(CNN)Obi-Wan Kenobi is coming to streaming, as virtually anyone with an internet connection now knows. But is this the ideal place for a project based on a beloved original Star Wars character? And while he may insist “It’s not my fault!”, how much blame does Han Solo have?
These are some of the unpredictable questions raised by the transfer of resources to streaming services, with Obi-Wan Kenobi – a limited series reprising Ewan McGregor’s role from the second trilogy – slated to land on Disney+ in May .
Watching the very enticing trailer, it’s easy to see that this concept is a huge film and fans are flocking to theaters to see a story set in this time period, with Kenobi a decade after ” Revenge of the Sith” quietly watching over a young Luke Skywalker and before the two meet in “A New Hope”.
In fact, the first thought that consumed the trailer—especially when those sounds of John Williams’ Duel of Fates kicked in—was how big the opening weekend of a film version would have been at the box office.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know, as Disney has prioritized the production of must-have content for Disney+, which has surpassed even the most ambitious projections for its growth, reaching nearly 130 million subscribers. At around $7 a month, that’s quite a lot of credits, and “Star Wars” shows like “The Mandalorian” obviously make up a big chunk of that.
Still, Disney is also in the cinema business, where hits have become increasingly elusive, a trend that predated the pandemic but has been greatly exacerbated by it. Increasingly, there seems to be a very narrow lineup of blockbusters – “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “The Batman” among recent examples – that can overcome the pull of streaming’s tractor beam. For everything else, you’ll have to wait until Netflix or one of its competitors offers it.
An Obi-Wan Kenobi film starring McGregor seems to have the combination of elements to overcome this hurdle. Instead, the studio chose the Disney+ route after the disappointing box-office performance of Solo, a 2018 prequel in which Alden Ehrenreich took on the title role.
At the time, Collider reported that Disney and Lucasfilm had decided to put all Star Wars spinoff films “on hold” because “Solo” was having commercial misfires, leading to headlines like “‘Solo’ is officially the first ‘Star Wars.’ ‘” led. Movie to the flop.” That included what was then planned to be an Obi-Wan feature.
“I just think maybe we rolled out a little too much too quickly,” Disney’s then-CEO Bob Iger told the New York Times.
Market saturation was likely a factor. However, the studio may have overreacted, underestimating the appeal of the Kenobi character and the lure of having McGregor (as opposed to a newly cast newcomer) reprise the role.
While it’s fun to speculate and play “what if?”, it will be virtually impossible to figure out if Disney left money on the outer edge by producing a limited series instead of a movie. People are signing up and maintaining streaming subscriptions for all sorts of content, although it’s safe to assume that Star Wars fans won’t be canceling Disney+ before Kenobi finishes its run.
Incidentally, the series premieres on May 25th, which happens to be the 45th anniversary of the Jedi Knight’s debut in Star Wars, back when chapter subtitles were involved, when home alternatives were mostly limited to the three broadcast networks.
Would a Kenobi movie released on this anniversary with the kind of trailer that just wrecked the internet get people into theaters today? Let’s just say that if Disney had stuck to its original plans, despite what’s happened to the cinema, they would legitimately feel good about it.
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