Bob Iger Says Future Star Wars Films on “Hiatus” Following “The Rise of Skywalker”

According to a report in Bloomberg, following the premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Disney will be taking a break from releasing more films.

What’s happening:

  • Bloomberg is reporting that Star Wars films will go on “hiatus” following December’s conclusion of the nine-episode Skywalker saga.
  • Disney CEO, Bob Iger spoke with Bloomberg Television and indicated that while future movies are being developed, it will be some time before any filming or production is started.
  • Bloomberg also notes that, “Star Wars toy sales fell in 2018, for the second year in a row;” and that even actor Mark Hamill admitted to Star Wars fatigue.

What he’s saying:

  • Iger in a Bloomberg Television interview: “We have not announced any specific plans for movies thereafter. There are movies in development, but we have not announced them.”
  • Iger on taking a break: “We will take a pause, some time, and reset, because the Skywalker saga comes to an end with this ninth movie. There will be other Stars Wars movies, but there will be a bit of a hiatus.”

ICYMI:

  • Late last summer, Iger spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and said he was the one to make the decision to produce so much Star Wars content in a short time. He noted that they will continue making films while being more careful about volume and timing.
  • Last year’s standalone film, Solo, had a disappointing box office performance, that is likely one of the major reasons, Disney is taking a step back from films and shifting its focus to television.  
  • Disney is already working on two new live-action Star Wars series, as well as a new season of the animated Clone Wars series for their streaming service, Disney+.  
  • As for the future of films, Disney previously announced that Rian Johnson—director of The Last Jedi— would be working on a separate Star Wars trilogy.
  • Additionally, Game of Thrones producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff are also expected to work on a Star Wars film series separate from the Skywalker saga.