Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm (after 2021)?

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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

If the "we only have enough fuel for one jump" referred to the whole Resistance "fleet", it makes sense. The weakest member is always the limiting factor. I always presumed they bugged out before fully fueling, because they knew the First Order would be on their way.

Prior to the Battle of Yavin, those weren't starter generators. Luke had no problem starting up his X-Wing on Hoth, Dagobah, or Tatooine without such.

Hoth is in the Hoth System, per movie dialogue. The asteroid field was in the Anoat System, again per movie dialogue. So they'd already managed to travel interstellar with a bad hyperdrive motivator, even before they hitched a ride on the Avenger.

As Darth Lars posted above, fuel has been present all through. This is just the first time it's been part of the story. In a story, nothing is important until it is.
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Not a plot hole, just sloppy writing. Once it was decided to go to Crait they could have just jumped there, thus avoiding the loss of any ships due to running out of fuel. Sure they can be tracked, but the FO was pursuing them anyway so no difference there. But that would negate the need for the side trip to Canto Bight, which is the whole reason for the fuel issue in the first place. RJ wanted the casino planet story, so he had to have the chase to make it possible.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Yes, this is a bit ridiculous. It did make me think of another important question, though:

No one has ever used a restroom in any of the films either, as far as I’m aware. Does this suggest the use of space diapers? Or perhaps evolution beyond the need to “go?”

Glad we’re finally getting to the bottom (no pun intended) of all these important, need-to-know questions in this thread... :lol

ROTS. Kenobi boards Padme's ship and takes a dump. :lol

image.png
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

If the "we only have enough fuel for one jump" referred to the whole Resistance "fleet", it makes sense. The weakest member is always the limiting factor. I always presumed they bugged out before fully fueling, because they knew the First Order would be on their way.

Prior to the Battle of Yavin, those weren't starter generators. Luke had no problem starting up his X-Wing on Hoth, Dagobah, or Tatooine without such.

Hoth is in the Hoth System, per movie dialogue. The asteroid field was in the Anoat System, again per movie dialogue. So they'd already managed to travel interstellar with a bad hyperdrive motivator, even before they hitched a ride on the Avenger.

As @Darth Lars posted above, fuel has been present all through. This is just the first time it's been part of the story. In a story, nothing is important until it is.

Yeah, it's been present, but it hasn't been front and center. And looking back at the past films, you'd kind of expect it to be. Introducing it to create the ticking clock just felt kind of out of left field to me.

Not a plot hole, just sloppy writing. Once it was decided to go to Crait they could have just jumped there, thus avoiding the loss of any ships due to running out of fuel. Sure they can be tracked, but the FO was pursuing them anyway so no difference there. But that would negate the need for the side trip to Canto Bight, which is the whole reason for the fuel issue in the first place. RJ wanted the casino planet story, so he had to have the chase to make it possible.

Actually, that part makes sense to me. But the problem is with the movie's reveal of Holdo's plan.

Here's how I recall it all playing out:

1. The Resistance flees D'Qar. They make their first jump to hyperspace, and pop out near Crait. I THINK this was their intent all along. They thought they'd be safe and could regroup in another system.

2. The Supremacy and the rest of the FO fleet pops out of hyperspace right after the Resistance, and launches an attack on the fleet. The attack destroys the bridge and kills virtually all of the command crew. IT also destroys the hangar.

3. The Raddus is able to stay out of cannon range of the Supremacy if it continues to run at top speed. Thus, we enter the stalemate that is the 18-hour chase.

4. The Resistance realizes that the FO must have tracked them thru hyperspace. It's the only way they'd have been found. This is where things get murky.

5. Holdo devises a plan of flying sublight to Crait, getting as close as possible, loading up shuttles with as many troops as possible, and crashing the Raddus into the Supremacy to cover the shuttles' escape. Along the way, as many troops as possible from the other ships will be shuttled to the Raddus. Ideally, everyone will slip away quietly, and resurface when the FO leaves and they have time to recouperate.

6. Poe is unaware of Holdo's plan, though, and works alongside Finn and Rose to try to disable the hyperspace tracker. He does this because Holdo hasn't revealed her plan to him, and refuses to do so.

7. Holdo reveals her plan, and Poe loses it and stages a mutiny, believing that the hyperspace tracker mission will guarantee the Resistance's safety if it works. But, the plan fails and DJ betrays the Resistance, revealing the Resistance plan and putting everyone in jeopardy.


