The “Star Wars” acquisition keeps getting better and better for Disney.
With “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” pushing $950 million at the global box office, Disney, after three releases, has officially made back the $4.06 billion it paid George Lucas for his company in 2012. The Mouse House has surpassed $4 billion in worldwide ticket sales between “The Last Jedi,” “Rogue One,” and 2015’s “The Force Awakens” — and that’s not including the other sources of revenue, including merchandise, ad revenue, and theme park attractions, that the franchise has brought in.
Of course, that doesn’t include the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on making Disney’s first three “Star Wars” films. But with several more films in the works, including a young Han Solo movie, and the third and final film in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy, Disney will lap its initial investment.
“The Last Jedi” surpassed the $900 million on Thursday, and won’t open in China until January. The J.J. Abrams-directed “The Force Awakens” boasts the best U.S. box office tally of all time, raking in $937 million domestically and more than $2 billion worldwide. “Rogue One,” released in December 2016, also eclipsed the $1 billion mark.
Shares of Disney ticked slightly higher on Thursday, trading at $108 per share.
'Star Wars: The Last Jedi': 8 A-List Cameos to Keep an Eye (and Ear) Out for (Photos)
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is finally here, and much like "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One," it is filled with celebrities who oh-so-badly wanted to be a part of a galaxy far, far away. From past "Star Wars" directors to the next King of England, these cameos come in blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots or in the voices of bizarre alien creatures on Canto Bight, the newest Star Wars planet that looks like Galactic Monaco. Here is some to look out for when you watch the movie:
Lucasfilm
When Gareth Edwards wrote "Rogue One," he put Rian Johnson in front of the camera for a special cameo. Now, Rian is returning the favor in "The Last Jedi." If you can remember to do so during the film's heart-pounding climax on the salt planet of Crait, look for Edwards as a Resistance soldier fighting in the trenches.
As hardcore Warwick Davis, who famously played Wicket the Ewok in "Return of the Jedi," has made cameos in "Star Wars" movies ever since. Here, he voices one of the rich, greedy creatures gambling their ill-gotten gains away on Canto Bight.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt has a long history with Rian Johnson, starring in his 2005 debut film "Brick" and his nail-biting sci-fi film "Looper." He also has a voice cameo as one of the gamblers on Canto Bight.
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Another star of "Brick," Noah Segan, also has a long-standing relationship with Rian Johnson. He appears in this film as an X-Wing pilot who fights in the opening battle against a Dreadnought Star Destroyer.
Very mild spoiler here: As part of a mission, Finn and Rose are instructed to go to Canto Bight and search for someone wearing a floral pin. That pin is worn by a craps-throwing Canto Bight gambler played by Justin Theroux, star of HBO's "The Leftovers" and writer for films like "Tropic Thunder" and "Iron Man 2."
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It might become a new tradition to have big stars play Stormtroopers in these new Star Wars movies. Daniel Craig played one in "The Force Awakens," and here, Tom Hardy plays one in a scene where Finn and Rose disguise themselves as First Order officers to sneak onto Supreme Leader Snoke's mothership. But he's not the only famous Stormtrooper in that scene...
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The future King of England, Prince William, and his brother, Prince Harry, also play Stormtroopers on Snoke's ship. Like Hardy, you probably won't be able to spot them, but they also got a "Star Wars" moment of their own this week, when BB-8 bowed to them as they arrived at the film's London premiere.
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These guest roles are easy to miss
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is finally here, and much like "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One," it is filled with celebrities who oh-so-badly wanted to be a part of a galaxy far, far away. From past "Star Wars" directors to the next King of England, these cameos come in blink-and-you'll-miss-it shots or in the voices of bizarre alien creatures on Canto Bight, the newest Star Wars planet that looks like Galactic Monaco. Here is some to look out for when you watch the movie:
Lucasfilm
