Is Kathleen Kennedy running Lucasfilm into the ground?
There’s a common narrative in the rise and fall of empires, and it often hinges on leadership. Over the decades, the ascension of Kathleen Kennedy in the film industry has been nothing short of impressive. From her early days as Steven Spielberg’s assistant to her meteoric rise as the president of Lucasfilm, Kennedy’s career trajectory was seemingly flawless. However, the story of Lucasfilm under Kennedy’s stewardship is a story of decline. It’s an account of how the weight of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, two of cinema’s most revered (and profitable) franchises, has been squandered.
Kennedy’s role at Lucasfilm was a herald of hope for many fans. The prospects seemed endless when Disney acquired the company in 2012 with her at the helm. Less than a decade after Revenge of the Sith, the fandom clamoured for more content set in a galaxy far away, and who better get the ball rolling once more than someone closely associated with George Lucas? The initial return of the Star Wars franchise with The Force Awakens in 2015 and Rogue One a year later was promising, both critically and commercially. Yet, the shine began to fade rapidly. The subsequent films in the sequel trilogy, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, were met with growing disapproval from fans and critics alike.
The unceremonious discarding of George Lucas’ original sequel plans, inconsistency in a narrative arc across the three films, and seeming lack of respect for beloved original characters led to an increasing sense of disillusionment. Soon a new consensus among the fans emerged: Lucas’ prequel trilogy, so often derided at the time, held more artistic merit than the new Skywalker trilogy. The writing was on the wall when The Rise of Skywalker saw a worrying decrease in box office figures and some of the lowest-rated reviews in the franchise’s history.
2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, which marked the franchise’s first box office failure, losing $77million and demonstrating that Kennedy’s Lucasfilm was not only losing touch with fans but also with financial success. The film’s troubled production, including the firing of original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, painted a picture of a studio in chaos. Even the small screen endeavours, where The Mandalorian enjoyed immense success and reignited passion for the universe (up until its third season), were not immune to controversy. The dismissal of actor/professional fighter Gina Carano amidst political disagreements further fuelled fans’ growing discontent with the management of Star Wars under Kennedy’s watch.
Then came 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. This project held so much potential yet continues to fall shorter and shorter of expectations with every pay that passes since its anticlimactic release. With Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role, it should have been a triumphant return to form. Instead, it was met with a collective sigh from fans and critics alike – and a startlingly tepid box office performance. If Disney executives weren’t raising eyebrows before, you could guarantee they were now. You could argue that Dial of Destiny signified the moment Lucasfilm’s decline under Kennedy’s leadership moved from opinion to quantifiable, rock-solid fact.
With a decade’s worth of hindsight, her tenure at Lucasfilm has been fraught with controversy, critical disappointment and seriously diminishing returns. As fans, we’ve seen the Star Wars universe and the Indiana Jones franchise lose all their passion, soul, magic and profitability. At the start of the millennium, no one would have believed these two Intelectual Properties would be dying brands. Perhaps it’s time to face the painful reality: Lucasfilm has lost its way under Kennedy’s stewardship. What’s more, as evidenced by the incessant re-shoots, re-cuts and re-hiring and firing of filmmakers on their most recent project, Lucasfilm knows it.
The tale of Kennedy’s leadership is a cautionary one. It’s a story of how even the most esteemed franchises can be run aground with poor decision-making and a crucial lack of respect for their origins. It’s a lesson in the importance of understanding what made these stories resonate with generations of fans in the first place, and sadly, it’s a lesson learned at great expense to Lucasfilm’s integrity and finances. Whether Kennedy gets outed and replaced, or Lucasfilm withers up and folds altogether, whoever’s out there seeking to revive the next classic piece of entertainment and nostalgia, it’s worth remembering; “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Because, in Kennedy’s case, “fixing” it lost them millions.
