Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore — Star Wars Gets A Stronger Direction
Star Wars Celebration confirms that the beloved franchise is heading in a stronger direction both on film and Disney+.
Welcome back to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore! This month we will cover Star Wars and its stronger direction, the latest musings out of the Mouse House, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 box office tracking, a note on Boardwalk Times 6th anniversary, and more!
But before all that here is our monthly poll question…
Star Wars Gets A Stronger Direction
Earlier this month Star Wars Celebration went down in London. The fan event provided a ton of news and in my opinion, provided a sense of strong direction for the franchise. After a series of unfortunate headlines, Lucasfilm/Star Wars was able to take back the narrative.
The Lucasfilm Studio Showcase went on to highlight all the Star Wars Disney+ series. Details emerged on everything from Andor season two to The Acolyte’s unique inspirations to the cast and directors of Skeleton Crew. On top of all that the trailer for Ahsoka was released. That trailer excited fans and even inspired people to start the universally-praised, animated series Star Wars: Rebels (I’m one of those people).
The showcase had to deliver on one aspect and that was the films. There have been plenty of announcements for film projects but nothing was being made. Disney was over-ambitious in its once-a-year strategy for the film side. Solo: A Star Wars Story was a high-profile miss, The Last Jedi divided fans, and The Rise of Skywalker had to pick up the pieces to a divided reaction to The Last Jedi and concerns of Star Wars box office fatigue because of Solo.
Lucasfilm would hedge its bets on spreading its next three Star Wars films throughout the timeline. An incredibly smart move. For reference, here is the timeline.
James Mangold (Logan, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Ford V. Ferrari) will write and direct a film that takes place at the Dawn of the Jedi. Deep in the past, pre-dating both The Old Republic and The High Republic.
Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Ahsoka) will write and direct (hopefully in tandem with producing partner Jon Favreau) an event film that culminates the storylines of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and more. The film will take place in The New Republic timeline and will involve a battle with an Imperial remnant. The Mandalorian season three has already set the table up for the film but we got years and I mean years to go. Mandoverse has a lot more ground to cover.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) will direct a film set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker. The film will be set in a new time period called the New Jedi Order. The film will see Daisy Ridley return as Rey Skywalker as she guides the next Jedi Order.
As a Star Wars fan, there is something for everyone in these lists of films. Mangold’s film will be a new entry point. You won’t need to know a ton of knowledge to watch that film. Filoni’s film will reward hardcore fans with a Marvel-style crossover event. The Filoni film will also deliver a true sequel to Return of the Jedi for fans who didn’t enjoy or vibe with the sequel trilogy. Lastly, Rey’s return gives fans of the sequel trilogy more time with her and potentially other sequel trilogy characters. The Rey film can potentially be Episode X so hopefully Lucasfilm doesn’t rush it.
Kathleen Kennedy also confirmed Taika Waititi is still working on his Star Wars film, and that she would love Rian Johnson to do more Star Wars. I don’t see the Taika and Rian Johnson projects seeing the light of day. Especially with this timeline direction, they are going in. The Kevin Feige Star Wars film was quite interesting as it seems that was greenlit without approval from Kathleen Kennedy (not saying she wouldn’t be opposed to working with Feige either). Yet it seems the Feige film was put on the back burner — a good thing for MCU fans.
Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron also seems unlikely to materialize, Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were scheduled to do a trilogy until they weren’t. Same with J.D. Dillard who was supposed to do a Star Wars film. Ahead of Star Wars Celebration back in 2022, it was reported that Shawn Levy (Deadpool 3, Stranger Things) would direct a Star Wars film. That also seems unlikely given this new direction and focus.
At the end of the day, it seems like the galaxy far, far away is on a better path than before. Films that focus on distinct Star Wars eras will do better than random one-off films no matter the director.
Have a topic you want me to cover? Drop me a line at boardwalktimes@yahoo.com!
Disney’s April: Ayaz & Earley Promotions, Shareholders Meeting, Bloodbath Awaits
Disney’s April has been eventful. Not nearly as eventful as Disney’s March last year yet eventful. Disney still has layoffs on the way. There will be more cuts coming in April — a “bloodbath” — and then another round ahead of summer. Amidst the first round of layoffs, there were some promotions.
Joe Earley was named president, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment. Earley went from being president of Hulu to overseeing Disney+ and Hulu. This is a move that would keep Earley in the Disney fold if a Hulu spinoff ever went down. It’s also an expanded role. Although Disney is still looking for a president of Hulu.
Another promotion that went down was Asad Ayaz, President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Studios since 2018, was named Disney’s first-ever Chief Brand Officer. Ayaz will still be President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Studios & Disney+ in addition to his role as Disney’s Chief Brand Officer. Ayaz’s new role will be “stewarding and elevating the Disney brand globally across the entire ecosystem of company touchpoints and consumer experiences.”
The role will also see Ayaz focus on marketing, brand activations, digital strategy, corporate synergy, and more. Ayaz has had a great run as President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Studios overseeing massive campaigns like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avatar: The Way of Water, Black Panther, Frozen 2, and numerous others. Ayaz will be running the Disney100 campaign for Disney and I’m curious to see how his role as Chief Brand Officer affects the Disney Parks and its marketing. I’d expect even more synergy.
