The future of “Star Wars” is pretty uncertain, at this point. No, Disney isn’t canceling the franchise or anything like that. But literally, what the future holds for the film franchise is not known right now, at least not for fans. However, according to Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, this uncertainty has forced her to talk to a variety of new filmmakers, which means “Star Wars” could be getting a lot more inclusive and diverse behind the camera.
In a new interview with The Wrap, Kathleen Kennedy was asked about the future of “Star Wars,” and she admitted that they’re taking a break to figure out what direction the franchise will move in going forward. And part of that procedure is to talk to a number of new filmmakers and get some input.
“We just need the time to step back and really absorb what George [Lucas] has created, and then start to think about where things might go,” she explained. “That’s what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been having a great deal of fun doing it, and meeting with lots of different filmmakers and talent. There’s so many fans out there and so many filmmakers that have been influenced by ‘Star Wars’ for so long that it’s a fantastic opportunity to get a sense of who wants to be a part of this. So that’s what we’ve been doing.”
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And it would appear that part of those discussions with filmmakers and talent involves a number of females. For decades, “Star Wars” has been largely dominated by white male filmmakers, and until recently, primarily on “The Mandalorian,” that’s continued to be the case. But according to the executive, one of the biggest priorities is to hire more female filmmakers for projects.
“It’s absolutely a priority,” said Kennedy. “I was actually sad because I love Nia DaCosta, who was just announced to do ‘Captain Marvel’ [the sequel]. She’s another director I’ve been watching, and I think she’s enormously talented.”
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She continued, “Certainly, the kind of television that’s being made now is going to give many people an opportunity to direct more and be more involved with shows that have special effects and extended production values. It really gives people an opportunity to move into big technical movies. That’s exciting. I think we can develop a lot of new talent and it’s about time.”
Of course, this inclusivity has already begun, even without DaCosta. Filmmakers like Debra Chow (“Obi-Wan” and “The Mandalorian”), Bryce Dallas Howard (“The Mandalorian”), and Leslye Headland (a mystery project) are just a few of the names that have recently joined the Lucasfilm/“Star Wars” family. And we’ll just have to see what films and TV projects are on the horizon to see what other names might be joining those women.