Things are getting a little weird for Lucasfilm. The disappointing box-office returns of Solo: A Star Wars Story along with the mixed reception of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (among fans at least) could change things up a little. One of them pertain to recent rumours that indicate Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy might be stepping down later this year.
Kennedy has served as producer for blockbusters such as Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park. Kennedy then became president of Lucasfilm in 2012 after Disney acquired the company for over $4 billion. Since then, Kennedy has had a big influence on the recent Star Wars films.
However, this should not be taken seriously just yet as they are mere rumours, at least for now. An excerpt of The Ankler newsletter (paid subscription newsletter that cost $45 a year) was shared by Dork Side of The Force discussing ‘talks’ of Kennedy stepping down in September. It’s best to take it with a grain of salt and not jump to any conclusions just yet. It states that:
“While Kathleen Kennedy worked wonders relaunching this property from the abyss of the Lucas prequel trilogy and turning it into a bigger than ever all-devouring cultural force, there has to be more than some thought that it’s time for new blood at the helm. The talk out there is of a September changing of the guards. We’ll see.”
Despite these words, it would be unfair to assume that Kennedy is being pressured to step down. She has done wonders, having revitalised the Star Wars franchise after the abysmal prequel trilogy. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a great film and as divisive as The Last Jedi was, its ambition is something to be noted. Sure, Solo didn’t perform wonderfully at the box-office but there are a variety of other factors that can be attributed to that.
However, with rumours like this circling around, Lucasfilm better get their s**t together. The whole Lord and Miller situation was sort of an indication of some trouble in the ship. It’s hard to say how any of this would translate to Episode 9 but hopefully whatever it is that’s going on, they’ll be able to fix it fast.
Source: Dork Side of The Force, The Ankler
