Lucas FilmDespite an array of mixed reviews, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has apparently hit $1 billion at the global box office.
The film is Disney’s seventh film of their 2019 releases to surpass the benchmark with it supposedly making $481.3 million domestically and $519.7 million internationally since its’s release last month.
Other films that passed the benchmark for them last year were Captain Marvel, Aladdin, The Lion King, Avengers: End Game, Frozen II and Toy Story 4.
LucasfilmTheir previous record of billion-dollar films in a year was in 2016 when four of their films hit the benchmark.
With that in mind, it’s safe to say they don’t need to sweat about the $5 million they spent on the Baby Yoda puppet for The Mandalorian that was also a huge hit for Disney+ in 2019.
Unlike the other money making movies Disney released last year, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker had pretty mixed reviews with some fans being disappointed with it.
Rotten Tomatoes gave the film 53% while IMDb were slightly more generous giving it 6.9/10.
DisneyOne viewer described the ninth film in the Skywalker saga as ‘uninspired and meaningless’. Ouch.
Their review on Rotten Tomatoes said:
Messy conclusion. This feels like a remake of Return of the Jedi. Safe filmmaking, with zero gambles. The first hour is tough, really tough to sit through.
We’re suppose to swallow a villain has been alive this whole time without any explanation. Things do ramp up towards the end, but Abrams and Disney have really nailed the coffin shut here. Uninspired and meaningless film, and it’s a shame.
The storyline is tedious and a stepping stone for the so called fanboy groups that called The Last Jedi a mess. This is a real mess.
DisneyOn the other hand, another reviewer was much more complimentary of the movie.
They said:
JJ Abrams solidified himself as a fantastic choice for Star Wars with Force Awakens. With The Rise of Skywalker he completely knocks it out of the park. Spectacular, jaw dropping, pulse pounding, and tear jerking; Rise of Skywalker is everything about Star Wars I love.
Whether you loved or hated Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, it made a hell of a lot of money; as did the Disney franchise in general.
According to CNBC, Disney made a huge $11.1 billion in global movie ticket sales in 2019 and, with the addition of 21st Century Fox titles, they hauled in more than $13.1 billion.
Disney+Some may not want to thank Disney for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but there is one thing we should definitely thank them for… Baby Yoda.
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Niamh Shackleton is a pint sized person and journalist at UNILAD. After studying Multimedia Journalism at the University of Salford, she did a year at Caters News Agency as a features writer in Birmingham before deciding that Manchester is (arguably) one of the best places in the world, and therefore moved back up north. She’s also UNILAD’s unofficial crazy animal lady.