Disney hones "Star Wars" strategy in China, Latin America
Disney is reportedly working on a deal to allow Netflix to stream five of the six previous Star Wars films in Latin America. The sixth film, the very first one, is owned by Twentieth Century Fox. The two studios already have a similar deal in place with the Chinese tech giant Tencent.
Disney is gearing up for the Dec. 18 release of the latest Star Wars film in the franchise, “The Force Awakens.”
“The strategy … to acquaint everybody … in the franchise, is very smart,” says Jeanine Basinger, professor of film studies at Wesleyan University.
A major blockbuster movie needs a global audience, because foreign box office often makes up a majority of a film’s gross. Analyst Alexia Quadrani of JPMorgan says Disney is building up the Star Wars franchise, because the upcoming film will be just the first of many.
“They’ve made these commitments for several of these films, and then further films from the offshoots of different characters from within the Lucas franchise,” Quadrani says.
Expectations for the films are high. By one estimate, “The Force Awakens” is expected to generate about $2 billion in global box office revenues.
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