Could our long national nightmare be over?*
*probably not
False rumors have swirled for many a year that Kathleen Kennedy would step down from her position at Lucasfilm, one way or another. And until now, all of those rumors were bunk. But this time seems… different.
At least part of it is that it’s actually being reported on (and corroborated by) by big name outlets. Per Puck, associates close to Kennedy claim she plans on retiring this year. No official representatives for Kennedy or Lucasfilm have commented on the rumor.
Since joining, and a short time later becoming the head of, Lucasfilm in 2012, Kennedy has presided over an era of fairly mixed reception for the company and its IP’s. Notably, the Sequel Trilogy had diminishing returns after 2015’s The Force Awakens, and other projects after that were hit-or-miss. Rogue One? Successful. Solo? Box office bomb. The first two seasons of The Mandalorian? Successful. The Acolyte? Massive financial loss. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny? Well, you get the picture.
We’ve also been threatened with more brand damaging films over her tenure. The thankfully nowhere-to-be-seen Rian Johnson trilogy is one example. There was also talk of giving Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Benioff and David Weiss a trilogy before they completely torpedoed the thing they were known for. Also, a Daisy Ridley-led Rey trilogy no one asked for has been floated as something the company is working towards.
Granted, even if this rumor of Kennedy’s departure turns out to be true, it probably won’t matter all that much. It’s entirely possible that her replacement will be much the same, or possibly worse. This is still modern Disney under Bob Iger.
Regardless, up next for Star Wars is the second (and final) season of the critically acclaimed Andor. I liked the first season quite a bit, so I’m hoping they stick the landing.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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