Kathleen Kennedyhas been a controversial figure as head of Lucasfilm as anyone would be if they were in charge of overseeing a massive franchise likeStar Wars. And yet it’s hard to argue that she hasn’t been moderately successful in that role.The Force Awakenswas the jolt the franchise needed after the disappointing prequels, andThe Last Jediis a truly great film that challenged fans rather than just giving them what they wanted. Yes, there have been missteps, butRogue One: A Star Wars Storywas also a hit with a surprising ending. The only outright flop has beenSolo: A Star Wars Story, and when you’re batting .750, you deserve to come back to the plate.
THRreports that Kennedy has reupped her contract as President of Lucasfilm for another three years. While there’s certainly been tumult behind the scenes on everyStar Warsmovie except forThe Last Jedi, Kennedy has gotten these movies to the finish line and made sure that the franchise is the moneymaker Disney expected it would be.
However, THR notes that while Kennedy will be around for another three years, there are no details on projects beyond what’s been announced. The onlyStar Warsmovie currently underway isEpisode IX. Beyond that,Rian Johnsonis developing a newStar Warstrilogy and Lucasfilm is also working withGame of ThronesshowrunnersD.B. WeissandDavid Benioffon otherStar Warsprojects. In addition, Jon Favreau is prepping aStar Warsseries for Disney’s forthcoming streaming service.
And all of this is well and good. However, the biggest challenge for Kennedy going forward isn’t to create newStar Warstitle, but to finally bring some diversity behind the camera. There’s never going to be a shortage ofStar Warsprojects, but so far, the only people in charge of them are white men. And that’s not to say that white men have done a bad job. But new voices are important, and I’d love to see what these voices have to say in such a strong franchise. Hopefully, in the years ahead, Kennedy not only expands theStar Warsuniverse, but brings in a diverse group of storytellers to handle that expansion.
