Is This Why Disney Delayed ‘Star Wars 8’?
On Wednesday, Disney and Lucasfilm confirmed that Star Wars: Episode VIII had been delayed by six months. Originally planned for a May 26, 2017, release date, Star Wars: Episode VIII will now hit cinemas on December 15, 2017.
Obviously this decision immediately led to rabid speculation about the reasons for this delay. But, it turns out, rather than there being anything untoward about Rian Johnson’s script for Star Wars: Episode VIII, or his ideas for the film, the delay is simply down to the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens has so far earned $1.940 billion after being released on December 18, 2015. Because of this huge success, it’s now been suggested that Star Wars 8 has been delayed so that it can be released at the same time of the year as The Force Awakens, which managed to make such a huge amount despite being released “outside the traditional summer blockbuster window.”
Dark side goals. #TheForceAwakens pic.twitter.com/UnhZqoSqIh
— Star Wars (@starwars) January 13, 2016
The above quote actually came courtesy of the official press release to confirm Star Wars: Episode VIII‘s delay, via Comic Book, with the assumption now being that Disney and Lucasfilm want to make the month of December when each of the Star Wars sequels are released.
But there’s also been further reasons speculated for the delay of Star Wars: Episode VIII. Once again they’re not anything negative though, because The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit has taken to Twitter to insist that Episode VIII has been delayed so that the script can be re-written and then adjusted to take advantage of the new characters from The Force Awakens, which have quickly become firm favorites amongst Star Wars fans.
Kit wrote, “Obviously the December date worked out very (very) well for them but I’ve also heard they are rewriting the script. I’ve heard from several source the rewrites are positive, based on audience reaction to the new characters.”
“People loved them. So strongly,” Kit continued. “And Lucasfilm was surprised at how well they were received, according to several sources.”
#BB8 Wants To Know YOU – follow the link to find out more: https://t.co/RvfK2IFCvm pic.twitter.com/8sDHgkT36s
— Star Wars (@starwars) January 20, 2016
The likes of Daisy Ridley’s Rey, Adam Driver’ Kylo Ren, John Boyega’s Finn, and Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron each premiered in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And while fans were quick to fall in love with them, there’s still plenty that we don’t actually know about the characters and their pasts.
This is expected to be explored in Star Wars: Episode VIII, where we are also likely to see more of Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker as well as Andy Serkis’ Supreme Leader Snoke.
The revelation about the delay of Star Wars: Episode VIII has been released without much fuss from Disney and Lucasfilm. Originally it was revealed that Star Wars: Episode VIII, which was originally touted for a January production start date, would be delayed until February.
Soon after the decision was made to just push Star Wars: Episode VIII’s release date all the way back until December, 2017, which immediately subdued any pressure on Rian Johnson, who previously directed Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper, and has been handed the responsibility of writing and directing The Force Awakens sequel.
[Image via Lucasfilm]
