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Something about me? I have been a nerdy cinephile for as long as I can remember. Putting the two together is living my best life. That notwithstanding, I was born to express, not to impress, so I blog because I don't have friends. In other news, I like hashtags because they look like waffles, prefer my puns intended, and I always give 100% unless I'm donating blood. Thanks for reading.
If you have been following D23 over the past few days, you already know that Star Wars will remain in a galaxy far, far away for at least another full year. According to many Star Wars faithful Lucasfilm President (and largely frowned-upon Wampa), Kathleen Kennedy will not greenlight any new projects until 2024.
According to industry sleuth, former THR editor, and current Puck News columnist Matt Belloni, Kennedy “isn’t ready to pull the trigger” on anything in development. Yes, this includes the rumored Damon Lindelof project. From Belloni’s newsletter:
Maybe Kennedy has learned a lesson about trumpeting talent like Patty Jenkins and Rian Johnson prematurely, but no announcement [at D23] means it’ll be five to six years between 2019’s Rise of Skywalker and whatever comes next.
Matt Belloni via r/StarWarsLeaks
D23: Not the Ultimate Star Wars‘ Fan Event at All
Despite what you think in your nerd’s heart, it’s no secret that the sequel trilogy did not perform nearly as well as Disney and Lucasfilm wanted or believed they would do. Therein lies the problem. Fans said for decades they wanted more Star Wars. They got The Phantom Menace. Regretfully, the “menace” was Jar Jar Binks.
After those movies were gone, fans were begging again for more Star Wars. When JJ Abrams was announced at the helm, faith was sky high. Admittedly, it wasn’t as exciting as fans wanted, but it still wasn’t bad. Depending on whom you ask, there was a gaping black hole in the cosmos between The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. And it sucked, you know…like black holes tend to do.
That could be the genesis of her hesitation. Kennedy once touted the Rian Johnson trilogy. That didn’t go so well following The Last Jedi, so Lucasfilm has been pretty mum on that storyline. Of course, Johnson sounded like a stray puppy dog looking for scraps out the back of a Taco Bell.
I’ve stayed close to Kathleen [Kennedy] and we get together often and talk about it. It’s just at this point a matter of schedule and when it can happen. It would break my heart if I were finished, if I couldn’t get back in that sandbox at some point.
Rian Johnson, Empire, August 2022
So there’s that. Anyone have some tissue?
What’s Collecting Dust on the Star Wars Shelf?
Movies are more expensive and they are taking longer to make, so Lucasfilm bean counters aren’t too giddy about releasing any Star Wars project before its time. It should not be surprising that Lucasfilm and Mickey Mouse want every Star Wars series, show, or movie to break box office and streaming records.
They’re not greedy, but yeah, they kinda’ are. If you knew Marvel and DC (well, mainly Marvel) was making movies earning $1 Billion, wouldn’t you want Star Wars to rock that number? That is one immense reason why Kathleen Kennedy put the kibosh on any rumors. The ghost of Walt and the corpse-like body of George cheer for that money.
So, what’s supposed to be coming in from that far, far away galaxy? Plenty!
- The aforementioned Damon Lindelof film
- And the previous Rian Johnson trilogy
- Potential for more seasons to Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, and The Mandalorian
- A Taika Waititi Star Wars project
- A Rogue Squadron adaptation by Patty Jenkins
- The newly announced Sith series starring Squid Game’s Lee Jung-Jae, The Acolyte
- A Sith secret planet, Exegol, focal point series from J.D. Dillard and Matt Owens
- The top secret project from MCU architect Kevin Feige
- Although it’s still making headlines, the Disney+ live-action series on Ahsoka starring Rosario Dawson and now Ezra Bridger
Yes, next year’s Andor is featuring Diego Luna, but that probably got grandfathered in for production. Oh yeah, another animated season of The Bad Batch in 2023. But look at all that talent just sitting there like an arthritic Shaq on the Boston Celtics. All that hype? Gone, like a fart in the wind!
There is a dumpster full of ideas waiting to get the blessing from Kathleen Kennedy, but she’s not ready. Because she thinks Star Wars fans aren’t prepared, either. Welp, here’s to hope Mickey Mouse becomes an arsonist and sets that dumpster on fire. No Jedi mind trick can put those flames out.
Something about me? I have been a nerdy cinephile for as long as I can remember. Putting the two together is living my best life. That notwithstanding, I was born to express, not to impress, so I blog because I don't have friends. In other news, I like hashtags because they look like waffles, prefer my puns intended, and I always give 100% unless I'm donating blood. Thanks for reading.
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