This all makes sense to me, although it's also convoluted. The fuel aspect is introduced purely to create the ticking clock effect. It's not a major thing, but it got a "Wait, really? They'll run out of gas?" from me. The fuel aspect, I don't think, had to do with the trip to Canto Bight. You can include that even if the engines can run forever, because it'll be seen as the only way to escape the Supremacy by Poe & Co. But again, this part of the story gets confusing because of Holdo's secrecy and the different steps Poe takes and what makes him take them.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

...Actually, that part makes sense to me. But the problem is with the movie's reveal of Holdo's plan.

Here's how I recall it all playing out:

1. The Resistance flees D'Qar. They make their first jump to hyperspace, and pop out near Crait. I THINK this was their intent all along. They thought they'd be safe and could regroup in another system...




...This all makes sense to me, although it's also convoluted. The fuel aspect is introduced purely to create the ticking clock effect. It's not a major thing, but it got a "Wait, really? They'll run out of gas?" from me. The fuel aspect, I don't think, had to do with the trip to Canto Bight. You can include that even if the engines can run forever, because it'll be seen as the only way to escape the Supremacy by Poe & Co. But again, this part of the story gets confusing because of Holdo's secrecy and the different steps Poe takes and what makes him take them.

I had the sense that the Resistance intended to go somewhere else after regrouping near Crait. But when the FO caught up with them they realized they were being tracked, so they didn't want to make the final jump to whatever secret place they were originally headed for (because it wouldn't be secret anymore). Crait just happened to be near by so that's where Holdo decided to go. If they were headed to Crait originally then why not jump all the way there?
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

And in other news....................................Lucasfilm just dropped this bomb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI7WyhWZkzk

Yeah, this is something people have been begging for since it went off the air some four years ago. It's bait, to garner interest in their Streaming Service that otherwise has a lackluster attitude. By releasing the lost episodes and the Jon Favreau series on the stream, it's another slap.

Don't like things we've done so far? Fine, we'll give you something you do want, but you'll have to pay for it.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Not shredded? I guess having every trash media outlet, company employees and other fans call those who dislike whats happening toxic, racist, sexist, white male fan baby puppy kickers is just part of the norm these days with movie franchises.

Not in trouble? All the above and the first box office loss and weakest toy sales in forty years and the fact we are in a thread dedicated to the topic of the President keeping her job. Did I mention all the above?

Those reports about not employing untried directors was just a rumor and not attributed to anyone at Lucasfilm, especially not the missing President. There is no excitement about Ep Nein, zero. Even the latest announcement about Billie Dee`s return was met with, gee, I hope they dont just kill off the last OT character and make him look stupid. Its not selfish to want the best for Star Wars but it is selfish to think that if Feige leaves the MCU, all is lost for it and he must never leave.

In that case the fanbase is "getting shredded" as in getting insulted. You said "Star Wars fan base is shredded" as in fractured. However I would point out that media companies like sensationalism for clicks to spread their base and increase their ad revenue. People that make content about how SW is "ruined" also use the same sort of sensationalism.

Yes, TLJ was a big stumble and Solo cost basically as much as two movies. What are the chances that will happen again? I dislike TLJ a lot, I thought Solo was mediocre. And Spring-Summer isn't exactly toy-buying season. They probably should have waited for X-Mas to release Solo and it's toys. Those Black-series products leap off the shelves like Crickets though. They have no trouble selling that stuff.

KK getting fired is also based on a rumor and not attributed to anyone at all from a magazine with a $45 a year fee. Which takes us back to media companies like to make money and this is prime sensationalism. People reacting like Lando is already gonna get killed are making extremely premature assumptions.

If Feige remains with the MCU, it does not affect SW positively or negatively.

If Feige went to SW, it would definitely affect the MCU for only a mere chance that he would uplift the SW franchise....he could in fact make it worse.

It is definitely more selfish to want to risk the MCU for a mere chance that SW would be made better.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

In that case the fanbase is "getting shredded" as in getting insulted. You said "Star Wars fan base is shredded" as in fractured. However I would point out that media companies like sensationalism for clicks to spread their base and increase their ad revenue. People that make content about how SW is "ruined" also use the same sort of sensationalism.

Yes, TLJ was a big stumble and Solo cost basically as much as two movies. What are the chances that will happen again? I dislike TLJ a lot, I thought Solo was mediocre. And Spring-Summer isn't exactly toy-buying season. They probably should have waited for X-Mas to release Solo and it's toys. Those Black-series products leap off the shelves like Crickets though. They have no trouble selling that stuff.

