Star Wars not "actively" working on Rian Johnson movies or Obi-Wan season 2, says Kathleen Kennedy
Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy suggests you shouldn't hold your breath for that "trilogy" of Rian Johnson Star Wars movies
It’s Star Wars Celebration in London this weekend, the regular event in which our society somehow conspires to give even more of a shit about Star Wars stuff than it already does on every single other day of the year. So far, that’s included some big reveals—including a new movie that’ll star Daisy Ridley’s Rey, and the first trailer for Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka show. But what of the hypes of yesteryear? Whither those projects that were once the darlings of Celebration, but have now gone very, very quiet?
This is per Variety, which hopped on the phone with Star Wars Head Honcho Kathleen Kennedy this weekend to get updates on projects like Rian Johnson and Taika Waititi’s long-gestating Star Wars movies, and to weigh in on the fate of Disney+ series Obi-Wan. Which are, uh, not looking too rosy, in general.
We’ll start with the most optimistic news: Waititi’s movie is still apparently a (very slow) go, with the writer-director plugging away at a script. Kennedy says “We’re going to make that one day.” but notes that Waititi is working on the script solo, so as not to dilute his “ very, very unique voice.”
The Johnson “trilogy,” though… “Rian and I talk all the time,” Kennedy asserted. But, “He is unbelievably busy. So we’re not actively involved in anything at the moment because he’s doing another one of the Glass Onion movies and then God knows what else. But he really wants to step back into the space. It’s a big commitment of time, so that’s really on him.” (It is generally considered not great, in terms of making a movie, when your studio head uses “God knows” when describing your scheduling.)
And don’t hold out hopes for another season of Obi-Wan, either: “That is not an active development,” Kennedy admitted. “But I never say never, because there’s always the possibility. That show was so well-received and Deborah Chow did such a spectacular job. Ewan McGregor really wants to do another.” (“Never say never”: Also not a great phrase in terms of a project ever getting made.)