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

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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

But hey, he "hears" stuff.

A post-mortem article in Variety:

https://variety.com/2018/film/featu...ory-directors-reshoots-ron-howard-1202817841/

"When Howard came aboard, it was mandated that 85% of Lord and Miller’s “Solo” be reshot, including second unit material. Howard’s work ultimately comprises 70% of the finished film. The shoot would extend four more months, finally wrapping on Oct. 17.
A crew member who worked on the film under both Lord-Miller and Howard, but declined to be identified because he was not authorized to disclose the information, says Lord and Miller drew Kennedy’s ire for stretching days out with experimentation."

Like I said, they basically filmed the entire movie twice just to get it right.

The article elaborates a bit more on L&M's problems. As it was rumored, they were operating a quarter-billion-dollar SW production like it was '21 Jump Street' where they could afford to goof around and improv for hours at a time. They weren't doing things professionally/efficiently enough for a movie this size. The choice to hire them for directors was a bad call and it comes down to Kennedy who made it.

The choice to stick it out for almost the entire shoot before replacing them was another bad call (you know that kind of problem would be pretty clear within the first few weeks) and that was Kennedy's decision too. They still chose to reshoot virtually the whole film after they had Lord & Millers version pretty much in the can. Maybe the tonal differences were eventually the stated reason for redoing everything but L & M's entire production was problematic.


I'm not trying to rip KK to pieces. But I'm saying this stuff is why Disney would be looking at replacing KK. Not because Luke Skywalker threw a lightsaber over his shoulder or milked a cow in Rian Johnson's movie.
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

batguy I wasnt disagreeing with you, I was referring to the incorrect post that you responded to.
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Do I need to quote him saying that when he was a kid he used to watch the films over and over for 12 hours at a time! He read all the comic books, bought the first making of books and bought all the original trilogy OST's on vinyl records.

And where does the quote come from? Star Wars promotional material. Everyone involved is duty bound to say how much of a fan they are. If you’re gullible enough to believe the hyperbolic content of BTS videos then I have some magic beans to sell you. :p
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

If you're talking about that old video where he says he'd rather half the audience be mad than indifferent, you missed the point of it.

Then what was the point of his comment? I have yet to read or hear anything that clarifies the statement. So what am I missing?

Despite whether or not he intended to divide the fanbase, and thus profit, he did so in an historic way that won't be forgotten for months, maybe years to come. Damage was done to the brand, which Lucasfilm and Disney can ill afford. Hasbro and other licensed manufacturers have got to be wondering what happened, and if they aren't losing money with their toys gathering dust on the shelves (whose Star Wars sections dwindle to next to nothing), I'd be surprised.

One man's decision making process (with the support of a senior executive)caused a ripple effect of negativity throughout the franchise and it's licensed subsidiaries. To further encourage this by letting RJ do another set of movies that have sincere potential to damage the brand is a horrible business decision. Kathleen Kennedy may commit career suicide if the RJ trilogy, part 1, releases on schedule and bombs. Best case scenario, it never gets past pre production before getting axed.

Given the intense backlash against TLJ, does Disney move forward by throttling back and playing it safe, or do they continue to throw away money on pet projects by independent film makers? Obviously the gamble to hire Lord and Miller for Solo was a collosal financial mistake (though I hope their version gets leaked online).
Rogue One, while the best of the Disney Star Wars attempts, had it's share of production problems, is still considered a success, it could have made more money if not for the flip flopping around how the film should end, forcing reshoots.

These mistakes lie on Kathleen Kennedy's shoulders. At this point, I don't see her getting fired or stepping down, but she's got to be on thin ice. One more failure, and she's finished. The four billion dollars Disney invested to purchase Lucasfilm is only a percentage of what they have spent on the franchise. I don't think they've turned a profit on it yet. That does not bode well.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

And where does the quote come from? Star Wars promotional material. Everyone involved is duty bound to say how much of a fan they are. If you’re gullible enough to believe the hyperbolic content of BTS videos then I have some magic beans to sell you. :p

The Art of The Last Jedi. An awsome book, that is a wonderful little insight into the development process. Not to mention shows of the talent of some very creative artists. And you get to see some what could have been stuff.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Theres no deep philosophy in the sw movies.

It's a whiny farmboy who grows up a little fights the big bad then is proclaimed to be the greatest hero in all of the land.



And what happens to heroes eventually?

They fall from grace. And that's how Luke was written.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

So is stuff that could’ve been, better than the stuff we got? I’m guessing it can’t be worse.

Alot of it is just in some small details. Like a large bronze bell shpaed temple for Ach-to. Or having Luke's backpack being made out of his orange flight suit. And they show that originally Finn and Rose were supposed to steal some formal wear for their adventure on Canto Bite. And the coolest bit of concept art shows how the "magazine" of bombs is attached to the Starfortresses, so they can can carry different load outs depending on the mission.

Edit

And one showing Luke being haunted by a Dark Side specter
 
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Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Theres no deep philosophy in the sw movies.

o-PUZZLED-facebook.jpg
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Sure - he watched them.
But did he understand them?
Clearly not.

That's your opinion. My opinion is that he understood then better then I did. Though naturally ones understanding of the OT is very subjective, as we the fans argue about that as well.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Are you saying that you don’t understand them either?

Probably not to the fullest extent. If I were say I understood them completely, that would be very very arrogant of me, and untrue. So I understand them, but not completely, never will.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Then what was the point of his comment? I have yet to read or hear anything that clarifies the statement. So what am I missing?

