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Disney debuts Star Wars trailer as it battles franchise fatigue

The movie — the ninth installment in the so-called Skywalker saga — is called “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

This image released by Lucasfilm shows Daisy Ridley as Rey in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." The Skywalker saga may be coming to an end this December as the latest Star Wars trilogy finishes, but 8 months out from its release fans still know precious little about what director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy have in store for “Episode IX," which opens nationwide on Dec. 20.
This image released by Lucasfilm shows Daisy Ridley as Rey in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." The Skywalker saga may be coming to an end this December as the latest Star Wars trilogy finishes, but 8 months out from its release fans still know precious little about what director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy have in store for “Episode IX," which opens nationwide on Dec. 20.Read moreAP
    by Nick Turner, Bloomberg
    Published 

(Bloomberg) — Walt Disney Co. released a trailer and the name for its latest Star Wars film, aiming to reignite excitement for a franchise that’s been showing signs of strain.

The movie — the ninth installment in the so-called Skywalker saga — is called “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

It will be the last Star Wars film for a while, Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said Thursday. The company plans to take a “hiatus” after the movie’s December release, he said.

“We have not announced any specific plans for movies thereafter,” Iger told Emily Chang on Bloomberg Television. “There are movies in development, but we have not announced them.”

Last year’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” — a stand-alone film that wasn’t part of the saga — was the lowest-grossing film in the four-decade history of the franchise. Star Wars toy sales also have suffered. They fell in 2018 for the second year in a row, according to NPD.

The upcoming film is slated for Dec. 20. It’s the fifth Star Wars movie that Disney has released since acquiring Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4 billion in 2012.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nick Turner in Los Angeles at nturner7@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net

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