KK getting fired is also based on a rumor and not attributed to anyone at all from a magazine with a $45 a year fee. Which takes us back to media companies like to make money and this is prime sensationalism. People reacting like Lando is already gonna get killed are making extremely premature assumptions.

If Feige remains with the MCU, it does not affect SW positively or negatively.

If Feige went to SW, it would definitely affect the MCU for only a mere chance that he would uplift the SW franchise....he could in fact make it worse.

It is definitely more selfish to want to risk the MCU for a mere chance that SW would be made better.

It is an absolute truth that the fan base in divided and fractured. I did mention "other fans" as well as the media comments. All the media stuff aside, there are literally hundreds of pages in this one small corner website alone of people who think everything`s fine and those who think its all falling apart going hard at each other. The very definition of divided and fractured.

As far as the toys go, there is an entire thread full of anecdotal and statistical evidence in the collectables section showing that all toy sales are in the toilet all year round, particularly from the ST, Black series included. Bottom line, interest in Star Wars is on a downward spiral and you dont have to go far, namely the Ep Nein thread here to see there is no interest in it whatsoever. I said in my first post on this issue that I`m` not all that interested in the MCU so this whole being selfish thing tennis match is pointless. Obviously I`m batting for Star Wars the same as you are batting for the MCU and want the best qualified person to run it. To say Feige may make things worse for Star Wars is as speculative as saying the MCU will collapse if he leaves it.
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

It is an absolute truth that the fan base in divided and fractured. I did mention "other fans" as well as the media comments. All the media stuff aside, there are literally hundreds of pages in this one small corner website alone of people who think everything`s fine and those who think its all falling apart going hard at each other. The very definition of divided and fractured.

As far as the toys go, there is an entire thread full of anecdotal and statistical evidence in the collectables section showing that all toy sales are in the toilet all year round, particularly from the ST, Black series included. Bottom line, interest in Star Wars is on a downward spiral and you dont have to go far, namely the Ep Nein thread here to see there is no interest in it whatsoever. I said in my first post on this issue that I`m` not all that interested in the MCU so this whole being selfish thing tennis match is pointless. Obviously I`m batting for Star Wars the same as you are batting for the MCU and want the best qualified person to run it. To say Feige may make things worse for Star Wars is as speculative as saying the MCU will collapse if he leaves it.

Sure, the fanbase is divided. I don't disagree, but divided could mean 50/50 or 10/90 or even 1/99. We disagree on severity. "Shredded" is an extreme take on it though. If you'd like to describe the fanbase, on this site alone, as "shredded" I might accept that. But not the entire SW fanbase. And no, the fans on this site are not a large enough sample size to extrapolate out to the entire fanbase.

Maybe because the toys are a little saturated? They are doing a movie per year and toys to go with each. That's going to get some fatigue setting in. But I disagree on Black-series items. Those sell like hotcakes and are constantly out of stock at major retailers locally and online.

The EP9 topic is pretty dry because there just isn't much to discuss yet. I think the only new cast announced are Billy Dee and that girl that played Felicity. They haven't even said who she would be, iirc. Once they flesh out the news that topic will start jumping. And especially once the first trailer releases. And it's like that for virtually every major movie around here.

Then don't discuss the relative selfishness of putting one franchise above another. But you did retort.

The odds that Feige leaving MCU makes it worse are way more probable than any result he could obtain for SW. Mostly because we actually know how well he is leading the MCU and how well the MCU is doing because of that leadership. I agree that SW needs a Feige-like leader, but just not actually Feige. Someone that cares about SW, understands the fans, and can lay out an overall vision of where it should go. Instead of this piecemeal approach that SW currently has, especially giving EP8 to "some guy" to do with as he will.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Sure, the fanbase is divided. I don't disagree, but divided could mean 50/50 or 10/90 or even 1/99. We disagree on severity. "Shredded" is an extreme take on it though. If you'd like to describe the fanbase, on this site alone, as "shredded" I might accept that. But not the entire SW fanbase. And no, the fans on this site are not a large enough sample size to extrapolate out to the entire fanbase.

Maybe because the toys are a little saturated? They are doing a movie per year and toys to go with each. That's going to get some fatigue setting in. But I disagree on Black-series items. Those sell like hotcakes and are constantly out of stock at major retailers locally and online.

The EP9 topic is pretty dry because there just isn't much to discuss yet. I think the only new cast announced are Billy Dee and that girl that played Felicity. They haven't even said who she would be, iirc. Once they flesh out the news that topic will start jumping. And especially once the first trailer releases. And it's like that for virtually every major movie around here.

