story alone with collective profits of $1.5 billion.
In total, The Last Jedi turned a profit of $417.5 million, a 46% drop from The Force Awakens' $780.1 million. The cash on cash return ratio was a healthy 1.72 so there's no denying that the movie was a hit and won't change Disney's current plans for the franchise (which include a new trilogy from Johnson).
Did the negative response from some fans have an impact on The Last Jedi's box office performance? It's hard to say but with J.J. Abrams at the helm of Episode IX, it's likely that the trilogy's conclusion will be a fan-pleasing affair which wraps this story up in a very satisfying manner. What do you think?
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