'Star Wars' franchise sees major creative changes ringing in
There will reportedly be some major leadership changes ringing in for the 'Star Wars' franchise. Per reports, Kathleen Kennedy will be stepping down as the President of Lucasfilm next month. She will be succeeded by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, reportedly taking over as co-presidents.
A recent Puck Wars report dropped the news that Filoni, a longtime Star Wars creative, will now take over Lucasfilm with Brenna,n who currently serves he current president and general manager of Lucasfilm Business. "In the next week or two, Disney will finally confirm what we’ve all known for months: Kathleen Kennedy is indeed stepping down as Lucasfilm president, and Dave Filoni, currently the chief creative officer of the Star Wars unit, will be elevated into the top job," the report said.
Kennedy came under harsh criticism from fans for her creative and leadership calls when producing some major features such as the 'Star Wars' trilogy — 'The Force Awakens', 'The Last Jedi', and 'The Rise of the Skywalker'. Last year, the head honcho weighed in on the retirement rumors, saying, "I'm not retired. I'm not going anywhere." At the time of writing, there is no official word on whether she will be completely out of Lucasfilm or will remain as a producer in the upcoming 'Star Wars' projects.
In related news, Filoni had previously shared his vision of the franchise. "I work in very big arcs and timelines,” the filmmaker said. "I always have a lot of things planned, but I’m always able to move things on that big board. I had an idea of where [Ahsoka season 2] went, and then a lot of things happened that were out of my control that [created] a lot of challenges to actually accomplishing that."
"I was able to accomplish it and unpack where it went. But until I fully understood season two," he added. "I wouldn't understand how the movie should go. All these things grow out of each other. And as Jon’s finishing his movie, I'm tracking all these elements as they're coming together. Jon and I talk a lot about what's happening in the future and where we need to go. We also look at the road at what’s ahead of all of those things."
It's worth noting that 'Star Wars' faithful are pleased as punch with the incoming changes. The success of 'The Mandalorian' and 'Ahsoka', projects that Filoni has worked on has given them a reason to believe the franchise will have a better creative output with him at the helm. Only time will tell if this is indeed the case.