Despite whether or not he intended to divide the fanbase, and thus profit, he did so in an historic way that won't be forgotten for months, maybe years to come. Damage was done to the brand, which Lucasfilm and Disney can ill afford. Hasbro and other licensed manufacturers have got to be wondering what happened, and if they aren't losing money with their toys gathering dust on the shelves (whose Star Wars sections dwindle to next to nothing), I'd be surprised.

One man's decision making process (with the support of a senior executive)caused a ripple effect of negativity throughout the franchise and it's licensed subsidiaries. To further encourage this by letting RJ do another set of movies that have sincere potential to damage the brand is a horrible business decision. Kathleen Kennedy may commit career suicide if the RJ trilogy, part 1, releases on schedule and bombs. Best case scenario, it never gets past pre production before getting axed.

Given the intense backlash against TLJ, does Disney move forward by throttling back and playing it safe, or do they continue to throw away money on pet projects by independent film makers? Obviously the gamble to hire Lord and Miller for Solo was a collosal financial mistake (though I hope their version gets leaked online).
Rogue One, while the best of the Disney Star Wars attempts, had it's share of production problems, is still considered a success, it could have made more money if not for the flip flopping around how the film should end, forcing reshoots.

These mistakes lie on Kathleen Kennedy's shoulders. At this point, I don't see her getting fired or stepping down, but she's got to be on thin ice. One more failure, and she's finished. The four billion dollars Disney invested to purchase Lucasfilm is only a percentage of what they have spent on the franchise. I don't think they've turned a profit on it yet. That does not bode well.


I agree with a lot of what you are saying— yes TLJ divided the fanbase, yes Solo bombed, and I’ve said repeatedly in this thread that the ONLY thing we can honestly critisize Kennedy for is that her job is to hire the right people for the job, and her track record at that is not great.

As for how much money is lost— it’s too early to tell. The ep9 take has to be considered. SW is a mega brand and has multiple revenue streams. Box office alone isn’t a determining factor. Technically only Solo was a bomb. Every studio has bombs.

Rian’s trilogy is not career suicide. There’s no evidence of that. There’s still not concrete proof the ant-Rian crowd isd anywhere near as big as angry fans think it is if you look at mass-movie going public opnions and box office.

But the point of my post was, you said he WANTED to alienate half the audience, and that is crazy.

That old video of Rian has him saying he’d rather half the audience hate his film than be unintersted. As a filmmaker, you can’t play it safe. If you want to make a movie that truly is remembered and spoken about, you have to make bold choices and do the unexpected. Ask anybody creative in any field and they will tell you playing it safe and doing what has been done before is not rewarding, nor will it have an impact.

His point is, as a filmmaker you need to take chances, swing for the fences, and not worry that you may alienate half your audience. Especially when we’re talking about something with giant fandom. There is literally no way to please everyone. Every thread on this site proves that. So don’t shoot for ther lowest common denominator.

Now, was his risk worth it? Probably not, because he didn’t pull it off. I fully understand why he chose to deconstruct Luke, and I maintain it would have worked had he made Luke return to himself at the midpoint instead of the very end.

It was a risk he took to try and make a movie that would be different and stand out and be remembered, especially in the wake of TFA, of which the biggest criticism was it was too much like ANH.

The fact he said what he said fresh out of film school with no relation to Star Wars makes it clear— he’s talking about making bold movies. That’s a far cry from sitting down with Kennedy and them laughing and wringing their hands and saying “OMG let’s totally RUIN this franchise!”
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

If he had been making an anthology movie, sure, take risks, try something different or ignore the established. Then like Solo we can easily take or leave it. Let’s be honest about it, RJ wrote TLJ as if it was a one off movie by disregarding the seven previous ones.
Play it safe with the episodes. Feed the fandom don’t alienate them. Especially if this trilogy was to wrap up the ‘Skywalker saga’.
It should have been an obvious business plan.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

If he had been making an anthology movie, sure, take risks, try something different or ignore the established. Then like Solo we can easily take or leave it. Let’s be honest about it, RJ wrote TLJ as if it was a one off movie by disregarding the seven previous ones.
Play it safe with the episodes. Feed the fandom don’t alienate them. Especially if this trilogy was to wrap up the ‘Skywalker saga’.
It should have been an obvious business plan.

I see the opposite. I don't see that he disregard the 7 previous films. And if there's one thing that Hollywood has learned, it's that direct sequels are many times meh compared to the first film. So if anything, pushing your second film to be bold and to take risks is a good thing. Let the first and last films be your cushion for the fandom.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Reminds me of how Nichols Meyer handled Wrath of Khan. When asked how he made such a successful Star Trek movie. He said that he ignored the fans, and simply set out to make a good movie. A movie he'd would like to see. He point out that if he'd bowed to the fans wishes, Spock would have never been killed.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Making a movie for the fans is such a deep deep pit.

Let's say they were to sit down and make a film for the fans. It sounds great on paper. But which fans do they make the film for? Fans of the OT? Fans of the PT? What one Star Wars fan dislikes another likes. So who should they make the film for?

Or would it be a better idea to simply make the best film they know how. If one group of fans doesn't like it, that's to bad. If one group likes it, great! Let's move one to the next project.
 
Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?

Reminds me of how Nichols Meyer handled Wrath of Khan. When asked how he made such a successful Star Trek movie. He said that he ignored the fans, and simply set out to make a good movie. A movie he'd would like to see. He point out that if he'd bowed to the fans wishes, Spock would have never been killed.

Exactly.

Whether Rian made the right choices or not will be debated for at least another 30 years, and there's plenty to be critical of. But his intent was noble enough. I never want a movie to play it safe.
 
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