The Rise of Skywalker Does Kathleen Kennedy get fired after ROS?

[OnTheAir]

Has the Obi-Wan news been confirmed anywhere other than the original article?

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety both have the story as well. I haven’t read the Variety article yet, but THR has additional details.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Series on Hold as Calls Go Out for New Scripts

 

[jmc]

4 Episodes? Seriously, what the **** is going on over there? Kennedy is the last person who should be trusted with the quality of the scripts.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Between this news and leaks about the Episode IX we didn't get, fire her.

 

[Detective Conan]

Kathleen Kennedy is a great producer but she’s not a good Star Wars producer. She’s just not cut out for this franchise, imo. She needs to step down.

 

[Yellow Cyclone]

lmao the one star wars thing she has the least hands in is mando, and it's beloved by fans and critics, keeping the franchise on life support, then it blows up on streaming, then takes a more involved role on obi-wan and once again we're in production rewrite/reshoot/problem mode, which sums up her entire tenure at lucasfilm

you can't make this up hah

 

[Yowza]

She runs things like Kevin Feige. There's not much of a difference except a different kind of franchise. She's gotten well deserved criticism and certainly deserving of more for her comments regarding the Star Wars franchise not having material like Marvel does to draw from when so many written materials I just couldn't believe it.

I think she's more hands off at times than Kevin in terms of Kevin playing the numbers game via direct controlled homogenization though. The Star Wars franchise there are numerous times where she's been less hands on than Kevin is. The wrong people being allowed to get more control than they should shows she can be hands off at times through selecting the wrong people for the job as opposed to often the right people for the job then watering down/homogenizing their output like Kevin does (using Eric Pearson to doctor the Black Widow Script as a final polish just 1 example of many ways this is done on each Marvel movie).

Overall, they're 2 peas in a head honcho pod.

 

[jmc]

It's beyond a joke now. Kennedy may be good a managing how a production runs, but she is not fit to be the one making the creative decisions. As was mentioned above, the one thing she's had the least involvement with since Disney bought Lucasfilm is the one thing that has had the least issues attached to it. Kennedy and Star Wars don't mix, and it's high tided someone told that to her face. She's not a creative person, she's a producer, those are two separate skills and she's only skilled in one. She needs to have the humility to look herself in the mirror and tell herself she's not the right person for this. Run the day to day activities at Lucasfilm, but for christ sake, hand the creative reigns over to someone who knows what the **** they are doing.

 

[writer0327]

I doubt she made the decision to push pause all on her own in a vacuum. She likely got feedback from a couple of creatives like Filoni and decided to err on the side of caution.

But the first rule of leadership is everything is your fault. She should fall on the sword. Take the high road.

 

[Marvolo]

4 Episodes? Seriously, what the **** is going on over there? Kennedy is the last person who should be trusted with the quality of the scripts.

I am honestly starting to despise Kathy. Pretty much every star wars project she is involved in she is unhappy with and delays it or dicks with. And the nerve of her to delay this indefinitely for script issues after she rushed ROS to theaters in it's broken garbage condition...

I've had it with her. She needs to step away from star wars.

Also, 4 episodes?!?

Ewan McGregor has wanted to come back to the franchise for years, you finally give him a series, you talk about how a series allows long form storytelling, and then you make it 4 episodes...not even the length of two films. Just go **** yourself, Disney. Go **** yourself with a lightsaber.

 

[Herolee10]

Obi-Wan's response whenever Kathleen Kennedy tells people that she has a good idea for the franchise.

 

[Mani-Man]

Kathleen Kennedy is a great producer but she’s not a good Star Wars producer. She’s just not cut out for this franchise, imo. She needs to step down.

The question is always on how much she really puts in place.
We only have this outsider information that makes her look like she has no plan, but we dont know what inside of Disney goes on.

Best thing imo would be if she would openly come out and paint a picture where she thinks star wars is going, what is the state...what the plans are.
Because as it stands, she is president of Lucasfilms and in charge of it.

Something needs to happen and fast, this is all not looking too good.
Sure a lot of it is fear mongering when people cry that star wars is dead and all, but nobody can deny that things are looking a bit messy at the moment.
Being more transparent and open with this incredible huge fandom that is Star wars, would be far better than what they do now.

