The Star Wars brand is as popular now as it’s ever been even after over 40 years, and shows no signs of slowing down under the ownership of Disney. Along with the big screen adventures in that galaxy far, far away, the franchise is now expanding onto the small screen with a slew of projects currently in development for upcoming streaming service Disney Plus.
Following the disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the studio had to rethink their original plans of releasing a new Star Wars movie every year, with J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker both bringing the nine-movie arc started by George Lucas back in 1977 to a close, and serving as the final theatrical release for the franchise until 2022.
With Disney now focusing on taking their time and making the best Star Wars projects that they can, as opposed to just rushing them out in order to reap the financial rewards, the brand could be set for something of a creative renaissance. Company Chairman Bob Iger certainly believes in the talent at his disposal, admitting in a recent interview that the studio’s original plans for Star Wars were perhaps a little too ambitious.
“I just think that we might’ve put a little bit too much in the marketplace too fast. I think the storytelling capabilities of the company are endless because of the talent we have at the company, and the talent we have at the company is better than it’s ever been, in part because of the influx of people from Fox.”
High praise indeed coming from the boss man, who clearly thinks that Star Wars has a bright future under the Disney banner. And while we’re not getting a new movie on an annual basis, it isn’t as if the franchise is stepping off the gas.
After The Rise of Skywalker brings the original saga to a close, two more trilogies are in development from Rian Johnson and Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, while Disney Plus has The Mandalorian on the way along with Obi-Wan Kenobi and the untitled Cassian Andor spinoff. The franchise is clearly a huge part of the studio’s future, so there’s still going to be plenty of Star Wars content coming over the next few years to keep the fans happy.