Outline:
This has been a significant week for theStar Warsfranchise, to put it mildly. Several days ago,Kathleen Kennedy stated her intention to resignAs the president of Lucasfilm, she is passing the leadership to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. As a new era starts for the production company, Kennedy is sharing her insights. In doing so, she offered some remarks about Rian Johnson’s time working within the galaxy far, far away, and he has since responded.
Kathleen Kennedy States Reasons Behind Rian Johnson’s Single Star Wars Film Involvement
Let’s begin with Kennedy’s remarks. The producer, who has served as president of Lucasfilm since 2012 following George Lucas’s sale of the company to Walt Disney Studios, recently shared her thoughts on her tenure in the role. She talked about the challenges and successes of the position during an interview.Deadline. When specifically asked about the films Rian Johnson was reportedly scheduled to direct after 2017’sThe Last Jedi, Kennedy stated the following:
After he secured the Netflix deal and began working on the Knives Out movies, that has taken up a significant portion of his time. That’s another aspect that comes into play. Once Shawn and I started discussing Star Wars, Stranger Things took over and he became completely immersed in it for a period. That’s what happened with Rian as well. And then, I think he was affected by the online criticism. I believe Rian created one of the best Star Wars films. He is an exceptional director, yet he was unsettled. This is the challenging part. When individuals enter this environment, every filmmaker and actor tells me, “What’s going to happen?” They feel a bit frightened.
Kennedy replied by stating that one explanation for Johnson not returning to direct his other movies was because he was “scared” by the unfavorable responses thatThe Last Jedireceived by audiences online. When it was released, the movie (which earned $1.3 million globally, according to Deadline) garnered favorable critiques from reviewers, although some fans were unhappy with it for various reasons. Even now, there are still individuals who voice their complaints.
That’s not the sole reason Kennedy gives for Johnson not overseeing additional SW films. She also highlights that another reason was the writer/director’s wish to concentrate his efforts on other projects.Knives Out movies starting in 2018.
Disney+: from $11.99 per month with an ad-supported plan
Disney+ is the place to find everything related to Star Wars. Subscription plans begin at $11.99 per month for the new ad-supported option. Choose an ad-free experience for $18.99 per month, or save 16% by paying $189.99 upfront for a year.Disney+ subscription. View Deal
How Rian Johnson Addressed Kennedy’s Remarks
Rian Johnson eventually became aware of Kathleen Kennedy’s remarks. With that, he took toX, where he shared an article discussing Kennedy’s quotes and provided his perspective. In his words (which have had punctuation added to them):
Lol zero spooked, sorry.
Well, there it is, two opposing perspectives here on why only Rian Johnson is behind this.Star Warsmovie so far. While Johnson’s reply is short, it appears he doesn’t support the idea that negative fan reaction caused him to distance himself from the big franchise. The question still lingers, though: would Johnson helm another one of those movies?
In the summer of 2025,Johnson was questioned on whether he would come back to Star Wars. He acknowledged that he had discussed ideas with Kathleen Kennedy afterThe Last Jedi but that he’d ultimately been busy creating murder mysteries” since his 2017 science fiction movie. Nevertheless, Johnson also mentioned that he “would be excited” to work on something else related to Star Wars “in the future” if the chance arises, but for now, he’s content working on his “own projects.
Don’t worry, though, fans, as there areupcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows are on the way. The Mandalorian & Groguwill signify the franchise’s first major cinematic release since 2019’sRise Of Skywalker. Also, the Ryan Gosling-led film Star Wars: Starfighteris scheduled to come out during the summer of 2027. It’s clear that this is a hectic period for Lucasfilm, and with various projects underway along with a new management team, it remains to be seen whether Rian Johnson will make a return!
Liked this article? To discover more stories like this, follow us on MSN by clicking the +Follow button located at the top of this page.