Back when the original trilogy was first hitting theaters, Star Wars redefined not only what a SciFi epic saga could be, but also what merchandizing could become. If you haven't heard the legendary story, George Lucas was able to keep the merchandising rights to his film franchise when he signed the deal with 20th Century Fox to produce the original film, now known as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Back then, merchandising was considered almost an after thought, and studios didn't really pay much attention. Boy howdy did they make a mistake. Even though Star Wars proved to be one of the most lucrative films in cinema history, it was the merchandising rights that made Lucas the wealthy man he is today. And with that kind of clout, nearly 40 years later, he was able to parlay Star Wars juggernaut into the sale to Disney.
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Could this be due to Disney simply putting out too many sequels too soon. We're at a one a year pace, which is great if you're a Star Wars fan, but if you're a parent buying toys for the kiddies, it's a little much.
Then there's the competition. According to the Times, there are nearly twice as many movie franchises with serious merchandising campaigns including Marvel, another Disney property. Not only are those franchises competing for the same movie dollars, they're also going after the same when it comes to merchandising.
Viewing habits are also changing. While The Last Jedi is enjoying tremendous worldwide box office clout (not so much in China where the film is a flop) movie attendance is down by almost 14%. “There are so many screens now; kids aren’t just at the movies,” said Gerrick Johnson, an analyst for BMO Capital Markets. “A movie doesn’t have the same resonance it used