Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down

[batguy]

Not happening. When the smoke clears, I suspect Headland may be lucky to stay out of jail. There was allegedly some highly questionable overseas funding secured for The Acolyte, and it's possible that discovery from Gina Carano's lawsuit might cause that to be made public. Which is why Disney is likely to settle with Gina.

I would be curious to see a financial autopsy of Kennedy's term at LFL, just in general.

The sequel trilogy, Rogue One, Solo, Dial of Destiny . . . the budgets have been remarkably high. When you adjust it for inflation up to 2025 dollars, they probably spent over $2.5 billion total on that list (just production, no marketing).

It's blamed on reshoots/rushes but I wonder if there's more going on. TFA had a pretty smooth production and yet the (inflation-adjusted) cost was still $600m. On the other hand the new 'Dune' movies are getting done for $200m. Harrison Ford is the only big actor bill at LFL (around $20m). Some other giga-budget movies (MCU, Fast & Furious, etc) have $50-100m casts.

It's not 1977. Space battles don't cost that much now.
It's not 1997. CGI set extensions don't cost that much either.
CGI de-aging still costs a lot, but it only explains one LFL movie.


I don't see a real investigation ever happening. Disney is too powerful.

Can you divulge (or allege) anything about 'The Acolyte'?

 

[PAULH]

I've heard of this guy. I think his name is George Lucas. He'd do a decent job when KK is thankfully gone..

 

[Astyanax]

Can you divulge (or allege) anything about 'The Acolyte'?

Sorry, I can't. It's so explosive that it not only puts sources at risk, but opens me up to risks as well.

There's no telling if it will ever come out. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but it's so crazy that it will make me sound like one (if it hasn't already)!

 

[Boba Flint]

Doesn't matter now. The franchise is dead.

 

[swgeek]

Now who do people blame when Star Wars sucks?

 

[Astyanax]

Now who do people blame when Star Wars sucks?

Sad, but true. I can't think of any franchise that has gotten better with age...

 

[joberg]

Meh. I think most of the bigger fans will be quick to forgive if the franchise starts making good stuff.

The harder challenge will be earning back the old casual fans. They will take much longer before giving SW a try again, and they will stay harder to win over.

Even Uncle George is not capable of making a StarWars of yesteryear

 

[Cephus]

Even Uncle George is not capable of making a StarWars of yesteryear

Nor does he want to, which is why he sold it to begin with. Just let Star Wars die already.

 

[Joek3rr]

Nor does he want to, which is why he sold it to begin with. Just let Star Wars die already.

I don't want to die. (EDIT.... I don't want IT to die lol )

I'd like to see a few toys still on shelves. And books still in print. But get trimmed way back. Like it was in the 90s. Before the Prequels came out.

 

[edge10]

Blatant click-bait and pure fiction, some may say…

As for me…the man posseses gifted insight.

I now fully expect Mike’s other predictions to come to pass, including:

View attachment 1909471

Keanu in Star Wars? Yes, please.

Or, Keanu and John Snow in the 4th Trilogy? I demand that it be so.

View attachment 1909470

Meghan Markle and Pam Anderson engaged in mortal combat? It just makes sense.

View attachment 1909474

Can’t wait for the dialogue: I am a Jedi Knight! /Keanu

 

[edge10]

I don't want to die. I'd like to see a few toys still on shelves. And books still in print. But get trimmed way back. Like it was in the 90s. Before the Prequels came out.

We don’t want you to die either!

 

[Joek3rr]

We don’t want you to die either!

Lol whoops!

 

[batguy]

If I was Disney I would be inclined to de-canonize sequel trilogy, recast the OT stars, and start working on a version of the Timothy Zahn book trilogy. Whatever you think of the entire EU, that Zahn trilogy is tested and solid.

It would be a controversial move. I'm sure the response from the fanbase would be mixed. But I don't think they have any choice if they want to fix the ST damage. The alternative is to abandon the whole Skywalker era of the timeline and try start fresh in some other century.

