MOVIE NEWS – Lucasfilm has extended Kathleen Kennedy’s contract for another three years.

Although Kathleen Kennedy’s future as Lucasfilm president was seen by many as in doubt, because, like, the news of the indefinite postponement of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron – which some have based on disagreements between director Patty Jenkins and “certain executives”. It appears, however, that she will not step down from her oversight of the Star Wars universe after her contract was reportedly extended until 2024.

Kennedy was handpicked by George Lucas himself for the job and has so far produced five Star Wars films, not to mention numerous TV series, and of course, Indiana Jones 5 is coming soon. So all may seem rosy in the world of Lucasfilm, but Kennedy’s position at the company has become highly divisive in recent years, and that is unlikely to change any time soon.

While it’s true that the Star Wars sequels have brought in a lot at the box office, audiences have never been more divided than over the development of the final films in the Skywalker saga, which many attribute to creative decisions forced on the movie from the top. But the problems went much deeper than that: Lucasfilm had become so famous that behind-the-scenes disagreements and even outright feuds had forced several big-name filmmakers to leave their projects.

The departure of Phil Lord and Chris Miller from Solo: A Star Wars Story, for example, has been attributed to this; Colin Trevorrow, Josh Tank and now Patty Jenkins are just some of the people who have left the company because of ‘creative differences. So there are plenty of reasons for some to think it’s time for Kathleen Kennedy to move on.

Former Hollywood Reporter editor Matthew Belloni unveiled the contract extension in Puck’s latest newsletter, noting:

“Kennedy has a lot of good things happening at Lucasfilm, and I’m told she recently re-upped her deal for another three years.”

While concerning the movies, many questions the direction Lucasfilm is taking; it is undeniable that numerous TV series has arrived on Disney+ over the past two years. They have saved the Star Wars franchise from being completely let down by fans who still can’t bring themselves to enjoy the sequel trilogy. With Mandalorian a resounding success, the Boba Fett series coming this Christmas, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor and Ahsoka coming soon on the live-action front, as well as several animated spin-off series, things are going in the right direction, at least on that front, and that is probably what led to Kathleen Kennedy’s contract being extended again.

Source: Puck