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Although Disney has enjoyed enormous financial success with the Star Wars saga since its acquisition of Lucasfilm, things haven’t been going too smoothly as of late.

In December, the Mouse House released Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which – despite being a critical and commercial hit – proved to be hugely divisive amongst the fanbase, with many being very vocal in their criticism of the film and its narrative choices.

Fast forward five months, and the franchise suffered its first box office bust, as the spinoff movie Solo: A Star Wars Story went largely unnoticed by audiences. The film grossed just $392 million worldwide, forcing Disney and Lucasfilm to reassess the way that it is handling the saga and potentially leading to what Disney’s Bob Iger described as a Star Wars “slowdown”.

So far, the only Star Wars movie officially announced is Star Wars: Episode IX, and according to a report over at Variety, the closing chapter of the Sequel Trilogy is being viewed internally as a “course correction”, with Disney and Lucasfilm hoping that Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams can restore the franchise to box office supremacy.

There’s certainly a lot riding on Star Wars: Episode IX, as it seems clear at this point that audiences have softened on the franchise somewhat, and a new Star Wars movie is no longer the event it once was.

Is J.J. Abrams the man to “course correct” Star Wars? Can he get the anti-The Last Jedi fanbase back on board for Episode IX? Only time will tell, but let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Star Wars: Episode IX is set for release on December 20th 2019 with J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) directing a cast that includes Star Wars veterans Daisy Ridley (Rey), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Greg Grunberg (Snap Wexley), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) and Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) as well as new additions Naomi Ackie (Lady Mabeth), Richard E. Grant (Logan), Dominic Monaghan (Lost), Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Keri Russell (The Americans).