Lucasfilm is in a state of flux like never before. This was never a problem under George Lucas, who had full creative control over everything and could do what he wanted whenever he wanted. But now as Kathleen Kennedy tries to maintain the franchise for Disney, there have been some stumbling blocks, most recently with the dismissal of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss from their planned trilogy. That has left a void following the release of next month's The Rise of Skywalker, and so far nothing is ready to move into production.
Those hoping Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige would step in with the Star Wars movie he's producing have a long wait ahead of them. Ever since the project was announced earlier this year, there was speculation from fans that it could be next, possibly taking the 2022 date Lucasfilm has already set aside for an untitled Star Wars film. But according to Kennedy in a new interview with Rolling Stone, that's simply not going to happen...
“Kevin has been a huge fan of Star Wars, and he’s made that pretty clear. And I think when he went off to do a couple of the Spider-Man movies, he realized that he could kind of step in and out of what he’s doing specifically with just Marvel. He talked to us, and he talked to the studio and said, ‘You know, ‘Is there any chance I could step in and do one of the Star Wars movies?’” And I thought it was a pretty cool idea. So we’re just beginning to talk about what that might be and when that might be. But it’s a ways off.”
Okay, so if it ain't Feige's movie, then what's next for Star Wars? The proposed trilogy by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is also still in the earliest stages, so it won't be that. Kennedy says there are plenty of options on the table, though, that we just aren't aware of yet...
“It’s an incredible challenge, and it is something that we’re in the middle of, and I can’t even begin to tell you where this may end up, because I think you are absolutely right. I think whatever this next movie is, and how it begins to define a new way forward, it’s something we want to take plenty of time and plenty of conversation and careful thought before deciding exactly what we’re going to do.
We’ve got various things we’re looking at and various ways in which we can begin or not. As you can imagine. You know, do you go back? Do you go forward? All those questions are being asked. Do we stay in this galaxy? Do we go to another? The universe is never-ending. [Laughs.] The good news and the bad news. They have endless possibilities. It’s liberating, it’s exciting, and it creates a lot of pressure and anxiety as well.”
Kennedy doesn't have a lot of time to figure out a path forward. If there's nothing concrete on the horizon after The Rise of Skywalker on December 20th, fans will see it as a sign of trouble. And if the fans get too riled up, who knows how Disney will respond?
