Friday, March 29, 2024

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Continues to Struggle, with a Shocking 77% Wednesday Difference from “Force Awakens”

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Two years ago, on its first Wednesday past opening weekend, “The Force Awakens” made $38 million.

Last night, on its first Wednesday, “The Last Jedi” made just $16.8 million. That’s a 77% difference, and a little shocking, frankly.

I’m not sure what’s going. Some say it’s because more schools had already broken for holiday vacation back in 2015. Could be.

But there’s some kind of indifference or hostility to “Last Jedi” that I don’t get. I loved it. For true “Star Wars” fans, it’s a must see movie, a really big moment of closure for original fans. It’s also a beacon for the next generation.

Something is definitely wrong, however. Even kids still in school would be at 5 or 6pm shows. And now there are reports that the merchandise is doing so-so business. Me, I want a Porg!

But you can see the discrepancies: by now, “Force Awakens” had banked $363 million. “Jedi” has $278 million. And the gap is widening every day.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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