Oh I don't know.. George sold off his films because of the massive backlash he had.
I agree that people came around to the PT a bit more. I think some of that had to do with a lot of blockbuster films story quality taking a nose dive. Its much easier to accept ROTS when Transformers 2,3,4,5, the Mummy Movies, Fast and Furious franchise, and other dreck are out there.
As for the ST being a failure.
Adjusted for inflation
#11 TFA beats out #19 TPM
#44 TLJ beats out #70 ROTS
#88 TROS beats out #100 TCW
That's the ST $2,161,601,843 to the PT $1,903,095,724
I don't post these numbers because I am saying that its proof that the ST was better then the PT.. I just don't think that the ST was this huge failure.
I do think that expectations went way up after TFA was the number one movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation) and TLJ hurt any chance of TROS making much bigger bank.
IMO all the issues with the ST begin and end at TLJ. TROS really didn't have a chance after that. Even if the story was to everyone's liking. I really think it was TLJ that killed everyone's excitement. I think that had TLJ been a decent film, TROS would have been much bigger and more well liked even if it was the same exact movie with the exact same problems (See ROTJ)
The drop from TFA at #11 to TROS to #88 really shows that. The same could be said for TPM having a bad impact on the next two film of the PT. going from #19 to TCW #100. Yes ROTS went back up to #70 but that is not even that big of a jump being that it was the film that was finally giving us what we wanted to see and the return of Vader.
As for the lack of interest in the ST.
I really don't know much about that. I don't collect ST or PT items. I don't read the books or comics. Is Disney even allowing people to write books right now?? That could be a reason that books are not flying off the shelves? IDK. Comic sales are down all over the place.
As for Halloween costumes.. LOL I don't see anything except OT.. And I see very little of that.
There is just too much competition for kids attention these days.
Time will tell if young kids today hold up the ST like the young kids of yesterday now hold up the PT. I don't know if they will... Do girls hold onto or collect as much as boys do??? Having the ST center around a female hero in a series that mostly has the male market being the ones who continue to buy and collect does not bode well.
The massive hate for the ST seems to come from those who grew up with and loved the PT.. Much like the hate of the PT came from those that loved the OT.
I would say that OT fans seem to be overall unhappy with both. Even I only really enjoyed TROS and that is because it was the one film in the ST that embraced being a fun adventure. It was problematic for sure but as I have always said so are most SW movies in the saga accept for the first two films.
Hell I am even a grumpy ******* when it comes to The Mandalorian.. I think its average at best so far and its popularity revolves solely around Baby Yoda.
IMO the best thing to come out of any of the post SW films was parts of TPM, the last 30 min of RO, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren and many parts of TROS, and TCW tv show.
Everything else is very Meh.
But its all been a very a big money maker.
Well except for Solo