The Shocking Truth About the Lowest-Grossing Skywalker Saga Movies

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Despite a six-year gap since the release of new Star Wars movies in theaters, and an ongoing stream of content on Disney+ set within that distant galaxy, the allure of Star Wars remains undiminished. The re-release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, marking its 20th anniversary, demonstrated this enduring fascination by grossing over $25 million domestically within its first three days alone. This blockbuster success underscores the unique power of the Star Wars saga to captivate audiences when presented on the grand stage of theatrical cinema.

As a die-hard Star Wars fan, I must clarify that while some films like The Force Awakens and Revenge of the Sith have made a massive impact at the domestic box office, not every Star Wars movie has matched that success. For instance, Solo: A Star Wars Story from 2018 didn’t fare so well financially. Interestingly, among the nine films in the Skywalker Saga, two may come as a surprise to fans as they didn’t quite scale the box office heights of their counterparts. It’s easy to overlook that the middle chapters of this epic saga didn’t always achieve the same financial success as others within this expansive mythos.

Skywalker Saga’s Lowest-Grossing Entries (Domestically)

In the North American box office, “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Attack of the Clones,” both part of The Skywalker Saga, have the lowest earnings among all films in this series, with “$291.73 million” and “$310.67 million” respectively. Interestingly, these are the only Skywalker Saga movies that failed to gross over $316 million in North America. Additionally, these three – “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Attack of the Clones,” and “Return of the Jedi” – are the only Star Wars installments that earned less than $400 million domestically. Among live-action Star Wars movies, only “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Solo” failed to surpass the $300 million mark in North America.

Let’s Put It Into Perspective

While it’s not accurate to label “Empire Strikes Back” as a box office bomb, its initial domestic earnings of $209.39 million during its 1980 release were actually just $98 million shy of the record-breaking box office run of “A New Hope.” In the 1980s, it was only surpassed by “A New Hope” and “Jaws” in terms of domestic box office figures. However, due to lower ticket prices at that time, its ranking appears lower compared to more recent releases like “Revenge of the Sith.

In contrast, the box office performance of Attack of the Clones showed a more concerning trend, but it still turned out to be a lucrative and powerful endeavor. For the first time ever in movie history, a Star Wars film didn’t completely overshadow all other films during a single summer in 2002. Instead, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man became the must-watch summer release, while Attack of the Clones, being the second installment of the Prequel Trilogy, took the runner-up spot. During the summer of 2002, Clones earned approximately $302.19 million at the box office. An additional $8.48 million from a November 2002 IMAX re-release bumped its total to around $310 million.

The movie “The Phantom Menace” has had two significant domestic re-releases, earning an additional $56.4 million at the box office. On the other hand, “Revenge of the Sith” could potentially earn over $50 million during its 20th anniversary re-release. Interestingly, among the original six “Star Wars” films, only “Attack of the Clones” hasn’t had a proper domestic re-theatrical release. This is one reason why “Attack of the Clones” ranks alongside “The Empire Strikes Back” as the two lowest-grossing films in the Skywalker Saga domestically.

Why Else Did Clones and Empire Have Lower Domestic Grosses?

In simpler terms, the lower rankings of “Empire” and “Clones” in the domestic box office for the Star Wars Saga can be attributed to their darker and more dialogue-heavy nature. These films may not have been as appealing for multiple viewings compared to lighter Star Wars movies due to their tone. This was particularly challenging for “Clones”, which had to compete with popular summer blockbusters like “Scooby-Doo” and “Spider-Man” in 2002.

In essence, as middle installments within their respective trilogies, titles like “Attack of the Clones” and “The Empire Strikes Back” might not have captured the emotional resolution found in “Sith” and “Jedi,” nor the initial sense of wonder present in “Phantom Menace” and “New Hope.” Being part of two distinct phases in the Star Wars narrative, they may not have ignited as much enthusiastic fan discussion as other Star Wars Saga productions. Moreover, both films were sequels to significant cultural phenomena whose box office performance could not be matched again. To put it simply, how could “Attack of the Clones” possibly recreate the excitement generated by the first Star Wars film in 16 years?

Essentially, the success of The Empire Strikes Back and Attack of the Clones in the Star Wars saga was almost guaranteed from the start. Despite this, both movies were substantial money makers, with The Empire Strikes Back earning such a large sum that it ranks as the 13th highest-grossing film domestically when accounting for inflation. Remarkably, even though these two films are among the lowest-grossing Star Wars movies in North America, the franchise’s financial record is still incredibly impressive. It’s amusing to note that these two films, often considered the best and worst of the series respectively, belong in this elite group.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and The Empire Strikes Back are both streaming on Disney+.

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2025-04-28 22:42