Then don't discuss the relative selfishness of putting one franchise above another. But you did retort.

The odds that Feige leaving MCU makes it worse are way more probable than any result he could obtain for SW. Mostly because we actually know how well he is leading the MCU and how well the MCU is doing because of that leadership. I agree that SW needs a Feige-like leader, but just not actually Feige. Someone that cares about SW, understands the fans, and can lay out an overall vision of where it should go. Instead of this piecemeal approach that SW currently has, especially giving EP8 to "some guy" to do with as he will.

There is no reason to think that the division displayed here is unique to this site and not indicative of the situation as a whole, in my opinion. The toys arent saturated, they just arent wanted, simple business. What the future holds is unknown but as of right now, nearly all the people who comment here about the next movie are saying they are not interested. The same people who stayed away from Solo are not going to change course for Ep Nein unless change is made. Yes, I know this site doesnt represent the entire community but at the same time its not a small site either. Regardless, September is fast approaching and that seems to be the time that either Kennedy will go or stay and also the time Feiges contract is up so we will know soon enough.
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

I wouldn't be shocked in the least if the announcement of Clone Wars return isn't followed some time later by news that after Episode 9 Kennedy will resign as president of Lucasfilm only to be replaced by Dave Filoni. The return of a popular show that was cancelled will bring in "good will" with the fans so that they will accept Filoni's promotion as a sign of positive change when it eventually gets announced.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

I wouldn't be shocked in the least if the announcement of Clone Wars return isn't followed some time later by news that after Episode 9 Kennedy will resign as president of Lucasfilm only to be replaced by Dave Filoni. The return of a popular show that was cancelled will bring in "good will" with the fans so that they will accept Filoni's promotion as a sign of positive change when it eventually gets announced.

Yeah, not seeing that at all. Regardless of whether Kennedy stays or goes, she is a businessperson with business experience, and the President of the company is responsible for charting the business course of the entire company and all its properties, not just (or even) coming up with stories for one of them. Filoni is a creative.

Would whoever does succeed Kennedy be wise to appoint Filoni or someone similar as creative lead (like the role Feige plays in the MCU, or Filoni currently plays as official "overseer" of LFL animation properties)? Sure. But no one is going to make him President of the company. To think otherwise is a bit like the de rigeur fan-casting that goes on around here every time a new sequel or adaptation is announced: somebody always pushes for Nathan Fillion - not because he's right in any way for the part, but because he's done a big genre role before and he's a nice guy at conventions, and, therefore, should be in everything,

M
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

There is no reason to think that the division displayed here is unique to this site and not indicative of the situation as a whole, in my opinion. The toys arent saturated, they just arent wanted, simple business. What the future holds is unknown but as of right now, nearly all the people who comment here about the next movie are saying they are not interested. The same people who stayed away from Solo are not going to change course for Ep Nein unless change is made. Yes, I know this site doesnt represent the entire community but at the same time its not a small site either. Regardless, September is fast approaching and that seems to be the time that either Kennedy will go or stay and also the time Feiges contract is up so we will know soon enough.

Lego Star Wars selling for 50% off at Walmart. The dolls...AHEM, action figures 70% off.

Instead of Star Wars making legos cost more, it EDIT : has become an attached stink. People aren't even buying them for parts!

I know 2 local people who are stoked about Episode IX, out of our starter group of 20 at TFA.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Yeah, this is something people have been begging for since it went off the air some four years ago. It's bait, to garner interest in their Streaming Service that otherwise has a lackluster attitude. By releasing the lost episodes and the Jon Favreau series on the stream, it's another slap.

Don't like things we've done so far? Fine, we'll give you something you do want, but you'll have to pay for it.

What's wrong with them trying to get support of their new streaming service? T.V. is slowly going the way of the Dodo bird. With services like Netflix and Amazon taking its place. Disney is simply trying to keep up with the times. Metaphorically speaking, it's a kill or be killed entertainment industry. I predict in the next few years that we will hit the limit on streaming services. And then they'll start to die off, leaving the top two or three. Whomever is got the best selection and best shows is what's going to decide the who stays and who goes. I wonder how the likes of DirecTV and Dish will change in an attempt to stay afloat.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Maybe because the toys are a little saturated? They are doing a movie per year and toys to go with each. That's going to get some fatigue setting in. But I disagree on Black-series items. Those sell like hotcakes and are constantly out of stock at major retailers locally and online.

