Lucasfilm's new bosses are reportedly planning a worrying movie strategy for Star Wars' future. By the time The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters this May, almost seven years will have passed since Star Wars' last movie, The Rise of Skywalker - that is roughly the same time as there was between 2005's Revenge of the Sith and Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2015. The studio appears eager to restore the galaxy far, far away to theaters, with the Shawn Levy-directed Starfighter already set to follow The Mandalorian & Grogu in May 2027.
Filmmakers such as James Mangold, Dave Filoni, Taika Waititi, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and Simon Kinberg are meanwhile cooking up their own plans for movies in the franchise, some of which recently got long-awaited status updates. Those updates came in the exit interview from Lucasfilm's departing president, Kathleen Kennedy. The producer was hired to shepherd the studio's future following the 2012 Disney acquisition and has now been replaced with a shared effort from The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni and longtime Lucasfilm exec Lynwen Brennan.
The Hollywood Reporter recently offered a worrying update for Star Wars' future movie strategy after Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan replaced Kathleen Kennedy as presidents of Lucasfilm. The studio is reportedly likely to implement a "fundamental change" that could risk restricting filmmakers' creativity.
In the past, Kennedy was known to have "started projects by meeting a filmmaker and asking them what they would like to do." This philosophy has led to projects like 2027's Star Wars: Starfighter, which is a completely standalone tale in the galaxy far, far away from Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy.
Kennedy confirmed this part of her Star Wars strategy to Variety last year, expressing excitement to allow a broader range of filmmakers to "tell stories that mean something to them" that don't rely on the franchise's huge history.
"I really think that now we’re in a position where it’s broadened the possibility of stories and filmmakers we can bring in to tell stories that mean something to them – it doesn’t necessarily have to connect to every little thing thats been done in 'Star Wars.'"
However, Filoni, as more of a creative figure than the production-driven Kennedy, could instead decide for himself "what stories he wants to see happen, and then meet with filmmakers to execute them."
Star Wars' next theatrical release will bow in theaters on May 22 with The Mandalorian & Grogu, which stars Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, and Sigourney Weaver. The 2026 blockbuster acts as a sequel to The Mandalorian and has, sadly, replaced the Disney+ series' Season 4 plans for now.
Star Wars' New Strategy Has Me Worried About the Future
The Star Wars franchise has been in a rough place in recent years, especially due to the theatrical drought and backlash to many recent Disney+ shows. Ultimately, it has become clear that Star Wars fans are craving brand-new stories, with anticipation seemingly higher for Starfighter than The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Dave Filoni has proven his worth to Star Wars with The Clone Wars, Rebels, and as the architect of the MandoVerse alongside Jon Favreau. That said, one of the bigger criticisms of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka has become their reliance on existing characters, something which could become more prevalent than ever.
Still, there has been hope that Lucasfilm is ready to move away from its focus on interconnected storytelling, as it has reportedly suspended MandoVerse plans for the time being ahead of The Mandalorian & Grogu and Ahsoka Season 2.
But that may only be a patch fix, as there have been reports that Lucasfilm is looking to carve out a new MandoVerse-esque era set after The Rise of Skywalker and centered around Daisy Ridley's Rey, culminating in a major crossover event.
The potential strategy of Filoni crafting all of Star Wars' next movies and shows before finding the right teams to execute them risks limiting creativity and turning the galaxy far, far away into something closer to the MCU and losing its charm.
Furthermore, the studio has recently attracted major talent, including Shawn Levy, Taika Waititi, and James Mangold, to develop upcoming movies based on their own Star Wars visions. One has to wonder if such a caliber would be as eager to join the bandwagon if it were simply to execute Filoni's story.
