'Skywalker' disappoints with $374M debut weekend
The latest "Star Wars" film easily left the rest of the box office competition far in its wake with a massive $374 million in global ticket sales.
But the final chapter of the decades-long saga, that began with the 1977 original, fell far short of the box office haul brought in by the other two films in the current trilogy.
2017's "The Last Jedi" had a $450 million global debut, and 2015's "The Force Awakens" opened with $517 million domestically.
Still, "The Rise of Skywalker" ranks as the 12th biggest film opening of all time in North America, and some of the saga's most die-hard fans were not disappointed.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) "STAR WARS" FAN, SAYING:
"I wanted to come experience it, and with the full audience hearing everyone's reaction to it, is just really special."
Critics were divided on the film, with detractors saying the plot was unimaginative.
Director J.J. Abrams says "Skywalker" was created to end the saga in a way that fans could clearly embrace.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) "THE RISE OF THE SKYWALKER" DIRECTOR J.J. ABRAMS, SAYING:
"We definitely want to make sure that audiences feel, at least in their minds, like with any ending that it, hopefully, moves you. That it could mean the opening of other doors. But we designed this movie to be very much the end of the saga"
Disney is putting the future of "Star Wars" movies on hold, while the media giant decides where to take the franchise next.
