‘Rise of Skywalker’ Is Almost Here, But a Dark Side Looms

When Disney bought Lucasfilm for more than $4 billion in 2012, there were lofty expectations of reviving “Star Wars” in spectacular hyper-speed fashion with a new trilogy that continued the story of Luke Skywalker and other beloved characters. The space saga has been a smart investment, starting with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which in 2015 became the fastest movie to...