Kathleen Kennedy Offers Some Intriguing ‘Star Wars’ Film Updates After Her Lucasfilm Exit

It’s official. Kathleen Kennedy is leaving Lucasfilm. And, in a brand new interview speaking in regards to the choice, the producer provided updates on a number of Star Wars films that may, or may not, be coming sooner or later.

“Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an unbelievable script, however it’s positively breaking the mould, and it’s on maintain,” Kennedy instructed Deadline. “Taika [Waititi] has turned in a script that I feel is hilarious and nice. It’s not simply my choice, particularly once I’ve received a foot out the door. Donald Glover has turned in a script. And as you’ve got learn, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was simply nice. Something’s a chance if any individual’s prepared to take a threat.”

The Mangold-Willimon script is the Daybreak of the Jedi concept that was first announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2023. The Taika Waititi film is one Lucasfilm introduced way back in 2020, and Glover’s script is about Lando and was first discussed in late 2023. As for the Soderbergh and Driver factor, well, we know.

Oddly, two movies that Kennedy doesn’t point out are the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Rey film and the Dave Filoni Inheritor to the Empire film, each of which had been introduced together with Mangold’s movie in 2023. That’s very, very discouraging.

Extra encouraging is what she has to say about Simon Kinberg’s new trilogy which, although being reworked, continues to be shifting forward. “[Kinberg] is working proper now,” Kennedy mentioned. “He wrote one thing that we learn in August, and it was superb, however not there. We’ve just about upended the story, after which spent a substantial amount of time on the remedy, which he completed actually about 4 weeks in the past. And it’s a really detailed remedy, like 70 pages. And so he’s anticipated to provide us one thing in March.”

So with The Mandalorian and Grogu popping out this yr, and Star Wars: Starfighter (which Kennedy says was meant to be a standalone however may, probably, be sequalized) out subsequent yr, what film is coming subsequent? It gained’t be Kennedy’s name anymore, however there are further ideas. “Mangold’s is basically on the again burner as is Soderbergh’s,” she mentioned. “I feel those by Taika and Donald are nonetheless considerably alive. That’s going to essentially be as much as the brand new group to determine. I do know that [new Lucasfilm heads] Dave [Filoni] and Lynwen [Brennan] are very a lot on board with what Simon’s doing, and that will be a brand new trilogy. Within the timeline of issues, that takes you properly into 2030 plus. In order that’s actually what’s up subsequent.”

It looks as if it’s excellent news for followers of Taika Waititi and Donald Glover, however dangerous information for followers of James Mangold and Rey Skywalker. What do you make of the quotes?

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