Rumormongering Star Wars hubbub aplenty here. Feel free to read or move along... move along:
Seeing rumors from various sources (including from THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) that after that yesterday's cringe-worthy interview by ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE (online only) with Kathleen Kennedy in which she talks some backhandedly passive aggressive smack talk about George Lucas, says her future and Star Wars future is unknown (other than they're "ending the Skywalker Saga" with Episode IX next month) and states some untruths (especially about not having "source material"), Disney may be amping up quickly to say goodbye to Kathleen Kennedy and say hello to fan-favorite writer/producer/director/actor Jon Favreau to lead the direction of Star Wars in the future.
Lucasfilm Star Wars President Kathleen Kennedy, whose contract runs out in 2021, probably will not get renewed by Disney is what the hubbub is all about in reportings and rumors, and that instead, MCU Executive Producer Keven Feige's protege Jon Favreau looks like he may be Disney's choice to replace Kennedy and take over Lucasfilm and direct the future of Star Wars after Episode IX.
Fellow MANDALORIAN executive producer/writer/director Dave Filoni, the bearded guy always wearing the cowboy hat, has been the protege of George Lucas since THE CLONE WARS cartoons, is said to be rising up with Favreau to be his right-hand man. If you also read between the lines in various articles, rumblings, and sources, and look at the chain of events and start putting them together, looks like there are plans for Favreau are already subtly moving in place for "universe building" ala Marvel Cinematic Universe style. MANDALORIAN actor Werner Herzog recently touted that Favreau is already building us a Star Wars universe "...filled with new mythology."
Hint. Hint.
Now, most fans know first-hand that the Star Wars community is argumentatively torn in half about the controversial direction that Disney has taken the Star Wars franchise since acquiring the IP. Disney dumped Lucas's Star Wars Expanded Universe (and relegated to "Legends") and said no-thank you to the notes that George Lucas gave them for the future film direction of the series when he sold Lucasfilm to the House of Mouse (see Disney President Bob Iger's new book where he acknowledges Lucas felt 'betrayed' when Disney threw out the Lucas plans and went their own direction trusting Star TREK "Kelvin Universe" director to do his own thing and put his own stamp on Star Wars). Fans to this day either hate or love what Kathleen Kennedy, JJ Abrams, and especially what Rian Johnson have delivered with the franchise with Episodes XII and XIII. Disney's nervous their investment isn't giving the proper return on investment and has suffered some major backlash with the films, the direction, and the ancillary things like action figures sitting not selling like they used to or even the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at the Disney theme parks not hitting the numbers they expected, perhaps part of the backlash.
Well, it seems, Disney knows as well as all of us that THE MANDALORIAN on Disney+ seems to be the first real all around critical "hit" they've had with even the most cynical of fans who have lost hope with what Kennedy had done during her tenure. It seems like Jon Favreau (with Dave Filoni) may be everyone's post-Kennedy "only hope" at the moment. This stuff interests me being a longtime fan since opening day 1977 and my own vested interest in the success and continuation of the franchise. I believe in Favreau and Filoni. Personally, I hope the rumors are true.
May the Force Be with You. I have spoken.
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