May the flop be with you: Inquest begins after ‘Solo’ washout

With “Solo: A Star Wars Story” proving an intergalactic dud on its opening weekend, analysts have been pondering whether Lucasfilm’s enviable license to print money might just have expired.

The latest prequel in the iconic space franchise opened over the Memorial Day weekend in the US and Canada on just $103 million, worryingly short of predictions of a $150 million debut.

The news abroad was arguably worse, leaving Oscar-winning veteran filmmaker Ron Howard’s contribution to the “Star Wars” universe barely halfway toward the predicted $300 million opening global take.

“By any other movie’s standards, this would be a home run,” comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told AFP.

“In the world of ‘Star Wars,’ where the expectations are so high and interest rises to a fever pitch, it’s being universally called a disappointment or an underwhelming performance.”

“Solo,” starring 28-year-old Alden Ehrenreich (“Hail Caesar!”) in the title role, charts the adventure-filled past of smuggler Han Solo, made famous in four “Star Wars” movies by Harrison Ford.

The second of three planned spinoffs from Disney-owned Lucasfilm, it follows “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the second highest grossing movie worldwide in 2016.