A clear path and plan is a must for something as huge like Star Wars, it is needed to ease the fans and take away some worry...because there is some valid worry for where this all is going.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

Steven Weintraub, Collider: "Learned a lot in the past few days about the behind-the-scenes at Lucasfilm. A lot of the blame on #TheRiseOfSkywalker falls on Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan. Might do a story. Saying that, it was J.J. who came up with bringing back Palpatine. Which was a huge mistake" (January 4, 2020 - deleted tweet)

Peter Sciretta, /Film: "Development in Hollywood is usually rough. That said, the amount of problems, restarts, reshoots, hiring and firings on Lucasfilm projects is not normal. I can’t wait until there is a tell all book on these years." "This is a complete misreading if the situation. Disney and KK didn’t 'listen to the fans.' TROS is completely JJ’s vision and he was under no pressure. I don’t even believe Abrams was listening or responding to fans, he was merely trying to tell the end of the story he started." "I’m not pointing a finger at [Kennedy] here. That said, producing movies and running a studio are different jobs." "Seems to me like they had problems before TLJ." "I have my knees deep in this and all I can relay is what i know and have been hearing." "[A 'Tell All' book] would have to happen unofficially" "I don’t think it’s THAT hard [to make a Star Wars movie]. This is the result of a bad process. Which cogs in the machine are causing the result? That I don’t know. But I don’t think it’s as simple as it’s hard to make a Star Wars movie." (January 20, 2020)

 

[jolldan]

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety both have the story as well. I haven’t read the Variety article yet, but THR has additional details.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Series on Hold as Calls Go Out for New Scripts

When are Disney gonna drop Kathleen she honestly seems like she's been pure poison to the Star Wars IP.

 

[Detective Conan]

Controversial take: There’s no need for an Obi-Wan movie or show as there’s simply not much story to tell. The show would essentially be about a space wizard hermit in the same arid wasteland looking after the offspring of his sand-hating apprentice-turned-evil. That type of story doesn’t interest me for either a show or movie, and it’s already territory comics have already covered which makes doing a show kinda of redundant.

 

[MadVillainy]

Controversial take: There’s no need for an Obi-Wan movie or show as there’s simply not much story to tell. The show would essentially be about a space wizard hermit in the same arid wasteland looking after the offspring of his sand-hating apprentice-turned-evil. That type of story doesn’t interest me for either a show or movie, and it’s already territory comics have already covered which makes doing a show kinda of redundant.

Even though there isn't a need for it, there's a good story to tell.
And just because it's covered in the comics doesn't mean you can't cover it in live actions. Especially when most people haven't and won't read the comics.

There's a lot you could do with an Obi-Wan interquel movie or show. Someone years ago had a great take on it that would've involved a Clone Trooper, Darth Maul, and Obi Wan. I don't think Disney would go that route, but there is story and ideas there.

 

[Detective Conan]

Even though there isn't a need for it, there's a good story to tell.
And just because it's covered in the comics doesn't mean you can't cover it in live actions. Especially when most people haven't and won't read the comics.

There's a lot you could do with an Obi-Wan interquel movie or show. Someone years ago had a great take on it that would've involved a Clone Trooper, Darth Maul, and Obi Wan. I don't think Disney would go that route, but there is story and ideas there.

There’s story there, but my question is it interesting enough for either an entire feature or tv show? To me, a show about old Ben staying in the desert to watch a young Luke doesn’t sound terribly interesting, and is the type of premise that could make for good ancillary material like the books and comics but not for a movie or show.

You mention Darth Maul but Rebels gave him a pretty final fate (if you know what I mean), and there’s no indication in the canon that Maul and Obi-Wan have met since their last encounter in Clone Wars before Rebels.

 

[MadVillainy]

There’s story there, but my question is it interesting enough for either an entire feature or tv show? To me, a show about old Ben staying in the desert to watch a young Luke doesn’t sound terribly interesting, and is the type of premise that could make for good ancillary material like the books and comics but not for a movie or show.

Is this Obi Wan project a show or a mini series?
There for sure is enough story for a 2 hours movie or a 6-8 ep miniseries.

And you're looking at things very narrowly. Of course the show isn't going to be Obi Wan just standing there looking after Luke. There are other things to get caught up in on Tatooine. Other things that Obi Wan will have to deal with (survivor's guilt, constantly looking over his shoulder, etc.) that is enough for a mini series or a 2 hour feature

 

[Marvolo]

Ewan McGregor says filming of the Obi-Wan series pushed til next January

"It just slipped to next year, that's all.The scripts are really good. I think that so now that Episode IX came out and everyone at Lucasfilm's got more time to look to spend on the writing, they felt like they wanted more time to write the episodes. I read about 80-90 percent of what they've written so far and it's really, really good. And instead of shooting this August, they just want to start shooting in January, that's all. It's nothing more dramatic than that. It often happens in projects, they just wanted to push it to next year."

