Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy says future Star Wars films will move further beyond the existing sequel trilogy. Disney acquired Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012 and subsequently launched a new trilogy with 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Following a lackluster response to its follow-ups as well as Solo: A Star Wars Story, Disney/Lucasfilm’s focus has shifted to the small screen, beginning with Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian’s success has inspired several other live-action shows, including The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the upcoming Ahsoka series, and Rogue One spin-off, Andor. That being said, all recent projects taking place in a galaxy far, far away, exist within proximity to either the original trilogy or prequels. This has led many to believe the powers that be aim to distance themselves from the Skywalker saga’s conclusion, at least for the time being. Now, Kennedy has revealed how the sequel era will influence the future of Star Wars.
In an interview with Empire during Star Wars Celebration, Kennedy talked about where on the Star Wars timeline upcoming movies will be set. According to Lucasfilm’s president, the movie space will move “further beyond the existing sequels.” Read the full quote below:
“We’re moving further beyond the existing sequels as we look to our movie space. The sequel era is what we talk a lot about in terms of where we’re going with our movies, and just how far out from that we’ll go. That’s very much the space we’re concentrating on.”
Of course, this does not refer to Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron, which takes place during the Galactic Civil War and is set to release next year. Kennedy went on to say that Rian Johnson’s previously-announced trilogy isn’t happening any time soon, as the writer and director is committed to his Knives Out franchise. The first Star Wars movie to focus on a space “beyond the existing sequels” will likely be Taika Waititi and Krysty Wilson-Cairns’ untitled film before Johnson’s, Kevin Feige's, and J.D. Dillard's.
In the past, Kennedy has said that the Star Wars franchise is no longer focussed on trilogies, but instead aims to feature more "persistent storytelling." Depending upon how one interprets her latest comments, they could mean the next generation of Star Wars films will adhere to the sequel era. However, the Skywalker saga came to an end with The Rise of Skywalker, and it makes the most sense to begin anew — something Star Wars has yet to do. The films tend to rely on the era of Obi-Wan, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and more. Whether before the Skywalker saga with The High Republic or after, moving away from established events and characters should facilitate creative freedom, negate fan service and/or outrage, and allow the galaxy far, far away to truly evolve.
Source: Empire
