Kennedy On Status Of “Star Wars” Projects

Following the official announcement of her retirement from Lucasfilm today, Kathleen Kennedy has given an exit interview with Deadline in which she speaks about the status of various “Star Wars” projects.

Kennedy exits at a time when the film division of the franchise is ramping up, while the fate of various projects in development remains in question. Here’s a breakdown of where things stand with the various films:

Simon Kinberg
The one with the most movement. A script draft was submitted in August which was “very good, but not there”. The story then got reworked with a 70-page treatment that he’s working from ahead of delivering a new full script around March. Incoming chiefs Filoni and Brennan are said to be strongly onboard with this trilogy launcher.

James Mangold
Mangold and Beau Willimon (“Andor”) are penning the film, the one set tens of thousands of years before the original trilogy, which she says “breaks the mold” and is “incredible” but adds it’s “on hold” and on the “back burner”.

Donald Glover & Taika Waititi
Both films are still alive, with Glover and Waititi having turned in completed scripts for both films, Waititi’s she dubs “hilarious and great”. The incoming leadership will determine whether either project goes ahead.

Others
Kennedy confirms Steven Soderbergh’s completed script for “The Hunt for Ben Solo” is done, but the project is not happening.

Neither David Fincher nor Alex Garland has made formal commitments, but they did have exploratory early discussions.

No mention is made of Patty Jenkins’ “Rogue Squadron” or Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s “New Jedi Order” films.

Kennedy will remain as a producer on the next two “Star Wars” films – “The Mandalorian and Grogu” opening in May, and “Star Wars: Starfighter” opening in 2027.