• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Kathleen Kennedy reportedly out at LucasFilm [Update: Official]

Holyshit Rise Of Skywalker's audience score on RT hasn't moved at all since its release in 2019. Still at 86%.

RT clearly froze the score and used "review bombing" as a justification. The excuse of "it's because only verified ticket purchasers could review it" is total BS.

AI Overview



Yes, many fans noticed and accused
Rotten Tomatoes and Disney of "freezing" or rigging Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's audience score at around 86% shortly after its release, citing unusually stable scores despite massive review volumes and discrepancies with critical reviews and fan sentiment, though Rotten Tomatoes' official podcasts and articles defended the score as reflecting a strong positive response from verified ticket buyers, contrasting with the film's low critic score.
 
Last edited:
dave_d said:
I can totally believe this. I mean I heard a rule that John Romero had that flips this on it's head, design the last level first. (Which is beautiful in it's simplicity and ease in determining if you're doing it or not and when you get down to it if you do that you know where you need to end up.) The funny part? In the same article they gave that same rule to other game designers and asked them what was their similar rule? They literally couldn't come up with one. (Just stupid shit such as make the game fun.)
Click to expand...

There's another rule: Design the first level last. By the time you do it all the gameplay systems should be mature and the knowledge of how to use them is peak, plus you know what the player should need to learn vs what they can learn later. And it's the first bite of the pie the player will taste so make it a good one.

It's also why some DLC really hits. The developers know how all the tools and systems work so they shouldn't be fire fighting broken windows, just focusing on making a great experience. Though that sometimes doesn't happen due to things like the core team being shuffled off to the next project and DLC being cooked by more junior staff.
 
jason10mm said:
So this Marcia Davis documentary thing can't be totally true. They make it seem like she is writing the film from the editing room but she she can't invent stuff that wasn't filmed. Poor Richard Marquand, he takes a few hits :P

I find it amazing that these studios finance millions and millions on films where the script isn't totally storyboarded out for all the major beats. But I listen to story after story from actors where they were improvising shit on the fly and entire scenes were written that day, it seems so crazy. But maybe thats just Hollywood.
Click to expand...

This video makes an attempt to describe what the original cut looked like before Marcia and the other editors involvement.



Talks about reusing shots and snippets originally intended for other parts of the film, cutting out chunks of dialogue, scenes, and really massaging the pacing to amp things up.
 
falconhoof said:
This video makes an attempt to describe what the original cut looked like before Marcia and the other editors involvement.



Talks about reusing shots and snippets originally intended for other parts of the film, cutting out chunks of dialogue, scenes, and really massaging the pacing to amp things up.
Click to expand...

Other than apparently cutting to create the death star about to blow up yavin, I'm not sure there is really anything there that any editor wouldn't polish up after the first pass. But that choice was very good, though it begs the question why they appeared on the other side of the planet, didn't just shoot through the gas giant, or a few other possibiltiies. Still, a great ending decision.

I'm always impressed at seeing raw footage before the color grading, music, and sound mix. No film really looks good in that state.

That narrators voice is verbal melatonin though, put yah right to sleep!
 
I've been so out of Star Wars news that I didn't notice this until I spotted a YouTube stream talking about it.

For all of the interference people have run for Kathleen up to now, the fact remains that even with the successes that you could count (on one hand, maybe), there were a large amount of failures and a whole IP left in a kinda fucked state. And all of that happened under her tenure, under her watch.

So...Sucks to suck, Kathleen.

Maybe things will improve, but I'm not holding my breath. There's no guarantee that whoever replaces her won't also do a bad job.

Unknown Soldier said:
Hard to believe they waited until the franchise was completely destroyed before finally taking action on this
Click to expand...
I'm much less surprised, but I do see where you're coming from. I'm sure you've also seen it in gaming, with companies that are so slow to correct themselves and steer ships away from trends that are just not working. [Insert example here]
 
It was not always smooth sailing. Kennedy fired filmmakers Phil Lord and Chris Miller as directors of Solo, replacing them with Ron Howard mid-production. The film became the first Star Wars movie to lose money in its theatrical run. During the production of Rogue One, she sidelined director Gareth Edwards, with Tony Gilroy brought in to overhaul the movie. And while that move engendered plenty of sky-is-falling narratives, the move proved to be savvy as the movie became a major critical and financial hit, and later led to Gilroy's critically adored and Emmy-winning Disney+ prequel series Andor.

