Kathleen Kennedy is finally handing over the keys to a galaxy she’s controlled for thirteen years–and her Deadline exit interview reads less like a victory lap than a casualty report.
The Casualties: Mangold and Ben Solo
James Mangold‘s Dawn of the Jedi is “definitely on hold.” Kennedy called the script by Mangold and Beau Willimon “incredible” but noted it’s “breaking the mold”–which, in Hollywood euphemism, explains exactly why it’s shelved.
The Hunt for Ben Solo fares no better. When Adam Driver, Steven Soderbergh, and Scott Burns revealed their post-Rise of Skywalker project last October, fans responded with campaigns and literal billboards. Kennedy confirmed the script is “just great.” She also confirmed it’s “really on the back burner.”
Both projects share the same fatal flaw: they’re interesting. “Right now we’re in an era where companies are so risk-averse,” Kennedy said. “That’s what contributes to things disappearing.”
The Survivors: Scripts Without Green Lights
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars film has a completed script Kennedy calls “hilarious and great.” Donald Glover’s Lando–languishing since before the pandemic–also has a finished script. Both are “still somewhat alive.”
That phrase tells you everything. Not “moving forward.” Not “in pre-production.” Somewhat alive. Like a patient stable enough not to unplug, but nobody’s booking their recovery room.
The One With Momentum: Kinberg’s Trilogy
Simon Kinberg’s trilogy appears to be the sole project with genuine traction. Kennedy revealed he delivered a 70-page treatment “four weeks ago” with a script expected in March. Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan are “very much on board”–their Rebels collaboration gives Kinberg an institutional advantage others lack.
Kennedy placed the timeline “well into 2030 plus.” That sounds distant, but it’s the first concrete roadmap since the sequel trilogy.
Though I’ll admit: Kinberg’s theatrical track record (X-Men: The Last Stand, Dark Phoenix) doesn’t inspire confidence. Maybe his TV work is the better predictor. Maybe not.
The Strangest Omission: Rey’s Return
Daisy Ridley‘s New Jedi Order film went completely unmentioned. Announced at Celebration 2023 with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy directing, it seemed to have corporate backing. Ridley told IGN last month it’ll be “worth the wait.”
Kennedy’s silence is either strategic, troubled, or an oversight. None of those options reassure.
What This Actually Means
Star Wars returns to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22, 2026, followed by Starfighter on May 28, 2027. The pipeline isn’t empty.
But Kennedy’s interview reveals a deeper dysfunction. Multiple filmmakers delivered scripts she calls “incredible” and “great.” None are being made because the studio is “nervous.”
“Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk,” Kennedy said.
The risk is this: if Filoni and Brennan play it safe, Star Wars becomes a franchise that only knows how to make Mandalorian spin-offs. The ambitious projects–the ones that could actually revitalize the saga–will remain scripts that never became films. And a decade from now, we’ll look back at this interview as the moment we should have seen it coming.
FAQ: Star Wars Future Under New Lucasfilm Leadership
Why might Kinberg’s trilogy succeed where Mangold failed?
Kinberg has institutional relationships with Filoni (from Rebels) that Mangold lacks. His project was built for the new regime, not inherited by it. Whether political positioning translates to creative success is the open question–his film track record suggests caution.
How reliable is Kennedy’s “still somewhat alive” as a status indicator?
Historically, “alive” in development hell means “not officially canceled.” Waititi’s project has been “alive” since 2020. That’s five years without a green light. “Somewhat alive” is the studio equivalent of “it’s complicated” on a relationship status–technically true, practically meaningless.
