ReportWire

Tag: kathleen kennedy

  • Kathleen Kennedy steps down as Lucasfilm president, marking a new era for the Star Wars franchise

    [ad_1]

    Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm. Although she will continue as a producer for several Star Wars projects, including upcoming movie The Mandalorian and Grogu, the company will now be helmed by a duo in Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. It’s a big changing of the guard for Star Wars fans, and marks the start of a fresh chapter for the sci-fi universe.

    Before taking over at Lucasfilm, Kennedy had seen great success as a producer with a couple little films you may have heard of: E.T. and Jurassic Park. She became Lucasfilm’s president in 2012 when the company was acquired by Disney. At that point, it had been several years since the last Star Wars movie; Revenge of the Sith closed out the generally panned prequel trilogy in 2005. Fans’ best option for Star Wars content was The Clone Wars, a standalone film and animated series which were well-regarded but primarily popular among the hardcore devotees rather than reaching the widespread cultural relevance of the prior feature films.

    During Kennedy’s tenure, Star Wars returned to the big screen with The Force Awakens in 2015. Although that J.J. Abrams-led trilogy was also a roller coaster for many fans, it marked a renaissance for the franchise. Lucasfilm embarked on two standalone movies in Rogue One and Solo, which generated yet more buzz and more money for the company. Star Wars got the full cinematic universe treatment, with critically acclaimed live-action television projects and several new video games. The world fell in love with Baby Yoda. Ewan McGregor finally got to don his Obi-Wan Kenobi robe in a better vehicle. The franchise was back in the mainstream, with the budgets and expectations of media behemoth Disney at its back. No matter your feelings on the current state of Star Wars, it’s an impressive accomplishment by Kennedy and a big legacy that she leaves behind at Lucasfilm.

    So now that Lucasfilm has arguably ended this phase on a high note, what’s next? Dave Filoni moving into the top spot isn’t much of a surprise. He’s long been seen by fans and seemingly by the company as George Lucas’ spiritual successor. Filoni was also the showrunner on The Clone Wars back in the day and has been involved in some capacity with many of the recent TV series, most notably The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. All that history means his new role of President and Chief Creative Officer is pretty expected, and the Star Wars faithful likely feel that they are in good hands.

    As the title implies, Filoni will be responsible for the artistic side of the operation, while as Co-President, Lynwen Brennan will be in charge of the business side. Brennan may be a less familiar name, but her tenure with Lucas’ businesses dates back to 1999 when she joined the legendary effects studio Industrial Light & Magic. Dividing the art and the commerce can yield good results if the two are able to find a good synergy. Star Wars has proven that it’s a moneymaker even when the films and series aren’t particularly well-received, but here’s hoping that Filoni and Brennan will each be able to maintain high standards for Lucasfilm and the Star Wars fandom.

    [ad_2]

    Anna Washenko

    Source link

  • Kathleen Kennedy Gives Some Intriguing ‘Star Wars’ Movie Updates After Her Lucasfilm Exit

    [ad_1]

    It’s official. Kathleen Kennedy is leaving Lucasfilm. And, in a new interview talking about the decision, the producer offered updates on several Star Wars movies that may, or may not, be coming in the future.

    “Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold, and it’s on hold,” Kennedy told Deadline. “Taika [Waititi] has turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door. Donald Glover has turned in a script. And as you have read, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns. It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk.”

    The Mangold-Willimon script is the Dawn of the Jedi idea that was first announced at Star Wars Celebration in 2023. The Taika Waititi movie is one Lucasfilm announced way back in 2020, and Glover’s script is about Lando and was first discussed in late 2023. As for the Soderbergh and Driver thing, well, we know.

    Oddly, two films that Kennedy doesn’t mention are the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Rey movie and the Dave Filoni Heir to the Empire movie, both of which were announced along with Mangold’s film in 2023. That’s very, very discouraging.

    More encouraging is what she has to say about Simon Kinberg’s new trilogy which, though being reworked, is still moving ahead. “[Kinberg] is working right now,” Kennedy said. “He wrote something that we read in August, and it was very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment, which he finished literally about four weeks ago. And it’s a very detailed treatment, like 70 pages. And so he is expected to give us something in March.”

