"Star Wars: Episode VII" is still two years away from hitting theaters and the only firm details known about the film are the director, the writer and that it may or may not have lightsabers. Even with so many unknown factors Credit Suisse's Michael Senno is predicting that the film will make $1.2 billion at the box office, according to Variety.
Senno is predicting that with that box office number the film will generate $733 million in profits for Disney with the theatrical release alone. This does not include any of the profits made from the eventual DVD sales or, most importantly, merchandise sales, reports Variety.
With the amount of merchandising that surrounds all blockbusters it's easy to forget that 'Star Wars' is the franchise that really started it all. Notably Kenner made action figures for seemingly every character in the film. For example, the bounty hunter scene in "The Empire Strikes Back" lasts about 30 seconds. Yet action figures were made for all of the bounty hunters, not just Boba Fett. Assuming that any of the future Star Wars films will merchandised just as heavily and you start to understand what a cash cow Disney obtained by purchasing Lucasfilm.
Senno's prediction helped Disney's stock prices rise 84 cents last Monday despite the news that the film studio would be taking a bath on "The Lone Ranger," losing around $100 million. Lazard Capital's Barton Crockett told Variety that the Johnny Depp western could lose as much $190 million. As bad as these losses look now investors can shrug them off and focus on the profit bonanza that "Star Wars: Episode VII" will provide in the near future.
In other Star Wars related news a video promoting the "Course of the Force" charity run was released on the internet featuring a karaoke scene at the beloved Mos Eisley Cantina starring Billy Dee Williams, Patton Oswalt, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Hardwick and everyone else you would expect in the cantina.
"Course of the Force" is a run for charity that substitutes the Olympic torch with a light saber. To learn more about the race and how to donate to the cause check out the "Course of the Force" website.
