Posted on 06/05/2019 8:31:45 AM PDT by EdnaMode
Ron Howard has said that online trolls were partly to blame for the lacklustre box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who is currently promoting upcoming documentary Pavarotti, told the Happy Sad Confused podcast that “aggressive trolling” was a crucial factor in the film’s financial under-performance but that he still greatly enjoyed the creative experience of making the film.
“I wish it could have lived up to the box office expectations,” Howard said. “That’s disappointing. Why didn’t it? Maybe that’s the release [date], maybe it was too nostalgic, maybe pushback from the previous movie…some trolling, definitely. It was especially noticeable in several algorithms such as Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. There was an inordinate push down on the ‘Want to see’ [score on Rotten Tomatoes] and on the fan voting. There was a series of 0s and 1s on there…I didn’t take it pers
Solo: A Star Wars Story mustered $393M at the global box office off an estimated $275M budget. Released last May, the film arrived only six months after The Last Jedi. Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker, due for a December release this year, will be the fifth Star Wars universe film released since 2015. Meanwhile, web series The Mandalorian is set for a November release. Previous Star Wars spinoff Rogue One took more than $1BN in 2016.
Rotten Tomatoes has subsequently adjusted its audience participation parameters after a torrent of negative comments for Captain Marvel, prior to the film’s release.
During the audio interview, Howard also discussed the growing power of TV and questioned whether some of his previous movies – including multi-Oscar winner A Beautiful Mind — would have been made for the big screen today. Howard said he now watches more TV series than films.
Among the projects in early stages at his Imagine Entertainment is a series version of his fantasy feature Willow, which is being discussed for Disney’s upcoming VOD platform Disney +. Howard confirmed that the series is being imagined as a “continuation not a reboot”, that he hopes to direct some of the series and that he hopes Willow star Warwick Davis will return for it. Jon Kasdan, co-writer on Solo: A Star Wars Story, is another driving force behind the project’s script. “Jon has an inspired take on it,” Howard said. “There are some really serious discussions going on about it.”
The filmmaker also disclosed that he is developing an animated musical movie and is in development on several musical adaptations of films he has previously directed for Imagine.
Next up for Howard is Netflix movie Hillbilly Elegy, which will star Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Haley Bennett and Gabriel Basso.
2. Last Jedi backlash
3. Lucasfilm attacking their audience
The response? Attack the audience ever more. Smart.
It failed because there was no demand for a “Soylo” movie and the “Last Jedi” broke the camel’s back.
Ron Howard is not the nice guy from old days on TV.
...or maybe it just sucked Ron and you failed.
Own it.
Not having seen any Star Wars movie since the first one in 1977, isn’t it possible that the movie just plain sucked, Ron?................
GMTA!...............
I think the “Last Jedi” backlash you mention had a lot to do with it. That movie was just awful and, quite frankly, insulting. I saw the Solo movie on Netflix and it was an OK popcorn flick. Nowhere near as bad as Last Jedi.
It used to be called “word of mouth.”
Solo was an OK movie. But after all the backlash and hate from Kathleen Kennedy and Rian Johnson and all this insipid SJW nonsense (is Lando gay?) fans are burned out.
It's that simple. But for a more hollywood answer, Ron Howard when they brought you in at the 11th hour to "save" what should have been on paper a sure fire hit, that should have been your first clue that the current gang running Star Wars are useless fools who cannot shoot straight and this movie was doomed. Don't blame the fans.
I saw your movie, Richie Cunningham. It was boring.
Sit on it, Richie!
Chuck was the better brother.
Don’t worry, Ron’s working on the next one.
Jar Jar Binks (lead singer) and Ewoks (band) are the new Cantina Band at Mos Eisley spaceport on Tatooine, where they hatch their plan to become the new rulers of the First Order, using their bad music to destroy all enemies.
You should have put The Fonz in your crappy movie. He could have space skied over a Jedi.
Talk about damning with faint praise...
The public is supposed to eat their crap sandwich and like it?
Good luck with that one, Hollyweird.
Some trolling, but mostly the movie sux.
..or maybe it just sucked Ron and you failed.
Own it.
Or some audiences today are sick and tired of Hollywood and are showing their disdain.
You should have had The Fonz in your crappy movie. He could have space skied over a Jedi.
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