 

[cboath]

As I understood it, under Lucas the EU was canon but Lucas reserved the right to usurp any of the EU any time he wanted. So if Lucas had wanted to make a film featuring Thrawn but wanted him to 4' tall with bright red skin, all white eyes, and hated art then that would be the new canon and the Thrawn we've known would no longer be canon.

As far as KK goes, while I'm glad that she's finally leaving, I'm not entirely convinced that she was behind everything that fans disliked about Star Wars since Disney took over. While she was in charge of Lucas Films, it was still a part of the greater Disney company which meant that she had to answer to Eiger and later Chapek. So that means the DEI mandate might not have come from her, she might have embraced it, but the original directive might have come from above.

It was never said to be canon. The original press release was that he had no plans to do more star wars but was going to let others play in the galaxy. It just came with the caveat to the authors and fans, that should lfl ever decise to make new movies or shows that they were not beholden to anything these authors write. It was always its own thing.

 

[cboath]

I hear you, but there's a lot of evidence to suggest that it really was her. She has been a thorn in Chapek's and Iger's sides the entire time. And she has done a great deal without their approval, putting certain things in motion so that it's too late for the CEOs to stop them. Her deep connections with several journalism organizations caused announcements to get published before they were approved, and one thing Disney does NOT like to do is retract something. They DO NOT admit mistakes.

And I also have it on good authority that she had a clause in her contract that she could not be fired for cause, so they had to wait her out.

And then of course there's the rumor that she knows about half of Hollywood's skeletons-in-closets, and has wielded that leverage. I have never been able to substantiate that rumor, but it seems reasonable.

Whats noteworthy there though? No big company admits mistakes unless forced to. When they do it is because it was like a food conglomerate who unleashed samnella or something. As for skeletons, she wouldnt be the first, and definitely not the last to use that leverage. As for not firing, i seriouslyndoubt the clause says she has to be president and call the shots. Promote tompresident emeritus or side grade promotion to something...she keeps the job and paycheck but has no real authority.

 

[Astyanax]

Whats noteworthy there though? No big company admits mistakes unless forced to. When they do it is because it was like a food conglomerate who unleashed samnella or something. As for skeletons, she wouldnt be the first, and definitely not the last to use that leverage. As for not firing, i seriouslyndoubt the clause says she has to be president and call the shots. Promote tompresident emeritus or side grade promotion to something...she keeps the job and paycheck but has no real authority.

Yes, that's kind of what has happened. I understand that she has not been in active development for well over a year now: a figurehead Executive Producer. But she has been talking to the trades and triggering announcements.

 

[cboath]

If I was Disney I would be inclined to de-canonize sequel trilogy, recast the OT stars, and start working on a version of the Timothy Zahn book trilogy. Whatever you think of the entire EU, that Zahn trilogy is tested and solid.

It would be a controversial move. I'm sure the response from the fanbase would be mixed. But I don't think they have any choice if they want to fix the ST damage. The alternative is to abandon the whole Skywalker era of the timeline and try start fresh in some other century.

Stick a 30 second shot in the avengers multiverse battle of han and luke showing up and wiping out a star wars universe with a quip about shoulda killed that off 10 years ago or something, problem solved

 

[Astyanax]

Check out this interview:

Kathleen Kennedy Speaks On Her Lucasfilm Plans — She Is Not Soon Retiring — & The Films That Will Keep Her In ‘Star Wars’ Orbit For Years To Come

Kathleen Kennedy Speaks On Her Lucasfilm Future -- She Is Not soon Retiring -- & The Films That Will Keep Her In 'Star Wars' Mode For Years To Come

deadline.com

Deadline has not been reporting yesterday's news; I think they are firmly in her back pocket, and even they are challenging her just a little!

Nice rambling non-denial, eh?

 

[Paul Andrew]

At this point I hope she does an about face and sticks around for another 20 years just to be spiteful

 

[Psab keel]

If you follow these 10 pillars, you too might have a flourishing career in Tinsel Town.