Credit: LucasfilmEver since Kathleen Kennedy took over as President of Lucasfilm, things have not gone entirely that smoothly, mainly because of some questionable moves that have been made. That could be because the company has not shied away from dumping creators that don’t match whatever goals the media giant currently has.
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For instance, Marvel boss Kevin Feige and Patty Jenkins both saw their proposed Star Wars ventures canceled, which has let everyone know that no one is safe from being axed. However, these bold moves to cancel projects and ditch creators have resulted in the media company getting into some unwanted trouble.
Former Star Wars producer, Karyn McCarthy, is now suing Lucasfilm for wrongful termination. McCarthy was initially going to serve as the executive producer for The Acolyte but had been unceremoniously let go in a matter of weeks after signing on for the upcoming Disney+ series.
She is now suing for breach of contract against Lucasfilm, stating that the media company fired her without warning.
According to McCarthy’s lawsuit, “As a result of its bad faith and wrongful termination, Defendants deprived Ms. McCarthy significant employment, from which she would have earned millions of dollars over the life of the series.”
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McCarthy was in between working on Sugar for Apple or The Acolyte. She was told by Lucasfilm that “the choice,” but that was not the case after a few weeks. Per the 12-page Los Angeles Superior Court filing, “Two weeks later, without explanation, without reason, without justification, Lucasfilm told McCarthy it wanted out of the deal.”
McCarthy is now suing for damages related to the proposed “millions” she would have made as part of this deal. Because she had taken the time to choose Lucasfilm over Apple, Apple moved on to another producer, resulting in her losing out on both opportunities.
Star Wars: The Acolyte is still moving forward at Disney+, though a given release date has not been revealed. We do know that production on the new series began in October of 2022.
There is no telling if this new lawsuit will affect the company’s plans to release The Acolyte, but we will provide updates as they become available.
Do you think Lucasfilm’s recent moves are cause for concern? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!