Episode IX: The Argument For….Two Parts???

Posted by Bret on 08/10/18 at 05:21 PM Category: Star Wars Misc

Scott Mendelson, who writes about films for Forbes, penned a piece today in which he supports a rumor that Episode IX will be released in two parts.

This isn't a new idea in film, as many franchises have had their final installment divided into multiple films. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twilight, The Hobbit, and The Avengers (sort of) have all done this, and in each case the combined box office income from parts blew away any amount that a single film would have made. From a moneymaking standpoint, such a strategy would be a big win for Disney.

It would also conceivably allow for more time to develop the characters. This seems to have been a big complaint as far as TFA and TLJ. Not enough development of the characters; their journeys don't necessarily make sense; or that events happen so fast that audiences are unable to absorb everything happening and how it relates to the Star Wars timeline and mythos as we already think we know it. A two parter could slow things down, and give J.J. Abrams time to flesh out all the loose ends, and figure out how to satisfyingly tie up TFA and TLJ - which were very different from each other. There are already rumors that this would be the longest Star Wars films so far, and it would seemingly need every second available to wrap up the Skywalker Saga, as it seems TFA and TLJ gave us more questions than answers about what our heroes would be up to 30 years after Endor.

But it also could backfire. The fan community is already on edge after the controversial TLJ, so a theoretical Episode IX Part I would have to really energize the fan base to bring back those it lost. Disney is already accused of "milking" Star Wars by giving us a new film every year, rather than letting the franchise simmer steadily and build to a boil for each film as it has in the past. Splitting Episode IX into multiple parts could exhaust fans, but probably not.