    So with The Mandalorian and Grogu coming out this year, and Star Wars: Starfighter (which Kennedy says was meant to be a standalone but could, potentially, be sequalized) out next year, what movie is coming next? It won’t be Kennedy’s call anymore, but there are additional thoughts. “Mangold’s is really on the back burner as is Soderbergh’s,” she said. “I think the ones by Taika and Donald are still somewhat alive. That’s going to really be up to the new team to figure out. I know that [new Lucasfilm heads] Dave [Filoni] and Lynwen [Brennan] are very much on board with what Simon’s doing, and that would be a new trilogy. In the timeline of things, that takes you well into 2030 plus. So that’s really what’s up next.”

    It seems like it’s good news for fans of Taika Waititi and Donald Glover, but bad news for fans of James Mangold and Rey Skywalker. What do you make of the quotes?

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    [ad_2]

    Germain Lussier

    Source link

  • Dave Filoni Is Taking Over Lucasfilm From Kathleen Kennedy

    [ad_1]

    Legendary producer Kathleen Kennedy announced today that she is stepping down as the head of Lucasfilm and passing the reins to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. The news comes after a year of speculation about Kennedy’s future in a galaxy far, far away.

    “When we acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, we knew we were bringing into the Disney family not only one of the most beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but also a team of extraordinary talent led by a visionary filmmaker – someone who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no less,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a press release. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”

    With Kennedy stepping down from Lucasfilm to focus on more general film production, her previous duties will now be split between the two Lucasfilm mainstays. Filoni, as President and Chief Creative Officer, will handle the more creative side, while Brennan, the longtime head of business at the company, will handle logistics. Her title is Co-President. Think of it sort of like things are being handled at DC Studios, with James Gunn handling creative and Peter Safran handling the more day-to-day things.

    “When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” Kennedy said. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”

    Kennedy got her start as an assistant to Steven Spielberg and quickly established herself as a formidable creative force. Over the last 50 years or so, she produced many of the best and top-grossing films of all time, such as Gremlins, The Goonies, Poltergeist, Back to the Future, E.T., and the Indiana Jones series.

    Lucasfilm founder and Star Wars creator George Lucas thought so highly of Kennedy that he hand-picked her to run Lucasfilm as he sold it to the Walt Disney Company in 2013. Since then, she’s been responsible for the successful relaunch of the franchise, both on the big screen and its new renaissance on streaming, too.

    And though Kennedy will remain on board for a bit, overseeing The Mandalorian & Grogu, Star Wars: Starfighter, and more, all eyes now move to Filoni. Also a disciple of Lucas himself, Filoni made a name for himself with fresh, exciting storytelling in Star Wars animation before making the shift to live action. His success there hasn’t been quite as impressive, with many feeling he’s a bit too reliant on past stories and nostalgia rather than bold, forward choices. But few people on the planet know or understand Star Wars as he does.

    “My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas,” Filoni said. “I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them. From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”

    Filoni is currently working on the second season of his show, Ahsoka, so don’t expect him to fully make the pivot for a while. Once he does, though, the movies and shows he puts into production will say a lot about how he views the future of Star Wars. There are certainly plenty of options on the table.

    What do you think of Kennedy stepping down and putting in Filoni and Brennan? Let us know below.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    [ad_2]

    Germain Lussier

    Source link

  • Eddie Murphy to receive life achievement award from the American Film Institute

    [ad_1]

    Eddie Murphy is being celebrated with a life achievement award from the American Film Institute, AFI’s board of trustees said Friday. The award will be handed out at a gala tribute in Los Angeles, at the Dolby Theatre, on April 18.

    “Eddie Murphy is an American icon,” said Kathleen Kennedy, who chairs the institute’s board of trustees. “A trailblazing force in the art forms of film, television and stand-up comedy, his versatility knows no bounds.”

    Murphy, 64, has been a force in entertainment for nearly 50 years, as a teenage stand-up phenomenon, on television as a part of the “Saturday Night Live” cast, and in film where he’s ruled the box office in multiple decades, with hits like “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming to America,” “The Nutty Professor” and the “Shrek” movies. In 2007, he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for “Dreamgirls,” which had already earned him a Screen Actors Guild award and a Golden Globe, but he didn’t win the Academy Award.

    In a new documentary about his life and career, “Being Eddie,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, Murphy reflected that he was more annoyed about having to put on a tux and go to the event than he was about losing.

    “It’s always wonderful to win stuff, but if I don’t win, I don’t give a (expletive),” he said. “I’m still Eddie in the morning.”

    In 2023, Murphy got the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, where he kept his remarks to a speedy two minutes. He told The Associated Press in 2021 that he has a different perspective on things than he did during the height of his fame.

    “You take everything for granted when you’re young, how successful I was,” Murphy said. “Now I take nothing for granted and appreciate everything.”

