Disney boss allegedly tells investor that they will temporarily shut down the 'Star Wars' big-screen franchise and focus more on developing story for television instead.
- November 9, 2019
AceShowbiz - Disney chief Bob Iger has reportedly told investors the "Star Wars" films will go "on hiatus" after the latest installment "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker".
After Disney chiefs acquired the rights to George Lucas' science-fiction saga in 2012, they announced plans for a new trilogy, which comes to an end with "The Rise of Skywalker", and several spin-off films.
However, according to Variety, with the last spin-off movie, "Solo: A Star Wars Story", failing to meet box office expectations, Iger told investors on a quarterly earnings call that Star Wars will "go into a hiatus" for a few years to focus on TV shows.
The news comes shortly after "Game of Thrones" creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss announced they would not move forward with Disney on plans for a further trilogy of films.
Another of Disney's major properties, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is also at a crossroads after the release of "Avengers: Endgame", which concluded the stories of some of its iconic characters, including Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man.
Iger said he was optimistic about the future of both franchises, though, saying: "When we think about those two businesses, Marvel and 'Star Wars', we think about them as more than just films and film franchises. We feel really good about their creative direction, but also their commercial direction."
A new "Star Wars" TV series, "The Mandalorian", is set to debut on the entertainment giant's new streaming platform Disney+ on November 12.
