Star Wars isn't trilogies anymore, according to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. The science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas began in 1977, when the film of the same name became a surprise, industry-changing blockbuster hit. It has since expanded into all manner of media, merchandise, and real-world experiences, though it remains best known for the three Star Wars movie trilogies that make up the Skywalker Saga.
The most recent, the sequel trilogy released by the Disney-owned Lucasfilm from 2015-19, was met with a wide range of responses from a vocal, fickle fanbase. After The Force Awakens was generally embraced, if criticized for leaning too heavily on A New Hope, Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi fiercely divided audiences, resulting in a last-ditch attempt at course correction in The Rise of Skywalker. That trilogy-ender was, for many fans, a disappointing conclusion, and though different plans for new movies have been floated before and since its release, the franchise has made a heavy pivot to making Star Wars TV shows for Disney+.
Now, in a new feature from Vanity Fair, Kennedy admits that the franchise's big-screen identity is heading for a significant change. While she insists Lucasfilm has a "road map" for getting Star Wars back in movie theaters, she admits the studio is no longer thinking of them in groups of three. The future of the franchise, Kennedy says, is in a more sustained approach. Check out her quote below:
I hesitate to use the word trilogies anymore because Star Wars is much more about persistent storytelling.
In the same piece, Kennedy addresses several rumored and previously announced Star Wars movie projects, some of which have been deprioritized. Next up will likely be a movie from Taika Waititi, who directed an episode of The Mandalorian season 1, while Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron is likely further off than its initial 2023 release date. Johnson was announced to return for his own Star Wars trilogy five years ago, but while Kennedy cites his work on Netflix's Knives Out sequels as the reason for his projects being put on the back-burner, this quote also makes it clear that Lucasfilm has moved on from that approach to franchise-planning.
Whether fans believe it's time to change things up or wish the franchise stayed true to the original, epic-fantasy-inspired structure, the one prevailing desire is for Lucasfilm to tell engaging Star Wars stories. For the immediate future, that will have to come on the small screen, and while The Mandalorian has been largely embraced by critics and audiences, The Book of Boba Fett was accused of abandoning its titular character in favor of fan service and franchise building. Should next week's Obi-Wan Kenobi premiere similarly underwhelm, this pivot to television could see the Star Wars franchise under fire once again.
Source: Vanity Fair
