Reports of Kathleen Kennedy’s imminent retirement are not true. At least not entirely. The Lucasfilm President told Deadline that, while she’s discussed her potential successor she isn’t ready to give up her job quite so soon. She also said she’ll “die” still doing what she loves, making movies. And that’s a topic Kennedy also touched on in her lengthy interview. She provided some new tidbits, insights, and updates about future and potential Star Wars movies and how they will, both literally and metaphorically, move the franchise forward.
Star Wars Faces a Unique Problem Developing Movies and Other Projects
Kennedy addressed the very public and unique way potential movies and other projects are discussed in regards to Star Wars and no other studio. “What’s troubling and frustrating is that our development gets scrutinized, and I don’t know any other production company where their development gets scrutinized like that,” said Kennedy. Kennedy says that because every possible project becomes “public before you even want it to become public,” Lucasfilm also has the extra challenge of “managing the message.”
Lucasfilm Knows Star Wars Is a “Generational Brand”
Kennedy says the studio is very much aware and focused on the concept that Star Wars has always been a “very generational brand.” She said they “work hard to sustain that.” Kennedy also said Disney+ has given them a chance to be experimental with Star Wars in ways movies can’t.
Shawn Levy’s Star Wars Movie Will Follow The Mandalorian & Grogu
Even if Kennedy were to step down from his job this year, a decision she says is 100% her own to make, she’s still going to executive produce The Mandalorian & Grogu movie as well as the next Star Wars film after, director Shawn Levy’s standalone big screen project. It will follow Din and The Child into theaters.
Shawn Levy’s Star Wars Movie Takes Place After The Rise of Skywalker
Speaking of Shawn Levy’s standalone Star Wars movie, Kennedy says it takes place five or six years after the sequel trilogy. She also said while it “may bring some of the characters back from the sequel saga,” it will “pretty much” feature new characters.
Simon Kinberg’s Star Wars Movie Trilogy Is the “Next Iteration, The New Saga”
Lucasfilm is “absolutely rolling fast and furiously” on Simon Kinberg’s recently announced new Star Wars trilogy. Kennedy said it is the “next iteration, the new saga” for Star Wars. Like Levy’s movie, it will also take place after Episode IX.
Kinberg is “going to script” right now. Kennedy expects to get it “around June.” She is already very happy with the the state of the project. “That has gone exceptionally well,” she said.
James Mangold Is Working on His Prequel Movie Script “Right Now”
Kennedy provided an update on James Mangold’s Star Wars prequel movie about the start of the Jedi Order. She said that after being busy with A Complete Unknown and awards season, he is working on the script “right now.”
It’s Hard to Tie Taika Waititi Down, Even For a Star Wars Movie
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie is not nearly as far along as even Mangold’s. Kennedy said they are “waiting for Taika” who “is working with another writer now.” That doesn’t have Kennedy worried, though. “He’s so busy. I love him,” she said. “I think if we ever do get a script from Taika, it’s going to be fantastic.” Kennedy has already seen a first act from Waititi that she “loved, but tying him down, it’s tricky.”
There Are “Three or Four” Other Projects In Early Development
As for how many other potential projects we don’t know about are in some kind of development, Kennedy said “to play it safe” Lucasfilm has “three or four right at the moment.”
One of those is a possible story set during the New Republic. That’s the era The Mandalorian takes place in. “We have other development going on in that space as well,” she said. “So that’s the space that we’re pretty much focused on right at the moment, because obviously with Mandalorian we have a pretty good sense of where that’s going.”
A problem Lucasfilm runs into with a lot of these Star Wars projects and movies is having to wait for talent. Kennedy said Star Wars can take up two or three years of someone’s life, so it’s not always easy to put things into production right away.
That means a whole lot of these projects will be the next Lucasfilm’s President’s problem. That person just won’t have to worry about them just yet.