Disney and Lucasfilm may already have a major problem on their hands with the Mandalorian and Grogu opening weekend box office, and it might be even worse than anyone originally thought. After early projections suggested The Mandalorian & Grogu could open to...
A source with an excellent track record has reached out to That Park Place with information regarding Disney projects in development that we believe is tantalizing and worthy of significant consideration. According to our contact, The Walt Disney Company is taking a wait-and-see approach to Frozen 3 and Rey Movie scripts with special attention given to how Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler, performs at the box office in 2025. Despite Moana 2 managing to cross the billion dollar mark worldwide, many feel the film was a cash grab that has harmed the franchise more broadly, especially in regards to its future consumer enthusiasm. If Snow White dramatically underperforms Disney’s desires, it could point to necessary retooling given the current sociopolitical landscape looks nothing like Disney had likely projected when many of these projects were first announced.
This past weekend, numerous access media outlets and Star Wars-centric publications celebrated the perceived success of The Acolyte following the release of Luminate’s 2024 Film and TV report. Headlines and X posts boasted that The Acolyte was Disney+‘s second most-watched series of the year, accumulating 2.7 billion minutes of viewership. However, when the surface-level accolades are set aside and the numbers are examined in greater detail, this supposed victory turns into a major loss and a stark reflection of Disney’s ongoing struggles with the Star Wars franchise and streaming platform Disney+.
In a surprising announcement, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Ryan Gosling is in talks to star in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars movie, which has reportedly been languishing in development for the past two years.
The Star Wars fandom is abuzz with conflicting reports about Natalie Portman’s possible return to the galaxy far, far away. YouTuber Kristian Harloff claims that Portman is in talks to reprise her role as Padmé Amidala in the second season of Ahsoka. If true, this would mark her first appearance in the Star Wars universe since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.
Ahsoka Season 2 is moving forward at Lucasfilm and Disney Plus. Fan-favorite character Baylan Skoll (one of the only popular characters to come out of the show) has reportedly been recast, replacing the late Ray Stevenson with Game of Thrones actor, Rory McCann.
In a surprise move reminiscent of Target’s attempt to enter the Canadian market only to beat a hasty retreat a year later, toymaker Hasbro announced on January 9, 2025 that its online toy store, Habro Pulse, will no longer serve the Asian market.
Jodie Turner-Smith, best known for her role as Mother Aniseya in the failed and canceled Star Wars series The Acolyte, is making waves in her ongoing divorce from Dawson’s Creek star (and more importantly The Mighty Ducks star) Joshua Jackson.
According to court documents and insider leaks, Turner-Smith is demanding $28,641 per month in alimony, $8,543 per month in child support, as well as a staggering $250,000 in legal fees. Her reasoning? The challenges of “being a Black woman.”
Skeleton Crew, the latest live-action Star Wars series on Disney+, has achieved a dubious milestone by failing to chart on any major streaming ratings measurement platform. This puts the show at the bottom of the franchise’s already struggling offerings, earning the unenviable title of the lowest-performing Star Wars project to date.
The hits keep coming for Disney’s Star Wars under the leadership of Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy, and not in a good way. Two recent developments highlight a growing apathy among fans toward the once-beloved franchise: the heavily discounted Rey Legacy Lightsaber at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the continued failure of Skeleton Crew to make a mark on streaming charts.
Jake Lloyd, best known for his role as young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, has been released following an 18-month stint in a mental health facility as a result of what has been described as a “psychotic break.” Now in a rehab facility, Lloyd shared an inspiring update on his mental health journey.
Despite the ongoing media narrative that “toxic Star Wars fans” caused Lloyd’s problems, his mother actually praised and thanked the fans, saying their interactions with her son have been “theraputic.”
The Star Wars universe just can’t seem to win lately. Perhaps the greatest example of modern Lucasfilm’s shortcomings can be found in the story of The Acolyte, the controversial Star Wars High Republic Disney Plus series by Harvey Weinstein’s former personal assistant Leslye Headland.
The series was canceled after a single season, but one of its stars let slip that Headland had ambitious plans for her creation that included three whole seasons and a movie.
Disney’s reported budget for the first two seasons of Andor ballooned to over half a billion dollars amid diminishing returns.