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.
