Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Is the end near for Lucasfilm? How toxic Star Wars fans, Kathleen Kennedy, and the low turnout for Solo: A Star Wars Story affect the future of the franchise.
Could the low box office totals for Solo: A Star Wars Story be the beginning of the end for Star Wars movies? Let’s hope not, but certainly, the big wigs over at both Lucasfilm/Disney have taken notice that perhaps there’s a bit of Star Wars fatigue. And the fanbase is not quite as devoted as once thought.
In such a massive galaxy, it’s difficult to see where we go from here.
So where does Lucasfilm go from here? Well with Star Wars: Episode IX already in pre-production, the clear answer is to complete the saga trilogy. However, any and all plans after that must be carefully re-evaluated.
How does Lucasfilm win back some of their “salty” fanbase? If online message boards or forums have given any indication, it’s male-centric stories that are devoid of people of color.
All eyes are on Kathleen Kennedy now and where she takes the franchise from here. While fans are calling for her firing and asking for a replacement is a good question is; who do you replace her with?
For all intents and purposes, Kennedy is one of the most successful film producers in history. Don’t believe me? Take a look at her credits. If you’re going to point out some of her missteps this early in the process, then let’s be fair to point out the failures of the name that has been floated around to replace her.
The name floated around most is Kevin Feige. Although Feige has done an excellent job with Marvel, he too had problems during his tenure.
Let’s not forget that Joss Whedon walked away from the Avengers due to conflicts with Feige and that Edgar Wright walked away from Antman after 10 years in development.
His name is also tied to some pretty bad movies as well (Dare Devil, Electra). But Kevin Feige like Kathleen Kennedy is heralding a brand, and there is a need to curate the look and feel of these films, more so than other franchises.
Fiege worked on Marvel properties for years before developing a game plan to bring these characters together on the big screen. Shouldn’t Kennedy be given more time?