Following Rise of Skywalker, which received a mixed response, Disney put Star Wars movies on pause, with CEO Bob Iger acknowledging it produced too many movies too quickly. Over the past decade, Lucasfilm went through stops and starts as it promised movies that failed to materialize, including projects from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Last Jedi filmmaker Rian Johnson and Taika Waititi. A movie starring Daisy Ridley has been stuck in development since it was announced in 2023.
Click to expand...

A New Nope
Observers point out that under Filoni and Brennan, the franchise could see a continuing of many of the practices and priorities set forth under Kennedy. After all, both have been at Lucasfilm for years and are part of the institution.
Click to expand...
 


------
Kathleen Kennedy has given a statement about leaving Lucasfilm:

"When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn't have imagined what lay ahead.

It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I'm deeply proud of what we've accomplished together.

I'm excited to continue developing films & TV with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling."
------

UAKPJ0LGBQanx87z.gif
 
Last edited:
Gonna have to show us a reason to care about Star Wars again if they want to make things right.

For Indiana Jones, someone needs to commit seppuku (or issue a sincere apology) over Dials of Destiny. Then never touch the franchise again.
 
RoboFu said:
She killed 2 major franchises. It should have been done sooner.
Click to expand...
Kill two franchises earlier?

She has had major success in Hollywood for a long time. I don't think she could do something to get fired because a lot of people are where they are because of her.
 
AJUMP23 said:
Kill two franchises earlier?

She has had major success in Hollywood for a long time. I don't think she could do something to get fired because a lot of people are where they are because of her.
Click to expand...
No star wars and Indiana jones were shit because of her.

She was super lucky with ET and Jurassic park to have OTHER geniuses who had more power than her make those movies.
 


———
Kathleen Kennedy gives an update on future Star Wars films:

• James Mangold's film is "on hold" but has an incredible script

• Donald Glover has turned in a script for a 'Lando' movie

• Simon Kinberg is actively working on a trilogy of films that Dave & Lynwen are very on board for

• Taika Waititi turned in a script for a film she calls "hilarious & great"

• Confirms 'The Hunt for Ben Solo' script is also on the back-burner
———
 
EviLore said:


———
Kathleen Kennedy gives an update on future Star Wars films:

• James Mangold's film is "on hold" but has an incredible script

• Donald Glover has turned in a script for a 'Lando' movie

• Simon Kinberg is actively working on a trilogy of films that Dave & Lynwen are very on board for

• Taika Waititi turned in a script for a film she calls "hilarious & great"

• Confirms 'The Hunt for Ben Solo' script is also on the back-burner
———
Click to expand...

All this talk about "fresh voices" yet all we're seeing are the same names they always work with.
 
EviLore said:


———
Kathleen Kennedy gives an update on future Star Wars films:

• James Mangold's film is "on hold" but has an incredible script

• Donald Glover has turned in a script for a 'Lando' movie

• Simon Kinberg is actively working on a trilogy of films that Dave & Lynwen are very on board for

• Taika Waititi turned in a script for a film she calls "hilarious & great"

• Confirms 'The Hunt for Ben Solo' script is also on the back-burner
———
Click to expand...


delete big brother GIF


How the hell Taika Watiti is still writing something?
The only good movie he did was JoJo Rabbit and He has to thank Sam Rockwell for it.
 
Last edited:
EviLore said:
For such a huge and beloved franchise, they can't seem to get any real talent to write a screenplay for it…
Click to expand...

Any screenwriter worth a damn knows that Star Wars under Lucas said everything it ever needed to say.

The rest jump at the chance to stroke their ego by adding their milquetoast contribution to a legendary canvas.
 
Neff said:
Any screenwriter worth a damn knows that Star Wars under Lucas said everything it ever needed to say.

The rest jump at the chance to stroke their ego by adding their milquetoast contribution to a legendary canvas.
Click to expand...

Nah I don't agree with that. Andor proved there is still potential and possibilities within the Star Wars franchise. I'd say Mandalorian did too.

