Kathleen Kennedy, president at Lucasfilm since 2012, is using Star Wars Celebration as a platform to share major updates about the future of the Star Wars franchise. Prior to her tenure at Lucasfilm, Kennedy was an accomplished film producer, known for hits like Jurassic Park, Twister, and The Sixth Sense. Under her leadership, she’s overseen a variety of projects within the franchise, including the sequel trilogy and the upcoming series, Andor.
The upcoming developments that could shape the future of Star Wars include the second season of Andor, scheduled for release, the 2026 film titled The Mandalorian & Grogu, the Star Wars: New Jedi Order, and the newly announced Star Wars: Starfighter by Shawn Levy, known for directing Deadpool and Wolverine. Additionally, Ahsoka’s second season is on the horizon, with Hayden Christensen confirmed to reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker. In the far future, there are rumors and speculation about a Star Wars movie in production by Taika Waititi, the director of Jojo Rabbit.
As a dedicated Star Wars enthusiast, I had the privilege of chatting one-on-one with the legendary Kathleen Kennedy at the 2025 Star Wars Celebration. In this exclusive interview, she shared insights about the upcoming “Star Wars: Starfighter,” gave tantalizing hints about the future of “The Mandalorian” and Grogu’s adventures, and elucidated on how the streaming model has opened up a world of possibilities for telling fresh, thrilling Star Wars tales. Furthermore, Kennedy took a moment to reflect on her remarkable journey from film producer to leading the Lucasfilm studio.
Kathleen Kennedy Has Been Trying To Figure Out The Future Of Star Wars
“It’s Been A Huge Challenge To Figure Out … Where We Go”
ScreenRant recently had a chat with Kathleen Kennedy following the unveiling of new content from The Mandalorian and Grogu. With some viewing this highly-anticipated film as coming at an uncertain time for Star Wars, given the polarized response to recent productions like The Acolyte, Kennedy expressed a sense of relief. “I must admit I feel somewhat reassured,” she stated, “because there’s a lot of expectation we need to meet. The excitement in the room was palpable as people reacted positively to what we were sharing.
Kennedy mentioned during the interview that they have spent a considerable amount of time discussing and planning the future of Star Wars. She went on to express her excitement about the possibilities in the television streaming arena for creating and testing new characters, which led to the development of The Mandalorian. Post the release of Episode IX and the sequel movies, wrapping up what George Lucas started has been a significant challenge. However, she feels that the ideas are now picking up pace and gaining momentum.
It’s evident that The Mandalorian and Grogu have given Kennedy a sense of assurance about the creative decisions made by her team at Lucasfilm. Additionally, Kennedy shared a charming anecdote about Sigourney Weaver, who will appear in their upcoming film. Apparently, when Weaver first saw Grogu on set, she was smitten. She couldn’t hide her excitement, finding Grogu adorable as she usually works with rather terrifying creatures.
Kennedy Explains The Choices Of Shawn Levy & Ryan Gosling For Star Wars: Starfighter
“[Levy Has] Been Thinking About This Story For Quite Some Time”
If you inquire about Kathleen Kennedy’s thoughts, it is stated that Shawn Levy, known for directing Deadpool & Wolverine and Stranger Things, could be an ideal choice for Star Wars. This is due to his knack for injecting humor and fun into projects, as well as his deep-seated affection for Star Wars. He has long been eager to work on a Star Wars project; in fact, discussions with him about this opportunity extend back before 2022. His involvement with Stranger Things momentarily made him unavailable, but he had already caught the attention of Kennedy prior to that success.
He’s pondered over this tale for quite a while now, and it seems to me that he’s harbored a desire to contribute to the Star Wars universe since he was young.
From the outset, Sean mentioned Ryan Gosling as a potential choice. As he was conceptualizing this project, Ryan was the actor he envisioned.
Before the Star Wars Celebration announcement, there were already many whispers about Gosling’s casting. Kennedy admitted that it was challenging to decide how much information to reveal versus keep secret, as “with Star Wars, it’s really tricky because everyone is eager to know details, so rumors tend to leak out.
She added, “It was amusing to listen to Shawn subtly set the stage for Ryan.” This is because there are numerous gossips – some true and some false. Basically, our approach is to ignore all of it. In essence, we only discuss what’s genuine and not waste time on conjecture. That’s essentially how we deal with such situations.
Kathleen Kennedy On The Future Of Star Wars
“There [Are] Endless Stories That Can Be Told”
If the future Star Wars series seems somewhat fragmented, this can be seen as both a drawback and an advantage, given the universe George Lucas designed. As Kennedy explained when asked about the difficulty of not having a primary Star Wars actor, “We’ve never constructed this [franchise] around specific characters.” Instead, he continued, “It’s a location. It’s a galaxy far, far away, which means there are countless tales that can be shared.
Kennedy pointed out that it’s tricky to avoid being disorganized yet not overly structured: “We don’t want to be too scattered, leaving no trace, but we also don’t want everything to fit together perfectly. Instead, our goal is to create compelling narratives, and I believe this is why we depend so much on talented storytellers and filmmakers to bring their unique perspectives into the mix.
Regarding talented storytellers like Taika Waititi, Kennedy recently commented on his upcoming “Star Wars” film and the lack of updates since its announcement in 2020. Kennedy stated, “Taika works at his own pace.” He further added, “All I can share is that there’s no one else quite like him, and the work he’s done so far is incredibly unique, fantastic, and genuinely funny. I’ve just kept telling him, ‘Whenever you feel ready to fully commit your time, we’re ready too. We’ll be here waiting.’
Kennedy mentioned that it’s advantageous having Tony McNamara, a highly skilled writer, on their team. He’s known for his work in Poor Things and The Great, and his humor complements Waititi perfectly. However, the success of the project will become clear during the development process since writing a script can sometimes be unpredictable.
Kennedy expressed, “However, I believe he has an exceptional narrative style, and I really hope the film turns out to be as good as that would make it. It would undeniably be an outstanding Star Wars movie.
Kathleen Kennedy Reflects On Her Own Journey From Producer To Executive
From Making Movies To Spearheading “One Of The Most Important Mythologies In Cinema”
For 13 years, Kathleen Kennedy has managed Lucasfilm, a position she admitted she took without extensive executive experience. She expressed, “I was primarily a filmmaker before this, curious to see what went on behind the scenes. I’ve learned an incredible amount… I feel incredibly fortunate to have had this career and continue learning new things.
Kennedy expressed his enlightenment about the intricacy of the job, hinting at its toughest hurdle: “Since George sold the company to Disney, we’ve been grappling with questions like where these movies belong within such a large corporation, how to ensure they maintain their distinctiveness under Lucasfilm, how to preserve the cultural essence, and how to hold onto the values and ideas that George built around this mythology. This mythology is arguably one of the most significant in cinema history.
Kennedy shared, “I’m fortunate to work with an exceptional group of individuals. We frequently discuss our collaborative efforts, and there isn’t a single day that passes without us exploring and pushing the boundaries of what George originally designed. It’s been a truly rewarding journey for me.
For those who have been wondering, Kennedy made it clear that he is still active and not planning to leave: “I’m very much here and not stepping down.
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2025-04-19 22:50