What this week’s major Star Wars shake-up means for the future of the franchise

When Disney acquired Star Wars, it had been a while since a movie had been released – Revenge of the Sith was the last one. The animated series The Clone Wars was currently airing, and the game studio LucasArts was developing several projects, including the highly anticipated Star Wars 1313. Kathleen Kennedy, known for her long-standing collaboration with Steven Spielberg and her work on the Indiana Jones films, appeared to be an ideal choice to lead Star Wars, bringing a touch of the classic 1980s Amblin style to the franchise.

Emilia Clarke’s New 8-Part Thriller Series Officially Beats Game Of Thrones To Set Major Rotten Tomatoes Record

The show Ponies initially received a very positive score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, which has since increased to 95%. All eight episodes of the first season were released on January 15th. This marks Clarke’s second television role since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, following her appearance in the 2023 Marvel series Secret Invasion, which didn’t receive favorable reviews.

The Most Anticipated Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Movies Finally Get Detailed Update from Kathleen Kennedy

Currently, only two Star Wars movies have confirmed release dates: The Mandalorian & Grogu directed by Jon Favreau, and Starfighter from Shawn Levy, planned for 2027. However, several other potential projects are still under development. In a recent interview with Deadline, Kathleen Kennedy, who is leaving her position, gave updates on films being considered from directors James Mangold and Taika Waititi, as well as the much-anticipated Lando project with Donald Glover.