It seems that, despite rumours that president of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy was dues to step down over the chaos that Star Wars seems to have been thrown into recently, it seems that the very opposite is true.
Kennedy has renewed her contract an will head Lucasfilm until at least 2021, a further three years.
“The move is a vote of confidence in Kennedy, who took command of Lucasfilm after Disney’s $4 billion acquisition from George Lucas in 2012 and has overseen the relaunch of Star Wars, one of the most revered movie properties in cinematic history. Disney’s four new Star Wars films have grossed almost $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office. Ancillary and merchandising have brought billions more into the studio’s coffers.”
Kennedy hasn’t had the easiest time since taking over the Star Wars franchsie from creator George Lucas. Seeming to hit the ground running with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, things quickly spiralled out of control, with extensive reshoots on Rogue One, director replacements on Solo and the extremely divisive reception of Star War Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
It all came to a head when Solo: A Star Wars Story did the unthinkable and lost money, with many – including ourselves – believing a fan boycott was a large factor, having felt The Last Jedi was too big a departure from what Star Wars has always been.
Many believed that the bumpy road leading to a financial failure would lead to the end of Kennedy but it seems not.
With Episode IX currently filming and the standalone movies seemingly being reconsidered, with Bob Iger saying they know mistake were made with their rushing into the Star Wars universe, Kennedy may have a journey of discovery still ahead with massive restructuring and planning ahead.
Although, with Star Wars: Resistance only a week away, Clone Wars returning and a live-action series in pre-production, many believe the future of Star Wars may well lie on the small screen.
We hope not… there’s still no event bigger than a Star Wars movie.
Kennedy and husband, producer Frank Marshall, will also receive the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Irving G. Thalberg Award for a “body of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production.” She will receive the honor at the 10th annual Governors Awards on Nov. 18.
Not bad for one year… what say you all? Are you happy she’s staying on? Let us know…
Source: THR
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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