Rise of Skywalker set to flop in China?
Could this be the biggest shake up in Disney’s history?
The final installment of the Skywalker series of movies, Rise of Skywalker has seen it’s fair share of harsh criticism since it’s release on Thursday.
However the latest estimated figures from multiple data tracking services shows that Chinese box office receipts for the movie may come in lower than expected. Just $5.85 million including previews on Wednesday evening and midnight screenings on Thursday evening.
These numbers have given the Chinese online ticketing agency Maoyan to predict a lifetime box office total of just $18 million. Assuming (and it’s a big assumption as things can change) that these numbers are correct. It shows a shocking decline for the Star Wars series in Disney’s most lucrative of markets.
A slow decline?
In Jan. 2016, “The Force Awakens” opened with a $52.3 million weekend and achieved a lifetime score of $126 million. “Rogue One,” the “Star Wars” side story, that released in Dec. 2016 managed $30.6 million on opening and a lifetime $69.4 million. In 2017, “The Last Jedi” slipped further, registering an opening weekend of $28.7 million and a lifetime cumulative of $42.6 million.
These numbers must be worrying for the House of Mouse as most of their box office success has relied heavily on the Chinese market.
All is not lost though. The Rise of Skywalker is still set to be the biggest release of the weekend globally. Taking in an estimated $170 million to $200 million in North America alone for it’s opening weekend.
