In a galaxy far, far away… just kidding! We can’t overstate the influence Star Wars has had throughout the years. It was a title that once united nerds from all over the world; it was a beacon, a shining example of something entirely different and new for its era. However, that’s in the past now; the name that united a group of nerds has become a controversial subject matter since the release of the prequel trilogy.
The original trilogy and prequel trilogy lovers were at war, but they united to face the disaster that was the sequel trilogy, and the fandom has never been whole since. And throughout this time, people have been pinning the blame on the president of Lucasfilm herself, Kathleen Kennedy. But recently, there has been news that Disney plans to fire her, and after hearing both sides, there’s no clear answer as to what’s going to go down. Here’s why:
Saviour Or Slayer: Kathleen Kennedy & Her Role In Hollywood
Since the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, many believed that Kennedy was just some nobody placed in charge of the whole operation with no knowledge of anything about films in general or, specifically, Star Wars – but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. A big-name producer in Hollywood, Kennedy shaped the industry for the better by producing films such as all of the Indiana Jones movies with Spielberg; and was the executive producer of the Back to the Future films, Goonies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and so much more.
Throughout Spielberg’s Indiana Jones era, Kennedy worked closely with George Lucas on the company’s films. And, in 2012, Lucas made Kennedy the president of Lucasfilm when news broke that he was selling the company to Disney – immediately disproving one of the key arguments made by her haters. But it also begs the question: if she is so celebrated in the film industry, why is she so hated in the SW community?
The 5-Year Plan: Disney Rushing Movies Out The Door
Since its acquisition, Lucasfilm has had to pump out one movie per year that is more friendly to Disney executives and shareholders because of a schedule placed years in advance by Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney. However, this schedule is quite destructive, as it rushes movies out the door before they are finished, removing any chance of ironing out kinks the films might have. This timeframe placed incredible amounts of pressure on Kennedy, as she must maintain a balance between reaching the impossible deadline given to her and producing good films.
A lot of people seem to forget how short the timeframe was between each Star Wars release. “Force Awakens,” “Rogue One,” “The Last Jedi,” “Solo,” and then “The Rise of Skywalker” had to be released a year from each other or less; for perspective, “Solo” was released six months after “The Last Jedi.” This schedule fatigued moviegoers and tainted their reception of the franchise. And, unfortunately, Kennedy has taken the fall for all of Star Wars’ blunders, as she is the figurehead of Lucasfilm. She has become quite the unfortunate scapegoat, even though it was through her that the “Mandalorians” were successful.
The Future Of Star Wars: Will Kathleen Kennedy Still Be A Part Of The Franchise?
During the Star Wars Celebration Event that occurred last 10th April, Kennedy stated that Star Wars films will be released when they are ready to be released, and that each premiere would be “eventised”. However, it seems that Kennedy needs a miracle – a Christmas miracle – to perhaps save her job. Rumours have been circulating that she might be fired from her position if she cannot produce a film every two years and that this is the latest film to be ready for a Christmas 2025 release.
Star Wars has definitely seen some highs and lows throughout Kennedy’s decade-long career as the president of all the things that have to do with the franchise in recent memory, but it is because of her that Star Wars is part of our recent memory.
Daisy Ridley will return as Rey to start the New Jedi Order . #StarWars #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/V7klRh4gLZ
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) April 7, 2023
Kennedy recently announced during the Star Wars Celebration that there were several films on the way, such as “The New Jedi Order” era, a film that is said to be set 15 years after the events of Rise of Skywalker, and which will see the return of Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker in the new film project.
Hopefully, with enough time, Kennedy can make the latest movies stand out from their predecessors and make Star Wars an event that would reunite a long-divided fandom.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, MovieWeb
