Disney's $100 Million Star Wars Mistake, Financial Statements Reveal Every Star Wars Movie's Profits & Losses

Disney financial documents have revealed the profits, revenue, and losses for every Star Wars film since 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, one of which lost the company over $100M. After Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, giving the studio control of the Star Wars franchise, the galaxy far, far away has expanded to new heights with thrilling stories on both the big and small screen. The movies have kept Lucasfilm in conversations about the most successful studios in the game over the years, although profit margins have varied from film to film.

Forbes compiled profit numbers from official UK financial statements from Disney for all five Star Wars movies released after Disney completed its purchase of Lucasfilm. While Disney has taken numerous chances with Star Wars stories over the years (some of which did not pan out well), the movies have consistently ranked among the highest earners in the entertainment industry over the last decade. This comes with a wide range of profits for each new entry as well, which is all based on budgets, box office earnings, and more.

Profits for All Disney Star Wars Movies (In Release Order)

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens was the first Star Wars movie released since 2005, highlighting Daisy Ridley's Rey and John Boyega's Finn for the first time. Taking place three decades after the Empire's fall, Rey and Finn join forces with Han Solo and the Rebellion to combat the new power in the universe, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order.

In terms of ranking, The Force Awakens is easily Star Wars' most profitable film of the last decade. The seventh Skywalker Saga entry earned $500.2 million in profit off a reported $533.2 million budget while grossing $2.07 billion at the global box office. It peaked as the third-highest-grossing movie in history and was only recently passed by 2025's Ne Zha 2, currently ranking sixth all-time.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hit theaters in 2016, filling in the gap between Episode III and Episode IV by setting up the story told in Star Wars' original 1977 film. While moments from this movie have been retconned, the core plot tells the story of Jyn Erso joining forces with spy Cassian Andor and the Rebellion to steal plans for the Death Star from the Empire.

Working on a reported $200 - 280.2 million budget, Rogue One became Star Wars' third billion-dollar hit at the box office and earned $258.4 million in profit for Disney. This is the third-highest profit total of the last decade for Lucasfilm, setting the stage for more spin-offs to be developed and put into the spotlight.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

One year after Rogue One, Star Wars continued the Skywalker Saga with Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, bringing back Rey, Finn, and the Resistance to go against the Empire. Rey begins training with an initially reluctant Luke Skywalker, and Kylo Ren works closely with Supreme Leader Snoke, eventually leading to Rey and Kylo's bonds deepening and the battle between good and evil growing more intense.

Totaling $1.33 billion in gross box office revenue (top 25 all-time) on a $300 millon budget, The Last Jedi was another profitable outing for Disney, as it made back $324 million, the third-highest total of the last decade. While this is also Star Wars' most controversial movie in terms of reception, making that much in profit solidifies Episode VIII as a bona fide hit for the House of Mouse.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Another spin-off, Solo: A Star Wars Story, hit the big screen in 2018 behind Alden Ehrenreich's younger take on Han Solo. Showing Han in his early days alongside the Wookie Chewbacca, the duo joins forces with a gang of smugglers for a plan to travel to the mining planet Kessel and steal coaxium, all while meeting Lando Calrussian and obtaining the Millennium Falcon.

Solo marks the only Star Wars movie of the last decade to lose money. It grossed $393.2 million at the box office while working with a $275 million budget, and it wound up costing Disney $103.3 million in losses. Even though plans for a sequel have been up in the air since, considering this is the only black mark on Disney's record for Star Wars, it still qualifies as a successful run for the entertainment giant.

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is Lucasfilm and Disney's most recent big-screen effort for Star Wars, released in December 2019. Concluding the Skywalker Saga, Emperor Palpatine makes a surprise return as the rebels look for his location, all while Rey prepares to take down Kylo Ren for good.

Ranking as the lowest-rated film critically in the final trilogy, Episode IX is also the lowest earner at the box office, only grossing $1.07 billion globally. Combine that with a $416 million budget, and the movie only made a relatively small profit of $48.3 million. This is the smallest positive profit for Star Wars since 2015, and it is the last time Star Wars will be in theaters until Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy's work on Starfighter debuts in 2027.