Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy is set to retire by the end of the year according to Matthew Beloni of Puck News. Kennedy has presided over properties like Star Wars and Indiana Jones since George Lucas handpicked her to lead the studio in the run-up to its purchase by Disney in 2013. Speculation about the embattled president’s imminent retirement has been floating around for years and has only increased following a string of troubled productions and high-profile projects that failed to take off with audiences.
It hasn’t been all doom and gloom, though. Fan reaction to The Mandalorian and Andor have largely been positive, and most of the buzz around the recent Disney+ Star Wars show Skeleton Crew starring Jude Law has been largely positive, despite low viewership numbers.
This news comes on the heels of the Season 2 trailer for Andor dropping and, so far, reactions to it have been optimistic. It remains to be seen whether Star Wars can rebound from its fall as the biggest franchise on planet earth, and Kennedy’s retirement should be counted as speculation until there is an announcement by Kennedy herself or Disney.
If true, though, it begs the question: what does Lucasfilm look like after Kathleen Kennedy? Will there be a change in creative direction? Are reboots of properties necessary to get them back on track? Does parent company Disney have the stomach to make hard choices to bring fans back to the franchise? Or does Lucasfilm simply forge ahead with business as usual?
Regardless of where you land on Kennedy’s leadership or the state of the studio, it’s hard to look at the fruits of the studio’s labors and not wonder if there is a consistent creative direction. The trailer for season 2 of Andor looks promising, but it’s hard not to compare it to Skeleton Crew, The Acolyte, and The Book of Boba Fett and wonder if there is a cohesive plan for the brand or if the approach to its content is just scattershot.
But what are your thoughts? Do you think Kathleen Kennedy is actually retiring this time or is this just wishful thinking on the part of critical Star Wars fans? Will Kennedy’s departure lead to a change in direction for Star Wars and other Lucasfilm properties or will things simply go on as they have been? Let us know in the comments below!