‘Star Wars’ Franchise Profit Report Debunks Absurd Disney Theory

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Recent financial analysis of Disney’s Star Wars films shows they’ve been quite profitable, challenging the idea that Disney has damaged the franchise. Forbes examined the budgets, tax benefits, and revenue sharing for all five Star Wars movies released since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, calculating the actual profit earned by each film.

With worldwide earnings of $2.06 billion, The Force Awakens was Disney’s most profitable Star Wars film, generating a profit of $500.2 million – a return of almost 93.4% on its investment. The Last Jedi followed with a net profit of $324 million and a 94.4% return. Although Rogue One earned a profit of $258.4 million, it actually had the highest return on investment at 95.4% because it was made with a smaller budget than the other two films.

While still profitable, The Rise of Skywalker earned $43.8 million, significantly less than The Last Jedi‘s profits. However, this wasn’t due to declining fan interest, but rather the film’s enormous $537 million budget – making it one of the most expensive movies ever made. Currently, Solo: A Star Wars Story is the only Star Wars film to have lost money, resulting in a $103.3 million loss (a 34.5% loss) for Disney.

Disney Has Made Billions Off ‘Star Wars’


Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Since the newest Star Wars trilogy started, especially after The Last Jedi came out, many people have argued that it wasn’t successful for Disney. However, looking at the financial results tells a different story. While Solo: A Star Wars Story was the first film in the series to underperform, and The Rise of Skywalker earned less money than the previous films, it’s misleading to call the era a financial failure. Four out of Disney’s five Star Wars movies have earned over $1 billion – a huge achievement that most franchises would love to have.

The reported box office numbers for Star Wars don’t include revenue from sources like video rentals, streaming, TV deals, or merchandise sales. They also don’t factor in the significant marketing costs for these films. While Disney initially invested $4 billion in Lucasfilm in 2012, they understood it was a long-term investment that would generate profits beyond just the movies themselves, thanks to the franchise’s presence in video games, toys, and theme parks. In a single year, Disney earned $12 billion from Star Wars.

For years, Hollywood studios have used complex accounting practices to obscure actual profits, making it difficult to see how well a film or franchise is really doing. However, budget details often become public through applications for international tax breaks. This leaked information is now supporting the idea that, despite some claims to the contrary, the Star Wars franchise is thriving financially under Disney’s ownership.

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2025-10-21 02:37