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In recent years, Disney has managed to take over and own some of the biggest movie franchises we have ever known.
And one of those is none other than Star Wars. This beloved story first came out in the 70s and has proved enormously popular since then. In the late 90s, a prequel trilogy was created to mixed success.
But it wasn’t until Disney acquired LucasFilm that the franchise really started to grow once more. Now, there are not just films, but standalone movies, a growing number of TV shows, and even animated series all surrounding the original Star Wars story.
Which only adds to the franchise’s sizable merchandising revenue – known to include figurines, toys and games (including some online games at places such as シークレットカジノ) to name but a few. So, how does Disney manage to expand this universe and the franchise? Read on to find out.
Finishing the trilogy
For most of the lifespan of Star Wars, the franchise was under the direct control of George Lucas. But, with the buyout of the studio, this has changed. No longer does Lucas have that control, which means that Disney is free to branch out in all manner of directions regarding the stories they want to tell.
On top of that, Disney has used a multi-faceted approach, bringing in top directors to put their own vision on this enduring franchise.
And one of these was to finally finish off the story that started more than three decades ago. The three films were released over a six-year period and finally wrapped up the story. Of course, there were mixed reviews, but simply bringing this main story to a close once again brought Star Wars into the spotlight.
Since then, and the success of this last trilogy, Disney has been able to begin its Star Wars universe expansion.
Scrapping the extended universe
However, there are some things that some diehard fans may be upset about. For instance, the Extended Universe (EU) of Star Wars is no more.
Lovingly created via a range of books and comics from all manner of artists, much of this content was considered canon. In particular, the trilogy by Timothy Zahn was hugely influential and even created what most considered to be the wrap-up of the original trilogy.
While none of this is now canon, LucasFilm redubbed it Star Wars Legends. As such, Disney is still permitted to use storylines and characters from these works. Excitingly for diehard fans, they have begun to do this, most notably in Star Wars Rebels.
Bringing Star Wars to the small screen
On top of releasing those big movies, Disney has started to create content for the small screen too. Additionally, by finishing off the Skywalker Saga, Disney is now able to create and develop new stories within this world. This was evidenced in a number of smaller standalone movies too such as Rogue One and the Han Solo story.
In terms of TV though the biggest hit so far has been The Mandalorian. Set after the events of the Skywalker Saga, this series has been able to get viewers invested in new characters — though there are a few familiar faces too.
Continuing to expand
From the enormous success of The Mandalorian, the number of Star Wars-related films and TV shows has increased dramatically.
However, it is clear that the focus has turned to TV shows which have helped to boost this franchise. On top of that, the focus has become on female protagonists, which shows the company moving with the times.
In the last year, Disney has announced a huge number of additional projects. Some of these carry on stories of popular characters, while others take on completely new stories of their own, all within the Star Wars Universe. Some of the upcoming projects include:
The Book of Boba Fett (Dec 2021)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Andor (2022)
A Droid Story (TBA)
The Acolyte (TBA)
Essentially, with Disney in charge, not only will there be continued new Star Wars material, but the franchise will be moving forward in keeping with the times. And, as such, maintain popularity.