Kathleen Kennedy’s Legacy of Failure

It’s being reported that Kathleen Kennedy, who has led Lucasfilm for over a decade, is planning to retire by the end of 2025. This news was first shared by Puck, with The Hollywood Reporter also confirming the report shortly after. Although there have been whispers about her leaving for some time, this latest development seems more credible than previous rumors.

Take a minute and celebrate with the Yub Nug song…

Though fans celebrate the possible departure of Kathleen Kennedy from Lucasfilm, it’s important to recognize a sobering reality: The harm she has caused to Star Wars may have lasting effects for many years.

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The Fall of Star Wars Under Kathleen Kennedy

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for an impressive $4 billion, making Star Wars one of the most valuable and timeless franchises in film history. This iconic series had shaped generations, sparked countless tales, and left a cultural imprint that appeared invincible. Enter Kathleen Kennedy, a seasoned producer who collaborated with industry greats like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas himself, to guide the franchise through its next era of success.

Instead, she drove it off a cliff.

The downward trend started nearly from the outset with the sequel trilogy, characterized by a jumble of conflicting narratives and disparate creative perspectives, revolving around an unsympathetic and unmemorable lead character. Instead of devising a comprehensive blueprint like Marvel did for its cinematic universe, Kennedy delegated complete creative authority to J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, enabling them to produce their films (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi) without any unifying guide.

The result? A narrative disaster.

In “The Force Awakens,” Abrams presented numerous mysteries such as Rey’s background and Snoke’s origins without resolving them. Johnson, in “The Last Jedi,” opted for a contrasting approach, disrupting assumptions for dramatic effect, which led to the unraveling of several plotlines set by Abrams and added to the skepticism among fans. When Abrams attempted to mend the story with “The Rise of Skywalker,” the Star Wars franchise was in turmoil. The last film struggled to make sense of the narrative holes, resulting instead in a confusing jumble, making it the lowest-earning installment of the trilogy.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I can’t help but notice an intriguing pattern in the Star Wars franchise. Despite each movie raking in substantial financial gains, they seem to earn progressively less than their predecessors, which could be a hint of growing audience exhaustion and diminishing excitement. The gap between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker was marked by what I consider as the first real cinematic misstep for Star Wars – Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Following the release of “The Last Jedi” in 2019, no new “Star Wars” movie has hit theaters under Kennedy’s leadership so far.

A Streaming Empire Built on Shaky Foundations

Under Kennedy’s leadership of the Star Wars films, the brand suffered significant damage. Her subsequent venture into streaming television only served to fragment the franchise further. Her seeming preoccupation with storytelling centered around identity resulted in a series of shows that fell flat with long-standing fans. Even The Mandalorian, Lucasfilm’s standout success, wasn’t spared from her impact. After two successful seasons, the show began to falter in its third, as it shifted focus away from its main character, the Mandalorian, towards Bo-Katan Kryze – a decision that left many viewers dissatisfied.

Projects under her supervision performed particularly poorly compared to others. For instance, the anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series, expected to be a hit, unexpectedly shifted its focus from the title character to relatively undeveloped female characters instead. Ahsoka, initially promising as a live-action follow-up to the beloved Rebels animated series, struggled to maintain its initial appeal. Its viewership gradually dropped week by week.

The Acolyte, initially celebrated as Kennedy’s second most-watched series on Disney+ in 2024 by Access Media, ultimately proved to be Kennedy’s biggest disappointment. Upon closer examination of the viewership data, it was clear that despite initial hype, the show didn’t make it into the top ten streaming originals of the year. Matters worsened as the episodes progressed, with each episode experiencing a significant drop in viewers, culminating in the finale recording the lowest numbers of the entire series – much like the sequel trilogy, showing a recurring pattern.

The team behind Skeleton Crew faced a similar challenge, experiencing difficulty in capturing significant audience interest and dealing with widespread indifference towards their brand.

Box Office Disasters and Critical Misfires

As a devoted cinephile, I can’t help but reflect on Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm, which wasn’t just about the struggles of the Star Wars saga. Under her leadership, iconic franchises were brought back, only to face an untimely demise. The Willow series on Disney+ was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. Instead of centering the story around Willow, the show shifted focus towards a multicultural, female-centric cast. However, this shift didn’t resonate with viewers as expected (reminding us of a familiar pattern). The series performed so dismally that Disney decided to pull it off the platform, choosing a tax deduction over keeping it accessible for subscribers.

Following its release, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny stirred controversy due to its perceived critique of Kennedy’s leadership. Instead of showcasing Indiana Jones’ legendary swan song, the film depicted him as a worn-out artifact, overshadowed by his goddaughter Helena, portrayed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Regrettably, the movie bombed at the box office, managing to gross only $383.9 million globally against its extravagant production budget of $402.3 million.

Media Spin vs. the Reality of Failure

It’s really frustrating to see how media outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter persist in portraying Kennedy’s term as a positive one. Their latest article commends her for reviving Star Wars with The Force Awakens and applauds her work on The Mandalorian. However, they seem to ignore the numerous projects that were ultimately canceled, like Rian Johnson’s abandoned trilogy, the shelved films by D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, Kevin Feige’s movie, Patti Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron film, the delayed Rey movie, and many more.

The article additionally emphasizes the upcoming “The Mandalorian & Grogu” film as a positive aspect, yet it fails to acknowledge that the “Star Wars” franchise is more divided and weary than ever. Interestingly, Disney executives appear to be aware of this – Kathleen Kennedy was conspicuously missing from the last D23 Expo, with Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni taking the spotlight instead.

Will Star Wars Recover? Don’t Count on It

The announcement that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from Lucasfilm this year has ignited excitement among fans, but it’s crucial to understand that her departure doesn’t automatically mean a rosy future for Star Wars. Many of the individuals she appointed in key positions, such as Dave Filoni, are said to stay at Lucasfilm. While Filoni is generally well-liked by fans due to his work on The Clone Wars and Rebels, his latest projects have faced criticism that has tarnished his reputation. It remains undecided whether he possesses the creativity or power to reverse the negative impact Kennedy’s leadership had over the past decade.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that the challenges facing Star Wars aren’t confined to a single individual. Disney’s tendency to prioritize identity-focused content over robust storytelling has been a persistent issue across its various productions, not only with Lucasfilm. Unless there’s a significant change in the approach to creating and managing these projects, the franchise might persistently face difficulties, regardless of who holds the top position.

The Legacy of Kathleen Kennedy

Reframing the statement: Kathleen Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm may be more notable for the mismanagement of one of the most prized assets in the entertainment industry rather than the successes she achieved alongside Spielberg and Lucas in earlier years. Under her leadership, Star Wars – a franchise that once generated immense revenue – appears to have suffered significant setbacks, resulting in a divided fanbase, dwindling audience numbers, and financial disappointments at the box office.

If these retirement rumors are accurate, her departure would signify the conclusion of one of Hollywood’s most tumultuous periods. However, while fans might optimistically anticipate a new era for Star Wars, they should also prepare themselves for the fact that the path to recovery could be lengthy and unpredictable. Even though Kennedy may step down, the lingering effects of her missteps will cast a long shadow over the Star Wars universe for years to come.

2025-02-25 18:56