Thankfully, despite all the bitching from literally every movie-going adult I know personally and have encountered on the internet, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is officially a box office success, even by Star Wars standards. As of Saturday, The Last Jedi has surpassed $600 million in the domestic box office.
When I learned J.J. Abrams will take the wheel for Star Wars IX, The Last Jedi backlash really worried me. Abrams is a fine filmmaker, but if Star Trek: Into Darkness taught us anything, it's that he is absolutely at the mercy of the fans. Every bad thing about that movie was caused by Abram's attempt to appease rabid Trekkies. I could easily see Abrams repudiating every controversial element established in The Last Jedi. "Kylo was lying. Rey's a Kenobi. Snoke is back from the dead and he's actually Darth Plagueis."
But gratefully, the loud were the minority. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is quickly jetting past $600 millions dollars at the domestic box office. It's the sixth highest grossing movie of all time. Hopefully, that kind of cheddar has given Disney the green light to continue bringing on filmmakers to make their films. Not directors for hire, not algorithms, but humans with vision and craft.
In fact, maybe this means Kathleen Kennedy and her goons will give Johnson even more creative freedom for his upcoming Star Wars trilogy. WIth no connection to The Skywalker saga and availed by the full trust of the studio backing it, these films have every reason to be remarkable.
