by Ray Keating
Commentary
DisneyBizJournal.com
November 5, 2019
Disney CEO Bob Iger has reiterated that less is more when it comes to Star Wars movies.
According to Gizmodo, in a recent radio interview for his new book, Iger declared, “I have said publicly that I think we made and released too many Star Wars films over a short period of time. I have not said that they were disappointing in any way. I’ve not said that I’m disappointed in their performance. I just think that there’s something so special about a Star Wars film, and less is more.”
Hmmm. Well, obviously, something changed. Was Iger on board with a Star Wars movie each year – which basically was what Disney had planned – and then suddenly had an unexplained change of heart and now believes “less is more”?
There certainly is a case to be made for limiting a Star Wars movie release to every two or three years. After all, given what’s coming on Disney+ streaming – including the much-anticipated series The Mandalorian – I don’t think Star Wars fans will be left wanting for new tales from a galaxy far, far away.
However, a counter case can be made that a Star Wars film every year also can be quite special – when done well. That means having people at the helm of the Star Wars franchise and of each movie that truly understand the characters and the Star Wars universe.
Director Rian Johnson, as evidenced by his Star Wars: The Last Jedi, doesn’t get the characters. Director Ron Howard is harder to assess, given that he came in late to do repair work on Solo. But, as I’ve said before, Solo is a solid movie that didn’t warrant punishment at the box office.
The big question remains: Does Kathleen Kennedy really get Star Wars? George Lucas thought so when handing her control over LucasFilm. And Iger apparently thought so by leaving her in that position after Disney bought LucasFilm. But as for many of us, her record is, to be generous, less than admirable.
Yes, less can be more. But less also can just be less. Indeed, get the right people in place, and more actually can be more.
Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
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