*By Conor White*
Most movie studios would be happy when one of its films earns first-place at the box office on its opening weekend. Disney is not one of those studios.
Studio execs are wondering what went wrong after "Solo: A Star Wars Story" took in $103 million in four days, including the Memorial Day holiday weekend. That's an underwhelming box-office debut for a "Star Wars" movie.
"Sounds like a lot of money, but it's not for a 'Star Wars' film. Not even close," said Julian Roman, a contributing editor at Movie Web.
Roman suggested the "Star Wars" producers take a page out of another movie franchise's playbook to re-invigorate their sci-fi productions.
"I think what Kathleen Kennedy and LucasFilm have to do is do what Kevin Feige and Marvel did, and get some better directors, some interesting stories, and make it less about these iconic characters, and have other people in the 'Star Wars' universe," Roman said. "Because you can only milk it for so long."
LucasFilm has been telling "Star Wars" stories, with many of the same characters, for more than 40 years, ever since "Episode IV- A New Hope," with new movies based on other characters expected. [Next up](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-boba-fett-movie-is-happening-james-mangold-direct-1113273) may be a movie based on the character of the bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
Roman said the studio needs to take the franchise in a different direction.
"They've got to mix it up a little bit," said Roman, who suggested the studio move away from the original canon of characters. "They can't hang their shingle on Luke Skywalker and Han Solo forever."
The "Solo" movie had been dogged by bad buzz after the directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord were fired more than halfway through filming. Their replacement, Ron Howard, reportedly re-shot more than 80 percent of the film.
"It's good enough," said Roman. "But it's not epic. It's not 'Star Wars' epic."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/solo-bombs-at-the-box-office).
Bamboo-based toilet paper company Cloud Paper raised $5 million in a recent funding round. Its product is a bamboo-based alternative to traditional toilet paper made from trees, and its mission is to end the deforestation caused by traditional paper products. Cloud Paper says the raise will allow it to make significant investments in its supply chain, product development, and hiring. Ryan Fritsch, a co-founder of Cloud Paper, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Anne Price, president of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, discusses how Black Americans have been adversely impacted by rising home prices and offers tips for wealth building.
Ellen Goodwin, Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Artifcts, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating a platform to preserve the history of your belongings, and her experience succeeding in male-dominated industries.
Keren Sachs, Founder and CEO at The Luupe, joins ChedHER to discuss how her platform bridges the gap between diverse creators and brands, and what the future of the creator economy looks like.
Thelma Ferguson, Managing Director & Northeast Segment Head at JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking, joins ChedHER to discuss the upcoming Women Presidents Organization's "50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies" ranking, and what kind of impact women entrepreneurs have on the overall economy.
On this episode of ChedHER: Artifcts Co-Founder breaks down how she's creating a platform to preserve the history of your belongings; The Luupe CEO explains how her platform bridges the gap between diverse creators and brands; Managing Director & Northeast Segment Head at JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking discusses the upcoming Women Presidents Organization's "50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies" ranking.
While many are excited to watch the final two NFL teams square-off and see which one ultimately takes home the trophy, some, on the other hand, are there for another mian attraction -- the commercials. Companies during this year's game are looking towards the future From electric vehicles, to robots, and crypto-currency, several first-time advertisers are expected to join long-time advertisers like Pepsi, Budweiser and Doritos during the NFL's biggest game. Tom Morton, Global Chief Strategy Officer at R/GA, joined Cheddar News' Big Game Special to discuss.
