A few months ago, rumours swirled that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy was gearing up to step down from her executive role. The news was welcomed by Star Wars fans who have lost faith in Kennedy's vision for the franchise, though she'd later rein in expectations.
To recap, Kennedy joined Lucasfilm as co-chair alongside Star Wars creator George Lucas in 2012 and later took over following his exit when Disney acquired the company for $4 billion.
Initially, Kennedy found great success in the role. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a box office hit that grossed $2 billion worldwide. Some fans weren't happy with the movie, but it was a critical success and, two years later, The Last Jedi was another win for the studio. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story also grossed over $1 billion in 2016 and received positive reviews despite creative issues behind the scenes.
The trouble started when she fired filmmakers Chris Lord and Phil Miller in the middle of shooting Solo: A Star Wars Story. Longtime friend Ron Howard was enlisted to finish the project, but it was a flop. In 2019, The Rise of Skywalker was panned by critics and fans alike as a disappointing conclusion to the Skywalker Saga.
We then entered an era of movies being announced, only for them to never materialise. The franchise has found success on streaming with the likes of The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor, but there have still been notable missteps, including The Book of Boba Fett and The Acolyte. Unfortunately, it's turned Star Wars into a TV property rather than a film one.
We've seen other failings on Kennedy's watch, including Disney+'s Willow revival (which was panned by critics and later pulled from the streamer altogether) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, another finale widely considered a let-down.
In a report from The InSneider (via SFFGazette.com) about Carlton Cuse (Lost) and his son Nick Cuse (Watchmen) developing a mystery Star Wars TV series, Jeff Sneider writes, "Kennedy may be poised to step down as the head of Lucasfilm this August, but she won’t be going too far, far away, as she’s expected to produce multiple Star Wars projects, including Kinberg’s trilogy."
If she really is planning to step down at the end of the summer, then it surely means Kennedy has already found her successor. Dave Filoni was previously named as a likely candidate, though that seems unlikely given how many projects he's developing as a creative.
"The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring," the Lucasfilm President said earlier this year. "I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies. That is the first thing that’s important to say. I am not retiring."
"What’s happening at Lucasfilm is I have been talking for quite some time with both Bob [Iger] and Alan [Fine] about what eventual succession might look like. We have an amazing bench of people here, and we have every intention of making an announcement months or a year down the road. We are in lockstep as to what that’s going to be, and I am continuing."
"I’m continuing to stay at Lucasfilm and looking very thoughtfully with Bob and Alan as to who’s stepping in," she continued. "So that is all underway, and we have every right to make that announcement when we want to make it. We’ll probably make an announcement months or a year out, and I have every intention of sticking around to help that person be successful."
Kennedy's time as Lucasfilm President is winding down, but she intends to step down on her terms, and that should make this an interesting year for Star Wars fans.
The franchise needs a steady hand (and there's more to this role than just creative decisions), though it sounds like they will be inheriting a lot of projects that Kennedy has already got the ball rolling on.
As always, keep checking back here for updates as we have them.