The Rise Of Skywalker is struggling to match the success of previous
Star Wars films at the
UK and
Ireland box office.
The film has taken over a third less than 2015′s The Force Awakens in its first two weeks of release.
Episode IX has taken £39.4m since its debut just before
Christmas, compared to the £65.9m Episode VII took over the same period. 2017’s The Last Jedi made £50.7m in its first two weeks and ended up taking £84.1m.
The Force Awakens went on to become the most successful film of all time in the UK and Ireland, taking a colossal £130.8m.
The Rise Of Skywalker’s
box office struggle comes as the film was met with a lukewarm response from fans and critics.
Many have complained it did too much to redress issues some fans held with The Last Jedi.
Director JJ Abrams recently addressed the criticism, telling Vanity Fair: “We knew starting this that any decision we made – a design decision, a musical decision, a narrative decision – would please someone and infuriate someone else. There is an MO of either ‘It’s exactly as I see it, or you’re my enemy’.“It’s a crazy thing that there’s such a norm that seems to be void of nuance and compassion – and this is not just about Star Wars, this is about everything.”
The Rise Of Skywalker is the fifth film of its kind in as many years, following The Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), plus spin-offs Rogue One (2016) and Solo (2018).
But Skywalker has already done well enough to overtake the total amount taken at the box office by Solo (£19.4m).And it has now outperformed two of the original Star Wars films: 1983’s Return Of The Jedi (£14.7m) and 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back (£31.4m).
Even if The Rise Of Skywalker ends up taking as much as £60m or £70m, it would still fall short of being the biggest film of 2019.
That honour currently belongs to Avengers: Endgame, which has taken a hefty £88.7m in the UK and Ireland.
Box office figures for all of the Star Wars films were compiled for the PA news agency by the
British Film Institute, and have been adjusted for inflation.READ MORE... Star Wars Writer Explains Why Kelly Marie Tran Lost So Much Screen Time in Rise Of Skywalker Star Wars' Oscar Isaac Blames 'Disney Overlords' For Lack Of Romance Between Poe And Finn Star Wars Director JJ Abrams Addresses Mixed Reaction To The Rise Of Skywalker