Disney’s Punny Team Up With Solo Cup for the Next ‘Star Wars’ Movie Is a Good Reminder That George Lucas Made Millions on Licensing

The Disney marketing team never stops. With the opening of A Wrinkle in Time this weekend following the behemoth that is Black Panther, the studio is now turning its attention to the film they hope will be its next big success, Solo: A Star Wars Story, the origin story of everyone’s favorite space smuggler. In 2016, thanks to the success of the The Force Awakens and Rogue One, people all over the world spent a total of $262.9 billion on licensed merchandise. So It’s not surprising that many brands want in on the Star Wars business. Star Wars: The Last Jedi made more than $1.3 billion at the global box office, and the folks at Disney and LucasFilm are clearly hoping that their return to the past will be a billion-dollar bet. But even if the movie, which has had its share of creative upheaval behind the scenes, isn’t quite the hit that they want, they can pretty much guarantee that as ever, there will be fans who won’t just buy tickets, but the licensed merchandise. Related: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Has Some Important Business Insights for Entrepreneurs As the franchise returns to its original characters, more so than lightsabers and the Force, we should all remember that Star Wars creator George Lucas’s legacy is really for being a savvy businessman. And the rest is Luke Skywalker sheets and Chewbacca mugs history. It just goes to show that if you see something that the seemingly more experienced party you’re negotiating with doesn’t, pursue it. You never know what kind of dividends you could receive from trusting that something will resonate with an audience.