Re: toy saturation, Disney has experience with this. Look up the history of the toys-to-life game Disney Infinity. It was a game for PC and consoles that launched in 2013 and was shut down as an ongoing live service in 2016 (I think...might've been 2017). You can still play the game in offline mode, but all online content was shut down, and they aren't producing any new material. The game involved using little figurines of Disney and Disney-property characters (e.g. Rapunzel, the Frozen folks, the Incredibles, Marvel heroes, Star Wars characters, etc.) in playsets with games/stories. You could also build your own playsets. It's actually really cool, and I picked it up for myself and my kid (who is still too young to really enjoy it, but whatever).

The game was basically canceled because Disney didn't manage their merchandising effectively. In its initial launch (1.0), the game had a bunch of figurines, and a bunch of little "power discs" that you could buy separately. They produced a decent amount, and the figures and discs sold well enough to warrant a second game (2.0). The 2.0 game introduced the Marvel superhero characters, and more regular Disney/Pixar characters. It was successful enough to warrant the launch of a third game (3.0), which introduced even more Marvel and Disney/Pixar characters, and also launched the line's Star Wars toys and playsets (which are a lot of fun).

BUT the problems crept in with 2.0. The actual game sales of 3.0 and the figurines were decent, but the story I heard was that the game was ultimately canceled because of losses generated by overproducing a TON of "powerdiscs" and a TON of character figurines for 2.0, most of which just sat on the shelves. Basically, Disney way overestimated demand and wound up manufacturing themselves into a hole. Retailers couldn't move the product, and probably about a year ago, around when the announcement that the game would be shut down came out, the retailers started basically having fire sales to move product (which is when I picked up a TON of figures for dirt cheap). The price point for figures was originally somewhere between $10-15 per figure, and 1.0 and 2.0 power disc sets (2 discs to a package) were priced around $1.99-3.99. The 1.0 and 2.0 discs, though, were in opaque bags, and randomly packaged, sometimes with super-special extra powerful discs. The idea being to spur kids to want to collect and trade them like baseball cards or something. But it didn't work, and the parents who were actually spending the money wanted more certainty in the product they'd be buying, which prompted the 3.0 disc sets to be released in clear packaging, with no "special" discs, all available in sets of 4 for about $9.99.

Anyway, all of this is meant to illustrate that Disney knows how to make good IP, but isn't always successful in managing the merchandising of that IP. Some of that could also be due to the companies to whom they license their products (e.g., I think EA has woefully mismanaged the Star Wars IP with Battlefront 2 and other games it canceled), but it's not like Disney has a perfect track record with its merchandising. Some of that could be due to fan reaction, but I'd bet a LOT of it is due to market changes and general market dynamics overall.

Yeah, not seeing that at all. Regardless of whether Kennedy stays or goes, she is a businessperson with business experience, and the President of the company is responsible for charting the business course of the entire company and all its properties, not just (or even) coming up with stories for one of them. Filoni is a creative.

Would whoever does succeed Kennedy be wise to appoint Filoni or someone similar as creative lead (like the role Feige plays in the MCU, or Filoni currently plays as official "overseer" of LFL animation properties)? Sure. But no one is going to make him President of the company. To think otherwise is a bit like the de rigeur fan-casting that goes on around here every time a new sequel or adaptation is announced: somebody always pushes for Nathan Fillion - not because he's right in any way for the part, but because he's done a big genre role before and he's a nice guy at conventions, and, therefore, should be in everything,

M

To be fair, Dave was, I believe, the exec producer on two successful shows in the Star Wars genre, and was just given two more. However, you're correct that running a movie studio is orders of magnitude a bigger, more difficult deal than running a TV show.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Agreed. In fact, was the "limited fuel" thing even necessary from a dramatic standpoint in the first place? The conceit was "they can track us through lightspeed" - so the result (wherever we jump, no matter how often we jump,. the FO will always be there) would be the same even with unlimited jumps and unlimited fuel. What am I forgetting? What did the "we only have fuel for one more jump" add?

Nothing. What stops the FO from taking some of their ships and just jumping ahead of the rebel fleet and blowing the crap out of them? Nothing. It's just idiotic.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Nothing. What stops the FO from taking some of their ships and just jumping ahead of the rebel fleet and blowing the crap out of them? Nothing. It's just idiotic.

The FO didnt want to mini-jump and run the risk of accidentally destroying their own ships in the process.

Not like the rebels cant send someone off to get fuel. Nope. Give the enemy as much time as possible. Expend resources pursuing...not like moving the FO fleet cost anything. Children could have made a better plot.
 
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