Disney Annual Shareholders Meeting also occurred earlier in the month and it was pretty light on the news. Moana is becoming a live-action film but news about Disney+ and other Disney Parks initiatives was non-existent. Most of the shareholder’s questions were pretty lame! Most used it as a forum to disparage Disney and the last shareholder wasted time just praising Disney instead of actually asking a question to Bob Iger. (Even if it’s a joke question just ask the question don’t waste time making statements). The meeting also featured Iger discussing the Reedy Creek situation (a story that just won’t die). Iger also mentioned that he’d love to have the Marvel theme park rights at Walt Disney World and he stated during the meeting that Disney plans to spend $17 billion on just Walt Disney World over the next 10 years.
As mentioned above, a bloodbath of layoffs is also expected to occur this month. Which will see every division of Disney affected. I’m sure we will have more details by the May edition of this newsletter. So make sure you’re subscribed.
Yet despite all the news this month from the Mouse House. Questions still loom. What’s the future of Disney+? Is Disney going to stop talking and start doing when it comes to investment in its parks? Will we see even more restructuring from Disney due to the layoffs? The first quarter of the year is over and there is a lot that needs to get done. Also, Iger has around 20 months left before his contract expires, and Disney doesn’t have a true front-runner for its next CEO yet. A lot needs to get done before the end of 2023.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 Box Office Tracking
According to Box Office Pro, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is projected to make $110 - $135 million domestically in its opening weekend. Vol.3 is eyeing a $264 - $351 million domestic haul by the end of its theatrical run.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a popular franchise within the MCU fold. The film should do well in its opening weekend, especially given its projections. The key however is if Vol.3 can have some steady holds in its second and third weekends. After Quantumania, Marvel Studios needs a box office win. Vol.2 made $863 million at the worldwide box office. If Vol.3 can squeak past that number, that would be a good win.
After all Vol.3 will be about the Guardians saving themselves, and it seems to be avoiding some of the MCU’s recent mistakes. Throw in the fact it’s James Gunn’s swan song for the MCU maybe this film will pick up the much-needed box office steam.
Boardwalk Times 6th Anniversary
Boardwalk Times’ 6th anniversary was different from prior anniversary celebrations. I zeroed in on how Boardwalk Times would need to evolve and transform in 2023. Despite fewer announcements than usual, I was able to reveal a few things.
Specifically for those of you reading this newsletter. Here is some good news.
We are expanding the Boardwalk Times on Substack. Our second Substack newsletter will be added in 2023! Unlike the newsletter you’re currently reading this new one will be more frequent. We also intend on revealing a third Boardwalk Times branded Substack newsletter this year as well.
In 2023, Boardwalk Times will feature sharp insights and editorials along with deep dives from your favorite fandoms (theme parks, Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, etc.), opinion pieces, explainers, news, and more in a reader-friendly environment.
We’re continuing to build our podcast network and we’re also working on doing more things on Ko-Fi.
Boardwalk Times is also working on another big project. Which will be revealed soon.
Want to write for Boardwalk Times? Check this out.
Podcast Plugs 🎙
This is the Waycast finished up covering The Mandalorian season three. Go and listen back to this season of This is the Waycast. We covered a lot of ground this season. But check out this finale where we discuss the future of the show and why this season was so divisive. (Apple) (Spotify)
The Zach Perilstein Show had Giovanni Delgadillo on this month to discuss his work and plans with Boardwalk Times, film scores, his podcasting goals, and more! (Apple) (Spotify)
The Zach Perilstein Show had Sara Edwards on this month to discuss her work with Boardwalk Times, Star Wars, her favorite books and snacks, and more! (Apple) (Spotify)
LINKS OF THE MONTH
—How Alan Menken, Disney’s Most Prolific Composer, Inspired a Generation of Songwriters. (Vanity Fair)
— Why Launching Disneyland Paris May Be Disney's Best Ever Deal. (Forbes)
— Disney CEO Bob Iger was named to the TIME100: The Most Influential People of 2023 list. TIME interviews Iger on his return to Disney, the future, Ike Perlmutter, ESPN/betting, and Governor Ron DeSantis. (TIME)
— A strong piece on Disney’s General Counsel Horacio Guitierrez. I suspect Mr. Guitierrez is going to be very busy in a few month with WGA negotiations and potential action involving Reedy Creek. (The Hollywood Reporter)
— Affordable housing near Walt Disney World is looking to open by 2026. (Disney Parks Blog)
— Great piece from Matt Roembke of The Direct: “Are Marvel Movies Getting Worse? Here's What the Data Says” (The Direct)
— Building smaller immersive experiences seems to be an industry-wide trend right now. (Blooloop)
— What do Indiana Jones Adventure, Circle-Vision, Flying Saucers, and Rise of the Resistance have in common? Boardwalk Times columnist Kelly McCubbin explores how the Disney parks reach across disciplines to find ways to deal with technical debt, and and what happens when they don't. (Boardwalk Times)
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