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Lucasfilm could stand to learn some important lessons from the DCEU . The studio has had a polarizing year . Star warfare : The Last Jedimay have grossed over $ 1.3 billion at the global box office , but the film divided the fanbase . Solo ’s box federal agency performance has been shockingly inadequate ; when the moving-picture show leaves cinemas , it ’s bear to havefailed to deduct its budget by over $ 50 million . Right now , Lucasilm is urgently essay to go out what lessons need to be learned . The fate of the anthology films is uncertain , and Disney and Lucasfilm are reportedlydone taking riskson up - and - coming directors .
Marvel Studios make it look so easy , but it ’s becoming clear that it take a lot of acquirement and hard work to build an good cinematic universe . Lucasfilm is hardly the first studio apartment to struggle to carry through this . Universal ’s " Dark Universe " did n’t exactly get off to a good start with last year’sThe Mummy . Lucasfilm is n’t in near such turbulent water system , with 3 bona fide box office smashes under its belted ammunition Emily Post - Disney , but the fumbling of Solo raises a figure of major interrogation marks over the universe ’s track forward .
The studio apartment whose difficulties have been most well - documented is undoubtedly Warner Bros. , whose nascent DCEU found to arguing and decisive ridicule . Over the course of the last year , Warner Bros. seem to have acquire things under control , and there ’s now a growing sense of counsel and impulse to the DCEU . The studio apartment isreportedly confidentofAquaman , which is due to release in December ; marketing forShazam!is on - brand , and there ’s a prescribed buzz about the film ; and theWonder Womanbrand has simply never been this impregnable .
Related:The DCEU is Finally Generating Good Post-Justice League Buzz
Having learned a identification number of difficult lessons the heavy way , Warner Bros. experience could actually prove really valuable to Lucasfilm , in that it would show the studio exactly what to focus on . So let ’s try the lesson that Lucasfilm could teach from the DCEU .
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Not All Movies Have To Be Giant Blockbusters
This is the first , and mayhap the most important example : not every film in a share cinematic world has to be a tentpole smash hit hit . Warner Bros. did n’t initially understand this initially , pouring far more money into each movie ( other thanWonder cleaning lady ) than it demand . WhileJustice Leaguewas the firstfinancial failureof the enfranchisement , most of the previous picture show ( excludingWonder Woman , again ) were running a far slender margin than their reasonable boxful office takes would intimate .
In theory , Lucasfilm’sStar Warsplans should have avoided the error . After all , the anthology films are fundamentally spinoffs from the mainStar WarsSaga , mostly irrelevant to the on-going narrative of the beloved Galaxy Far , Far aside . Does it really matter how the Death Star plans were prevail ? And do we really need to see how Han Solo rescued Chewbacca ? Ironically , though , the anthologies becamea victim of their own success . Rogue Onegrossed over $ 1 billion in the global box office , and that seems to have persuaded Lucasfilm and Disney that any Star Wars film was only designate to make bank . The studio had the same sort of expectations for its anthologiesas it did for the Star Wars Episodes .
Given that ’s the lawsuit , the box bureau bankruptcy ofSolomay well actually be a necessary wake - up call - the same one the DCEU get through the controversy overBatman V SupermanandJustice League . It ’s time for Lucasfilm to start makingmid - budget Star Wars movies , ones that have more realistic corner bureau goal . Those lower - budget films can add a range of tones and styles to the ever - growing Star Wars creation . EvenSolo , while it underperformed , is a suitable prospect for a lowly budget . In fact , if the studio apartment had vex to the original budget , Solomight have actually squeaked into the black .
Don’t Stick to a Single Tone
The former DCEU was characterise mostly by the acute ocular voice of music director Zack Snyder . This show intensely divisive , and the last few class have seen the DCEU attempt to pivot away from that . Joss Whedon’sJustice Leaguereshoots- as problematic as they may have been - were essentially focused on giving the DCEU a new , lighter whole step . The films that are presently in the works seem fantastically diverse . Aquamanlooks positively vivid , with a scoundrel who ’s by design evocative of modern eco - warrior so as to create a real - creation analogue . Shazam ! , in contrast , recently discover its first poster ; an image of the hero wassail from a stalk . It ’s clearly a far tripping film thanAquaman , with a plentiful vein in funniness .
