Just weeks after actress Kelly Marie Tran publicly lambasted the Star Wars fandom while promoting her latest film, The Wedding Banquet, the movie has underperformed at the box office, opening to less than $1 million in ticket sales for its first weekend.
According to industry reports, The Wedding Banquet earned only $918,598 during its opening weekend despite playing in 1,142 theaters nationwide. That figure places the film well below expectations and raises serious questions about its commercial viability and Tran’s star power. The film, which received a notable media push tied to Tran’s controversial return to the spotlight, now faces an uphill battle to recoup its production and marketing costs.
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico kisses Finn, played by John Boyega in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Disney+
Tran, best known for her portrayal of Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, used the press tour for The Wedding Banquet to revisit her experience with the franchise’s fanbase. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tran said she felt “persecuted” by Star Wars fans and cited negative comments she received after The Last Jedi as part of the reason she stepped away from social media.
“I was already being ridiculed,” she said. “There were comments about my race or comments about me being a woman. I already felt like I was being persecuted for those things.”
The timing of those comments, paired with the film’s underwhelming box office performance, has sparked conversation among industry watchers and fans alike. While Tran did not reference Disney or Lucasfilm in her remarks, she echoed sentiments similar to those recently made by fellow sequel trilogy star John Boyega. Like Tran, Boyega has also chosen to direct criticism toward the fanbase rather than the studios or creative teams responsible for how their characters were handled in the films.
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Disney+
Critics of this approach argue that it risks alienating the very audiences needed to support new projects. In the case of The Wedding Banquet, the marketing leaned heavily on identity themes and emotional storytelling, with Tran positioned as both a creative force and symbolic figure. Despite this strategy, the film failed to resonate with mainstream audiences. Its sub-$1 million debut signals that online media attention and critical praise do not necessarily translate to box office success.
It’s worth noting that The Wedding Banquet is a remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 romantic drama, a niche title with limited mainstream recognition. The new version, directed by Andrew Ahn, features a cast described in press materials as predominantly representative of specific identity groups, a fact that was repeatedly highlighted during the film’s promotion. However, even with the press tour spotlighting Tran’s personal journey and casting the production as groundbreaking, the numbers suggest limited interest from general audiences.
As of now, the film’s long-term prospects remain uncertain. Without a significant surge in word-of-mouth momentum or a strong digital release, it is likely that The Wedding Banquet will struggle to achieve profitability. For Tran, this result could complicate future headline roles, especially if studios interpret the turnout as indicative of broader market resistance.
Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi – Disney+
Meanwhile, the legacy of the Star Wars sequel trilogy remains a contentious topic. While the films introduced new characters and aimed to diversify the franchise’s storytelling, the execution left many longtime fans dissatisfied. Tran’s character, Rose Tico, was notably scaled back in The Rise of Skywalker, with just over a minute of total screen time despite her expanded role in the prior film. That decision was made by the film’s director and production team—not the fanbase—yet criticism has consistently been directed outward toward the audience rather than inward toward the franchise’s leadership.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Kathleen Kennedy attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
The Wedding Banquet’s opening weekend numbers now stand as a data point in a larger industry conversation: Can media narratives and social commentary drive interest in a film, or do audiences still prioritize storytelling and character over identity-focused messaging? The coming weeks will determine whether the film can recover—but its debut has already made one thing clear: the gap between media buzz and ticket sales remains as wide as ever.
Are you surprised by The Wedding Banquet box office for Kelly Marie Tran? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Good. Perpetual victims like her don’t deserve success.
I wonder what skewed message Hollywood takes away from this. The reasonable, simple child-like logic says, in the game of “What Happens Next?” after you insult the fans – all your potential supporters and customers – they will no longer be fans and abandon you … and you will have no career. Sadly, I think the takeaway is “See? We were right!” Still, the result is the same: Tran’s career is apparently over, Disney continues to lose market share, and all of Hollywood is dying.
The LGB lobby kicks and screams in their demand that this type of movie be made – but then they don’t pay to see it. When they want to cancel someone they brag about their huge numbers, but when one of their films fails its because there aren’t enough of them.
“In the case of The Wedding Banquet, the marketing leaned heavily on identity themes and emotional storytelling, with Tran positioned as both a creative force and symbolic figure. Despite this strategy, the film failed to resonate with mainstream audiences”
It’s not “Despite”. On the contrary it is, “Because of”. Come on, That Park Place, do better!
LOL
What star power did she ever have?