Overview
- The 2015 relaunch drew strong reviews and reached about $2.07 billion worldwide, restoring Star Wars as a box-office powerhouse.
- Retrospectives argue the movie balanced familiarity with real risks, noting its choice to center new protagonists before reintroducing legacy icons.
- Writers highlight how its nostalgia-forward design helped codify the modern “legacy sequel,” pairing fresh leads with returning heroes and familiar beats.
- Analyses link that blueprint to a decade of uneven franchise revivals across Hollywood, with only a few matching the cultural impact of Abrams’ film.
- The follow-up era brought mixed outcomes for Disney’s strategy, even as The Last Jedi proved polarizing yet still finished among 2017’s top-grossing releases.