So far , Lucasfilm ’s Star Wars movies have all tried to paint a picture the same common sense of smell and style . Imagine ifSolohad been a little bit different , anOceans 11style offence motion picture about a gang assembly together in social club to commit what they considered to be the crime of the C . It ’s reliable that Lucasfilm broaden a little withThe Last Jedi , but that proved to be quite polarizing . There ’s a tonic disjoint between those two picture show that ’s frankly rather surprising . Lucasfilm would be wiser to focus on a single tone and style for the tentpole Episodes , while give up the anthology to become far more experimental . Benioff and Weiss ’s mysterious new Star Wars franchisecould have a tone all of its own , as couldRian Johnson ’s new Star Wars trilogy .
Related:Solo Is A Box Office Failure Because Lucasfilm Forgot To Try
Diversity in Filmmakers
The greatest achiever story in the DCEU so far is undoubtedly Patty Jenkins’sWonder Woman , which was adored by fans and critic alike . Wonder Womanshattered the glass ceiling for distaff superheroes , and proved that distaff directors can run natural process franchise just as well as men . Warner Bros. has gone on to sign up directors like James Wan , an Australian who ’s of Malaysian Taiwanese descent . Although we have n’t yet meet a trailer forAquaman - that ’s due to introduction at SDCC 2018- the cinema looks wonderfully atmospheric , and tonally singular when compared to the rest of the DCEU .
Lucasfilm , however , has a major trouble when it comes to variety . The studio may be attempting to create more diverse wedge on the enceinte screenland , but they still tend to only take white men . In the 41 year of the Star Wars franchise , 96 pct ofwriters and directors employ by Lucasfilmhave been blank males . In fact , Leigh Brackett , who have a screenplay credit entry forThe Empire Strikes Backin 1980 , was the onlyStar Warswriter or theater director not to be a snowy world . Now , it ’s honest that the post-2012 movies have made great footstep in diversify the production crew ; but we ’re spill about really creating the chance for a diversevision , which imply embracing diversity among a picture ’s producers , author , and directors .
Controlling the Narrative
The early DCEU was tag by disputation , and Warner Bros. basically hada PR nightmare . Most DC intelligence did n’t come from official announcements , but rather from leaks and various scoops . Frustrated insiders began to vent , and every exclusive behind - the - scenes difference of opinion became public knowledge . All this fed into a very frustrating tale , that the DCEU was in a perpetual state of topsy-turvyness , with Warner Bros. execs incertain incisively what it was they desire the DCEU to be in the first place .
There ’s a sense in which this job still remains ; Warner Bros. struggled to manipulate the story over last year’sJustice League , where all anybody wanted to babble out about was theZack Snyder cold shoulder . But things have improved dramatically . We have n’t had any tales of problems on the set ofAquaman , and the plastic film ’s selling has gotten off to a great start . Warner Bros. is carefully fanning the flames of interest forWonder Woman 2 , releasingset photo , allowingset videosto be distributed , and even give viewing audience a glimpse ofGal Gadot in costumeless than a hebdomad after the moving picture had start filming .
Related:Warner Bros. Should Move Aquaman’s Release Date Forward
Solosaw Lucasfilm lose control of the story . The divergence of Phil Lord and Chris Millerfed into a tale of behind - the - scene chaos , one that Ron Howard struggled to disperse . He did a good job of keepingSoloin the public eye , share countless enigmatical stage set photos on social media . But unfortunately , he was n’t backed up by a strong marketing push . Disney reportedly refused to allow Lucasfilm to marketSolountil only three months before the film was due to air . Their rationale was that they did n’t wantSoloto compete with Marvel’sAvengers : Infinity War , another Disney cinema . In the absence of prescribed marketing , there could only ever be two possible event ; either the fans would themselves set the narrative , or - worse still - there’dbeno narration , no conversation at all about the movie . The latter proved to be true .
That ’s the quaternary and final lesson Lucasfilm could do to learn from Warner Bros .. control the narrative about your movies is not an optional extra when it come to a share universe . Right now , Lucasfilm has fallen into the same trap Warner Bros. fell into in the early years of the DCEU . As the studio apartment attempts to swivel , we ’re being treated to self-contradictory account of just what it is they ’re going to choose to do . Is the Obi - Wan Kenobi spinoff cancel altogether , or will it wind up on Disney ’s cyclosis overhaul ? Are the anthology dead , or are scripts still being write up ? We do n’t know , and as a resultant the narrative is out of control . It does n’t facilitate that Lucasilm is effectively on a Commonwealth of Puerto Rico hiatus flop now . There ’s no Star Wars Celebration 2018 , Lucasfilm will have minimal presence at SDCC , and marketing for the next film wo n’t kick off until next year . It would be all too easy for Lucasfilm execs to keep their heads down while they resolve what to do , but they need to realize that either they set the narrative - or they chance struggling to regain control of it again .
More:Is Disney To Blame for Solo’s Failure?
