Kathleen Kennedy Isn’t Going Anywhere But Succession Is on Her Mind
Hollywood was rocked last week by the news that Kathleen Kennedy would be retiring. Almost immediately, speculation ran rampant about who would succeed her as the new head of Lucasfilm.
Over the next 48 hours, everyone from Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau to JJ Abrams and Kevin Feige was nominated to lead Star Wars into the future.
Source: wired.com
As it turns out, reports of Kennedy’s departure were overstated.
“I Will Never Retire From Movies”
To set the record straight, the legendary Hollywood producer sat down with Deadline to explain what is really happening.
‘The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies. That is the first thing that’s important to say. I am not retiring,” he definitely began.
Kathleen Kennedy
“What’s happening at Lucasfilm is I have been talking for quite some time with both Bob and Alan about what eventual succession might look like.”
Kennedy’s Remarkable Career
Before we dive into Kennedy’s comments, it is important to explain how we got here. A longtime collaborator of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Kennedy has produced some of the most iconic films in history, including Jurassic Park, E.T., and The Color Purple. She has also produced blockbuster franchises, including Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and Indiana Jones.
Photo: Men’s Health
Hand-picked by George Lucas to lead Lucasfilm following Disney’s purchase of the company, Kennedy got off to a triumphant start with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film was both a critical success and a box office behemoth.
Photo: Lucasfilm
Suddenly, Star Wars’ future looked brighter than it had in decades. Unfortunately, over the next decade, things began to go haywire.
The Wheels Fall Off
Trouble began when The Last Jedi failed to live up to The Force Awakens. The film was followed by Solo, which was an abject disaster for Star Wars, bombing at the box office and detailing Lucasfilm’s plans for an anthology film series.
Photo: Disney+
Then came The Rise of Skywalker. The film was both a critical and financial disappointment. Suddenly Star Wars found itself on rocky footing.
New Life on Streaming
Under Kennedy’s leadership, Star Wars expanded onto streaming, where The Mandalorian received universal acclaim. Subsequent releases, including The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte, delivered uneven results at best.
The Mandalorian & Grogu
In recent years, as Star Wars has floundered, Kennedy has increasingly become a target of derision by a segment of the fandom.
Ignoring the Noise
Perhaps that’s why the report that Kennedy was leaving spread like wildfire. In essence, it was a way for Star Wars fans to debate the merits of the Kennedy-produced content and either celebrate or bemoan the current state of the franchise.
Mandalorian
However, it was all just noise for Kennedy and her peers at Disney.
“There has never been any chaos because we know exactly what the plan is. And we’ve been talking about it, as I said, nonstop for the last couple of years because for obvious reasons — I’m not going to be here forever,” she explained.
(The Walt Disney Company/Image Group LA). EWAN MCGREGOR, KATHLEEN KENNEDY (PRESIDENT, LUCASFILM)
“George asked me 13 years ago to step in, and now I’m looking at who’s going to replace me. And as I said, we have a bench of people internally to handle the business, the creative side.”
The Plan Going Forward
Looking ahead, the plan seems to be for Kennedy to stay through at least The Mandalorian & Grogu and Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars movie. During that time, a succession plan may be put in place.
Photo: Lucasfilm
“So I’m continuing to stay at Lucasfilm and looking very thoughtfully with Bob and Alan as to who’s stepping in. So that is all underway, and we have every right to make that announcement when we want to make it,” Kennedy explained.
As for when such an announcement can be expected, Kennedy could not say.
“We’ll probably make an announcement months or a year out, and I have every intention of sticking around to help that person be successful,” she continued.
L to R: Frank Marshall, Norman Reynolds, Kathleen Kennedy, Watts, and Lawrence Kasdan on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Photo Lucasfilm.
So there you have it. For now, Kathleen Kennedy is not going anywhere. It should be business as usual at Lucasfilm for the foreseeable future.
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