Actress Daisy Ridley is known for playing Rey in the sequel trilogy of Star Wars. The three films that were centered around Ridley’s character earned over $4.4 billion collectively at the box office. The blockbuster franchise film also starred stalwarts such as Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, and Carrie Fisher.
While Ridley headlined one of the highest-grossing franchises, the actress seemed to be crashing and burning in films outside of the Star Wars series. She has only starred in a bunch of indie drama since the trilogy ended, with some awaiting a proper release. Her latest film, The Marsh King’s Daughter, reportedly opened to less-than-stellar box office numbers.
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Daisy Ridley As Rey In Star Wars
Fans were extremely excited when JJ Abrams announced that he would be developing a sequel trilogy of Star Wars films. The set of films would feature a new protagonist set to face off against a new villain. Many actors were considered for the role of Rey, with actresses such as Lupita Nyong’o, Saoirse Ronan, Eiza Gonzales, Elizabeth Olsen, and Jessica Henwick auditioning for the role.
Ultimately, Abrams decided to cast Daisy Ridley, who was a relatively unknown actress at the time. Ridley had only appeared in a few TV shows, music videos, and the indie horror Scrawl before she was cast as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. The first film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was a massive hit, earning over $2.07 billion at the box office.
Ridley’s career skyrocketed after she played Rey, and she was soon cast in Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptation Murder on the Orient Express. The film was a moderate success, and more novels from Christie’s Hercule Poirot series were commissioned, although Ridley did not return.
She reprised her role as Rey in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The sequel trilogy of films has collectively earned over $4.4 billion globally. Daisy Ridley also starred in the live-action animated film Peter Rabit and the period drama Ophelia. Ridley returned to the blockbuster realm with Tom Holland’s Chaos Walking.
Also read: The Marsh King’s Daughter Review: Daisy Ridley Highlights Conventional but Effective Crime Drama
Daisy Ridley’s Latest Film Failed At The Box Office
While Daisy Ridley headlined one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, her appearances outside the Star Wars franchise have not seen the same amount of success. Granted that the Star Wars sequel trilogy had the advantage of being the Star Wars films, Ridley’s presence in other films should have had some form of impact on their success.
Her young-adult fantasy film Chaos Walking, which also starred MCU’s Spider-Man Tom Holland, was a disaster at the box office, earning only $27 million against a $125 million budget. Ridley’s latest film, The Marsh King’s Daughter, also opened to a meager $849,000 at the box office, after being released on 1,500 screens.
The psychological thriller was directed by Neil Burger, who is known for the films Divergent, Limitless, and The Illusionist. The Marsh King’s Daughter also starred fellow Star Wars actor Ben Mendelsohn, Tron: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund, and Twilight’s Gil Birmingham. Despite a rooster of known actors, the film failed to make a mark.
The film was initially scheduled to be released on October 6 but was postponed after Taylor Swift announced the release of her concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Many other films, such as The Exorcist: Believer and Priscilla, had to make way for the concert film as it received insane booking numbers. Despite the postponement, Daisy Ridley’s The Marsh King’s Daughter still came behind the concert film.
Source: ScreenRant
