It’s been 40 years since the first "Star Wars" movie introduced the world to Leia, Luke, and Han. That 1977 movie cost just $11 million to produce but generated $775 million in profits.[1]
It also created a blockbuster franchise leading to eight additional movies and ever larger budgets. Approximately $250 million was required to produce "The Last Jedi," which opens tonight. It’s expected to generate $1.5 billion in profits.
The most profitable "Star Wars" film to date was the 2015 movie "The Force Awakens," which effectively rebooted the series for a new generation. Its earnings topped the $2 billion mark. Still, for return on investment, nothing comes close to the original movie released four decades ago.
Footnotes:
- Statista, "The Money Forces Behind Star Wars Movies," December 8, 2017
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.
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