Kathleen Kennedy Admits Star Wars Films Are on Hold as She Exits Lucasfilm

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Kathleen Kennedy has acknowledged that Lucasfilm is putting most future Star Wars movies on hold while Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan take on leadership roles.

In an interview with Deadline, Kennedy admitted that several major Star Wars projects have been paused, delayed, or are waiting for approval from the new leaders taking over.

Notably, she made no mention at all of the Daisy Ridley New Jedi Order movie.

Major Star Wars Projects Put on Ice

When directly questioned about the progress of several Star Wars movies connected to well-known directors, Kennedy was straightforward in her answers.

James Mangold’s planned Star Wars film, co-written with Beau Willimon, has been paused, even though it features a highly praised and original script. Mangold recently agreed to a major deal with Paramount. Similarly, a project from Steve Soderbergh, penned by Scott Burns and starring Adam Driver, is also currently delayed.

I need to be careful how I say this. The script by Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon is fantastic, but it’s a very different approach and the project is currently paused. Both Mangold’s project and Soderbergh’s are on hold and not being actively developed right now.

Taika Waititi, Donald Glover, and Rian Johnson Status

Kathleen Kennedy praised Taika Waititi’s script as funny and well-written, but she’s no longer in a position to approve its development.

Donald Glover has also submitted a script, which remains in limbo:

Taika Waititi submitted a script that I found very funny and well-written. However, since I’m leaving, the decision isn’t solely mine. Donald Glover also turned in a script. I believe both scripts still have potential, but it will be up to the new team to decide how to move forward with them.

According to Kennedy, Rian Johnson’s potential return to the Star Wars universe was delayed because he became busy with the Knives Out movies for Netflix, and also because of the strong negative reaction to The Last Jedi. She believes The Last Jedi is actually one of the best Star Wars films, but feels Johnson was discouraged by the online criticism.

After he signed the deal with Netflix and began working on the Knives Out movies, that took up most of his time. That’s another key factor in this situation.

I really think he was shaken up by the negative reaction online. I personally think Rian Johnson made one of the best Star Wars films – he’s a very talented director. But it’s tough. Whenever someone new joins the Star Wars universe, whether they’re directing or acting, they always ask me what the fan reaction will be, and they’re understandably nervous.

Simon Kinberg Trilogy Still Alive

According to Kennedy, the one project with clear backing from within the company is a new trilogy proposed by Simon Kinberg.

After Lucasfilm revised the storyline, Kinberg finished a comprehensive 70-page outline, and a complete script is coming soon. According to Kennedy, both Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan strongly support Kinberg’s vision for the project, which would extend Star Wars’ theatrical releases well into the 2030s.

He’s currently working on the project. He previously wrote something we reviewed in August, and while it showed promise, it wasn’t quite right. We’ve significantly revised the story and he recently completed a detailed, 70-page treatment about four weeks ago. We’re expecting a new draft from him in March.

No Mention of Daisy Ridley’s New Jedi Order

Perhaps the most telling detail from the interview is what Kennedy didn’t say.

Although there had been talk and previous reports, Kennedy didn’t mention the planned New Jedi Order movie with Daisy Ridley and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Instead, when discussing upcoming Star Wars films, she highlighted the trilogy from Kinberg, the Mandalorian & Grogu movie, and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter project.

Its absence strongly indicates the Ridley project has likely been put on hold or is no longer considered important by the current leadership. Reports suggest Disney removed it from its planned release schedule and has since canceled it.

A Clean Hand‑Off to Filoni

Kennedy made it clear that the future of Star Wars films is now in the hands of Filoni and Brennan, as they will be the ones deciding which projects move ahead.

She’s willing to work on projects she previously contributed to, but she doesn’t want to dictate anything and wants the new team to have complete creative control.

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2026-01-16 05:33