    AFI’s gala tributes are often starry affairs. Last year at Francis Ford Coppola’s dinner, Steven Spielberg, Robert De Niro and Harrison Ford were among those who turned out to toast Coppola.

    Murphy is the 51st recipient of the AFI life achievement award, which was first handed out in 1973 to John Ford. Other recent honorees include Nicole Kidman, Julie Andrews and Denzel Washington.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Sci-Fi Legend Sigourney Weaver May Join Star Wars Universe

    Sci-Fi Legend Sigourney Weaver May Join Star Wars Universe

    [ad_1]

    Legend Sigourney Weaver
    Photo: Carlos Alvarez (Getty Images)

    The Mandalorian and Grogu may have its first new cast member, and she’s a sci-fi legend. Sigourney Weaver, the star of Alien, Avatar, and Ghostbusters, is in talks to join the next Star Wars film, scheduled to hit theaters May 22, 2026.

    Giancarlo Esposito Instantly Knew Baby Yoda was the star of The The Mandalorian

    The news was first reported by TheInSneider and a Lucasfilm representative could not be reached for comment. io9 sources, however, do believe the story to be accurate. There’s also no word on who Weaver could be playing in the film but it’s Star Wars! She could be anyone or anything: human, alien, bounty hunter, droid. She played a teenage version of herself in 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water. She’s got range.

    The Mandalorian and Grogu is the next Star Wars film coming and, with production expected to start later this year, it makes sense cast is starting to get locked in. Jon Favreau is writing and directing, as he has done on much of the first three seasons of The Mandalorian, with Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy producing. We still don’t even have “official” confirmation of returning Mando cast members such as Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, and others, but we do know that Grogu will be there. And really that’s all that matters.

    So what do you think? Does Weaver fit in a galaxy far, far away? Do you want her to play a hero? A villain? A scoundrel? Will you be buying her action figure? To that last question, we certainly say yes.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about Doctor Who

    [ad_2]

    Germain Lussier

    Source link

  • ‘South Park’ Takes Aim at the “Woke” Disney Culture Wars

    ‘South Park’ Takes Aim at the “Woke” Disney Culture Wars

    [ad_1]

    In its latest 47-minute episode, South Park opted to slam all sides of Disney’s “woke” culture wars, which have ensnared everyone from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to legions of fans eager to complain about political correctness.

    Titled “Joining the Panderverse,” the episode details Eric Cartman’s worst nightmare—that he’ll be replaced by a woman of color. When Eric wakes from the bad dream, he declares, “They were taking all my favorite people and replacing them with diverse women who complain about the patriarchy!” later adding, “And Disney stock keeps going down and down!”

    Cartman’s dreams become reality in the form of a multiverse occupied only by women of color is led by South Park Elementary’s “PC Principal,” who accuses the characters of bigotry when they say recasting South Park’s white male characters “doesn’t make any sense.” Says the administrator, “If you don’t think Eric Cartman can be a Black woman, then maybe the problem is you. You probably don’t like that Indiana Jones got replaced by a female either, huh? You probably have a problem with Black Spider-Man, too“—referencing controversies that have cropped up around recent Disney titles like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which notably didn’t replace Harrison Ford as Indy with Phoebe Waller–Bridge, and Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse. The kids do, at least, support the latter film: “No! Miles Morales is sweet! That’s a whole constructed thing with its own character and narrative. This is just taking the same old Cartman and putting a Black woman in it!”

    At one point, the episode features a fictionalized version of Disney CEO Bob Iger, who tells his fellow executives to “pander harder” to frustrated audiences via the “panderstone” that the studio uses to remake the same stories over and over. This is where Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy enters the episode to repeat the same note over and over again: “Put a chick in it! Make her lame and gay!”

    But before episode’s end, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone acknowledge the hatred that can spew from the anti-woke fans and commentators who place Kennedy directly in the crosshairs. Kennedy tells Cartman of the “hate mail” she’s received on the job, “ugly letters from racists who couldn’t stand that some of the panderstone’s rehashes had diverse women characters in the lead.” She admits that using the panderstone to “fight all bigotry in our society” was the wrong method. “All I ever wanted was to make great entertainment, but as as soon as you start getting piles of hate mail, endless messages calling you the c-word, you can’t think straight,” Kennedy says before apologizing to Cartman for being “so reckless with the things you love. It was just lazy.” To this, Cartman replies, “Well, I’m sorry I wrote all those letters…I guess just railing on woke stuff all the time is pretty lazy, too.”

    [ad_2]

    Savannah Walsh

    Source link