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Credit: Disney Investors' Day LivestreamLucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has been under fire from some Star Wars fans for quite some time.
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Although George Lucas was involved in the decision to hire Kennedy to lead his studio when he sold it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012, several of her decisions have been controversial. For example, the Lucasfilm Story Group and the Star Wars sequel trilogy have divided the Star Wars fandom.
2021 is a contract year for Kennedy, and it has been widely assumed that she would not return to her post. Today, however, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek confirmed that is not, in fact, the case.
At the 2021 Walt Disney Company Meeting of Shareholders, Chapek was asked if Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, or someone else would take the reigns at Lucasfilm when Kennedy’s contract expires later this year. Chapek stated unequivocally:
We look forward to having Kathy direct the activities of the entire Lucasfilm organization for many years to come.
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Chapek also shared that Disney is “thrilled” to have had creative talent like Kennedy at the helm of their various franchises.
At the 2020 Disney Investor Day event, Kennedy shared details about the expansion of the Star Wars universe on Disney+. Lucasfilm currently has at least 11 Star Wars series in the works, including four shows by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni — The Mandalorian Season 3, Ahsoka, Rangers of the New Republic, and The Book of Boba Fett.
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Another exciting upcoming show, currently slated for 2022, is OBI-WAN KENOBI: An Original Series, starring Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen in their prequel trilogy roles as the Jedi Knight and Darth Vader.
There are also several new Star Wars films in the pipeline at Lucasfilm. The Skywalker Saga officially ended with the sequel trilogy — Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Next are several standalone films, including Patty Jenkins’s Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (2023), Taika Waititi’s as-yet-untitled Star Wars project, and Marvel head Kevin Feige’s foray into the Star Wars franchise.
Are you excited Kathleen Kennedy will continue as Lucasfilm President, or would you like to see someone else take the reigns of the Star Wars story?