“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” pulled in an estimated $175.5 million in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend and received mixed fan and critic reactions, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: Despite high expectations that "Skywalker" would debut with more than $200 million, the film's opening weekend was the lowest in the Walt Disney trilogy — 29% less than 2015's “The Force Awakens” and 20% below 2017's “The Last Jedi." After five Star Wars films in four years, this will be the franchise's last movie until 2022.
2019 was a transformative year for the U.S. news media industry, but it was also one of the most turbulent points in its history.
The big picture: There were enormous business challenges, which resulted in an unprecedented number of layoffs, desperate product maneuvers and fire-sale deals.