 

[Spider-Fan]

Even though there isn't a need for it, there's a good story to tell.
And just because it's covered in the comics doesn't mean you can't cover it in live actions. Especially when most people haven't and won't read the comics.

There's a lot you could do with an Obi-Wan interquel movie or show. Someone years ago had a great take on it that would've involved a Clone Trooper, Darth Maul, and Obi Wan. I don't think Disney would go that route, but there is story and ideas there.

I would add that even if there is no need for it, it's something they were doing regardless. Once again, Kennedy had drama with yet another project. That's the important take away. You can't have a Star Wars project anymore it seems without drama. You don't see drama to this extent with Marvel our Piixar, and they produce more annual content than Lucasfilm does. At least Marvel does. So the issue has to management within the company.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

RE: Obi-Wan project.

The Cassian Andor (remember him) series was reported as cancelled by Variety before soon after the article being revised to say Tony Gilroy was brought on to redo it. It's current status is unknown.

 

[Mani-Man]

I would add that even if there is no need for it, it's something they were doing regardless. Once again, Kennedy had drama with yet another project. That's the important take away. You can't have a Star Wars project anymore it seems without drama. You don't see drama to this extent with Marvel our Piixar, and they produce more annual content than Lucasfilm does. At least Marvel does. So the issue has to management within the company.

But this managment problem isnt just there, seems more like marvel etc are the odd bunch considering how many movie companies seem to have management issues.
It does look bad when you consider that under Disney, the marvel part seems to work like a rather well oiled machine while Disneys Lucasfilm stumbles around that much.

Its why i said, we need those in charge make clear statements and tell us stuff more openly.
The machine isnt running well, its key to change that.
If kennedy is at fault or not, i dont want to say...i sure as hell dont want to sit on the "buhu evil kathleen kennedy" hate train some run on, because i dont believe for a second all the trouble can come from one single person in a company like Disney...but she is president of Lucasfilm and needs the act together, wherever the problem lies.

RE: Obi-Wan project.

The Cassian Andor (remember him) series was reported as cancelled by Variety before soon after the article being revised to say Tony Gilroy was brought on to redo it. It's current status is unknown.

At this point i dont see a reason to do this series...its way too long in the limbo imo.
We really need a roadmap what they plan in the future with star wars.

 

[jmc]

Controversial take: There’s no need for an Obi-Wan movie or show as there’s simply not much story to tell. The show would essentially be about a space wizard hermit in the same arid wasteland looking after the offspring of his sand-hating apprentice-turned-evil. That type of story doesn’t interest me for either a show or movie, and it’s already territory comics have already covered which makes doing a show kinda of redundant.

Valid point actually. It’s entirely possible the person writing the screenplay simply couldn’t find a story worth telling. In all seriousness, what stories could be told? He’s meant to be in hiding to protect Luke, the moment you take Obi-Wan off Tattooine is the moment you break Episode 4. Maybe this is more a case of being a good idea on paper, but in practice it just doesn’t work.

 

[MadVillainy]

Valid point actually. It’s entirely possible the person writing the screenplay simply couldn’t find a story worth telling. In all seriousness, what stories could be told? He’s meant to be in hiding to protect Luke, the moment you take Obi-Wan off Tattooine is the moment you break Episode 4. Maybe this is more a case of being a good idea on paper, but in practice it just doesn’t work.

You don't need to take him off Tattoine...
Again I think Obi Wan is a mini series. There's more than enough to make a mini series. Basically Obi Wan has to be on Tatooine and he and certain characters (Luke, Owen, Luke's aunt whatsherface don't have to die. There's plenty of space in that playground to mess around with

 

[MadVillainy]

Actually this is from the OP in the Obi Wan thread

• Obi-Wan taking on the name of Ben
• Owen's relationship to the old Jedi and why his feelings towards him are so charged with resent.
• Obi-Wan dealing with scoundrels and possible reminders of his past
• Return of Qui-Gon as a ghost (or whatever the clone wars established he could become)
• Return of Maul as an antagonist (or really anyone left alive from Obi-Wan's past)
• Obi-Wan struggling with tough choices he must make in order to protect the young Luke

All that is enough for a 2 hour movie or a 6-8 hour mini series

 

[Mani-Man]

Tattooine is quite big, there are more villages and so than we saw.
He could still walk around as nameless jedi who protects people, fights pirates and so on.
Of course there is no material for 12+ seasons, but you could easily have 12-15 episodes that show us what Obi-Wan was doing for 20+ years.