In a new article, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently teased the release order of upcoming Star Wars movies. The producer became president of Lucasfilm in 2012 when Disney acquired the studio from George Lucas, although she already had a long relationship with Lucas dating back to their work on Raiders of the Lost Ark. She joined Lucasfilm as co-chair of the company alongside Lucas shortly before Disney approached Lucas with the multi-billion dollar deal. Immediately following the acquisition, Kennedy has been hard at work overseeing the next chapter of the Star Wars franchise following the cinematic hiatus after Lucas' prequel film trilogy.
Staring with Star Wars: Episode 7: The Force Awakens, Kennedy produced five Star Wars films and two television series (The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett), with two films and four series reportedly on the way. Obi-Wan Kenobi is the next Star Wars project slated for release on May 27. Following the mixed reception of the standalone film Solo, as well as Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, Kennedy has readjusted the trajectory of the franchise with the majority of future projects being developed for the small screen. However, a few theatrical releases remain in the studio's future.
Vanity Fair caught up with Kennedy and discussed the exciting future of Star Wars. The Lucasfilm president shared that they have "a road map" going forward for their slate of Star Wars projects. Kennedy explained that the untitled Star Wars film from 1917 writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi will most likely hit theaters prior to Patty Jenkins' starfighter action-adventure Rogue Squadron, which is set to release on December 23, 2023. When asked if Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will step into the Star Wars franchise and produce a film, Kennedy responded, "I would love to see what movie he might come up with. But right now, no, there isn’t anything specifically."
The updated timeline is surprising, to say the least. Waititi's upcoming Star Wars film was initially announced in May 2020, but no further information has been revealed pertaining to the director's project. Rogue Squadron was announced later in 2020, with limited story details and a release date. However, according to Kennedy, Waititi's unknown film will release before Jenkins', despite the fact that Waititi has recently been busy completing his upcoming sports comedy Next Goal Wins and the MCU Phase 4 entry Thor: Love and Thunder in the past two years. Meanwhile, Jenkins is also set to write and direct the third Wonder Woman film.
If Rogue Squadron is set to release in December 2023, there isn't much time to successfully complete a large-scale Star Wars project within a year and a half. With visual effects studios reportedly back-logged with work on upcoming superhero films such as the delayed DCEU film Black Adam, and Industrial Light & Magic working hard on Disney's big-budget television series like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ms. Marvel, and Andor, Rogue Squadron's release date may be pushed back to accommodate Waititi's new film. However, with Star Wars Celebration right around the corner (May 26-29), Kennedy will have the right venue to clear up any confusion with the current slate of upcoming Star Wars media and whet the audiences' appetite for the future of the franchise.
Source: Vanity Fair
