Kathleen Kennedy has provided a huge update about the future ofStar Wars, but I’m a lot more interested in one of the things she didn’t say. The last week has been an eventful one for theStar Warsfandom, with reports Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was stepping down. These ultimately promptedKennedy to insist she is not retiring, and she also took the opportunity to discussupcomingStar Warsmovies.
As Kennedy noted,Star Warsis quite an unusual franchise. “Our development gets scrutinized,” Kennedy noted, a fact that has driven a rather negative reputation for the studio due to cancelations. “Of course, we’re going to develop lots of different things with an understanding that not everything gets made,” she continued, justifying those decisions. But there are occasions where Lucasfilm has invited scrutiny, and one of those cases makes what Kennedy chosenotto say rather more interesting to me than what shedid.
Kathleen Kennedy Carefully Avoided Giving An Update On Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie
This Was Officially Announced Back In 2023
I had the privilege of attending Star Wars Celebration 2023, and I’ll never forget the moment Daisy Ridley’sStar Warsreturn was announced. I’ve typically been part of the online fandom, where Ridley and her character Rey are pretty controversial, but that announcement was absolutely magical. Ridley had decided to reprise the role because she was drawn by the ideas of directorSharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who apparently had an exciting and original pitch. Butprogress on Rey’s New Jedi Order movie has slowed, with George Nolfi recently recruited as the new screenwriter.
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Kennedy outlined so many different projects in her recent interview. She discussedSimon Kinberg’sStar Warstrilogy(“the new saga that moves us into the future”), “other developments” inThe Mandalorianera, and even Taikia Waititi’s mystery project (which doesn’t look optimistic). But she was notably silent about Rey’s New Jedi Order movie. Nor was she asked about it - an odd omission, given she was asked about pretty much everything else.
What Does Kennedy’s Silence Mean For Rey’s Return?
It’s Likely To Happen Elsewhere
I know Kennedy suggested she wasn’t happy with the degree of scrutiny Lucasfilm comes under. But Rey’s New Jedi Order movie is a little different; this isn’t something that leaked, subject to intense speculation.Ridley’s return was a cornerstone announcement back in 2023, and there’s understandably a lot of concern right now about whether it’s going to happen.
My bet is that plans have indeed changed a little. According to Kennedy, two major projects will chart the future ofStar Wars. The first of these is a mysterious movie by Shawn Levy, the next one to begin filming, which will be set five or six years afterStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Then there’s Simon Kinberg’s trilogy, with theX-Menscreenwriter expected to turn in a draft script by June. Ridley is still on board to return, and my bet is that she’ll be in one (or both) of these first.
What would this mean for Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s movie?Simply put, the first film to use Rey post-Rise of Skywalkerwill be the one that gets to set out her new status quo. Assuming Obaid-Chinoy’sStar Warsfilm hasn’t been canceled outright - eminently possible - it will have to be adapted to fit with the visions of other filmmakers. That’s a pretty radical course-correction, and it will be fascinating to see how things play out.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
