The future of Star Wars is very unclear. There was a point when Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were developing a new trilogy which would have followed the origins of the Jedi. However, creative differences forced them to walk away from the project. This left the franchise in a state of uncertainty because Disney had already scheduled three Star Wars films to be released between 2022 and 2026. And with the Skywalker saga coming to a close with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in December, fans are interested in seeing where the mythology goes after it is all said and done.
Though many of us have questions, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy can provide a few answers. Though she will try to remain as vague as possible so as not to drop any spoilers too early, her plans could involve putting together a creative team which includes names like Jon Favreau, Michelle Rejwan, and Dave Filoni. More on the report below.
THR says that Kennedy has already locked in a director for an upcoming Star Wars film that is set for release in 2022, though no official announcement will be made until January. Additionally, this new film is not part of the trilogy being directed by Rian Johnson. As far as we know, that is still its own separate thing that is still in development. How far he is into development is still unknown.
That being said. Kennedy’s contract expires in 2021, so it’s not clear if she will still be a part of the filmmaking process by the time that Star Wars film heads into production. Though she has been the president of Lucasfilm since 2012, she was hired by George Lucas, not by Disney CEO Bob Iger. So it will be interesting to see if Iger extends her contract or goes with someone completely new – whether that is inside or outside of Disney.
But there is no doubt that she has been put under the microscope since Disney acquired Lucasfilm back in 2012. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story had its share of post-production problems, while Solo: A Star Wars Story had its directors controversy. Not only that, but there has been a number of projects that have been dropped entirely or retrofitted for the Disney+ platform. All of that makes it that much harder for any filmmaker to want to work on a Star Wars project.
Of course, things may not be all that bad since Star Wars will be filling in the gaps in between films with new streaming series The Mandalorian, the untitled Rogue One prequel, and the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series once again starring Ewan McGregor. Then there’s the Star Wars film being developed by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. But that film is still years away from production. So it is clear that she has a vision for the future of the franchise, which will most likely include some high-profile names being a part of the creative team.
The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau is among those people who could help shepherd the Star Wars franchise into a new era. As THR put it, he’s loyal and “as Team Disney as they come.” He directed both The Jungle Book and The Lion King for the studio, and worked with Kennedy on the Disney+ launch.
Michelle Rejwan and Dave Filoni could also be a part of the team. Both have excellent Star Wars pedigrees, with the former being a producer on The Rise of Skywalker as well as being Lucasfilm’s Senior VP of Live Action Development and Production. As for Filoni, he was behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Additionally, is considered to be one of Lucas’s protégés.
So even though the Star Wars future looks uncertain, there seem to be some contingencies in place to make sure that it will be steered to the right direction.
[Source: THR]
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