As a generation of Star Wars fanatics await the return of one the biggest movie franchises of all time with the Christmas release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (albeit with that controversial crossguard lightsaber), we got thinking – just how big is the Star Wars franchise?
When Harrison Ford, Luke Hamill and Carrie Fisher teamed up with George Lucas in the original 1977 Star Wars movie A New Hope, it seemed unlikely that any of them could have known that the film would blossom into the multibillion powerhouse brand that it is today. Six movies in (not including the The Clone Wars animated film), 38 years and an estimated total worldwide box office gross of $4,387,031,064 later, Star Wars is currently the fifth biggest movie franchise of all time, sitting behind films from the universes of Middle-Earth, James Bond, Harry Potter and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So Where Does Star Wars Generate most of Its Income From?
Movies like Star Wars command such a large viewership over a long period of time, that they pull back all of the production costs from ticket sales alone, which is very rare. However, we shouldn’t forget another giant cash cow – merchandise. Mountains of unique and often bizarre Star Wars merchandise surrounds us, so much so that you could fill the Death Star with the stuff. Needless to say, a wide spectrum of merchandise has been made over the years, from official gaming titles that can be played online, to highly detailed themed LEGO sets.
The Disney Era
The Walt Disney empire has a collection of monster blockbusters under its belt, and is responsible for some of the biggest movies ever made. So it came as no surprise when they approached George Lucas and offered him a cool $4.05 billion to purchase Lucasfilm – almost as much as the Star Wars movies have made to date so far. Due to some less-than-favorable reactions to Episodes I, II and III (remember Jar Jar Binks and Darth Vader’s unveiling?), it’s fair to say some hardcore fans may enter the theater with some trepidation when Episode VII is released. However, with Ford, Hamill and Fisher all returning for their roles and J.J. Abrams, a massive Star Wars fan himself, taking over directorial duties, we know the Force is strong with this one.
Originally published August 11, 2015. Updated January 18, 2020.
