IS THIS THE WAY?

Though the shareholders of the Walt Disney Company undoubtedly had dollar signs in their eyes, The Force Awakens was worth much, much more to legions of fans – the highly anticipated December 2015 release date would tell them whether the new custodians of that galaxy far, far away knew how to make a Star Wars movie.

Lucasfilm’s initial strategy was clear, as they leant heavily into the beloved original trilogy, bringing back the stars and riffing off the story beats of A New Hope. More pointedly, The Force Awakens was a departure from the much-derided prequel trilogy, a big-budget manifesto announcing that trade disputes, wall-to-wall greenscreen, and coarse and rough and irritating love stories were a thing of the past. While the Force was undeniably strong with Rey, we could all sleep soundly knowing that midi-chlorians had little to do with it.

Six years on, the balance of the Force has shifted. After , and  proved particularly divisive, the subsequent outpouring of love for suggested the veteran franchise was now more at home on the small screen. And recent Mando spin-off – so memorably announced in the end credits of the Season 2 finale – has ensured that the prequels are very much back on the agenda, no longer the Black Krrsantan of the family.