The problem is, Disney seems averse to making GOOD Star Wars content for some reason.
 
Mengy said:
Nah I don't agree with that. Andor proved there is still potential and possibilities within the Star Wars franchise. I'd say Mandalorian did too.

The problem is, Disney seems averse to making GOOD Star Wars content for some reason.
Click to expand...

Simultaneous cross-corporate-government destruction of all that was loved from 1950 - 2015

There is a reason, but it probably ain't pretty lol
 
EviLore said:
"When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn't have imagined what lay ahead.

It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I'm deeply proud of what we've accomplished together."
Click to expand...

Fuck you stupid bitch. You never acomplished anything, you're nothing but a vulture that took glory over other people works. You're a slug full of hate for Lucas and Spilberg work and took advantage of your position to destroy both of their works. Go away and never come back.
 
Last edited:
At frist I was a bit unsure of Dave taking over. But I recently re-watched Rebels and Disney+ TV shows incluindg Ahsoka. He brought his rebels characters to lfe really well. His take on Star Wars is abit out there and non traditional, but it's Clone Wars which he and Lucas worked on together. I think a lot of what he will bring to the table has it's root in Lucas thoughts and approvals.

I'm really looking forward to season 2, I'm a Thrawn mark. But then Daves movies if they still happen. I believe Star Wars is in a better place now thatn it was with KK.

I'm still amazed KK was allowed to reign for so long without someone taking her out.
 
Turns out, it's real hard to force an agenda in movies (and video games) that just exists to be awesome.

To fix Star Wars and Indy. Get a group of nerds (men and women) who loved the source material and give them one directive…. And one directive only. Make it fucking awesome. Every scene, every character, every line of dialogue needs to be fucking awesome (or setting up something fucking awesome).

That's it. No agendas. No message. Just a fucking awesome adventure. The rest will fall into place.
 
EviLore said:


------
Kathleen Kennedy has given a statement about leaving Lucasfilm:

"When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn't have imagined what lay ahead.

It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I'm deeply proud of what we've accomplished together.

I'm excited to continue developing films & TV with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling."
------

UAKPJ0LGBQanx87z.gif
Click to expand...

cDD1nI9LX18IgsGo.gif
 
Last edited:
Dirk Benedict said:
I thought it was too late for years. However, with her gone, I can, at the very least, go back to wait-and-see. That is until they show more of the same, then I can go back to making like they don't exist.
Click to expand...

Well there's that other lady but she's handling the business side of things. So we shall see

One of my main issues with Disney Star Wars is that setting wise, they have been mostly boring. At least with George Lucas, he came up with some interesting settings not only for the OT and the PT but stuff like The Clone Wars (Ahsoka Tano show) had some great interesting settings. I even admit that there's been a couple of stuff from Disney Star Wars I have enjoyed but I always felt that Disney plays it too safe with the setting. But that's just my take, feel free to disagree with me
 
Last edited:
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt said:
Well there's that other lady but she's handling the business side of things. So we shall see

My issue with Disney Star Wars is that setting wise, they have been mostly boring. At least with George Lucas, he came up with some interesting settings not only for the OT and the PT but stuff like The Clone Wars (Ahsoka Tano show) had some great interesting settings. I even admit that there's been a couple of stuff from Disney Star Wars I have enjoyed but I always felt that Disney plays it too safe with the setting. But that's just my take, feel free to disagree with me
Click to expand...
I share the same sentiments, my guy NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt
I have the original Trilogy on DVD and ripped. This was before Lucas went apeshit with the CGI inserts.
PT in 1080p BR, Ripped. I have the the latest ones, as well, but... they stay on an external drive, sitting there.
 
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt said:
Well there's that other lady but she's handling the business side of things. So we shall see

One of my main issues with Disney Star Wars is that setting wise, they have been mostly boring. At least with George Lucas, he came up with some interesting settings not only for the OT and the PT but stuff like The Clone Wars (Ahsoka Tano show) had some great interesting settings. I even admit that there's been a couple of stuff from Disney Star Wars I have enjoyed but I always felt that Disney plays it too safe with the setting. But that's just my take, feel free to disagree with me
Click to expand...

I hope Tony Gilroy and his crew are invited back to do more series or films.

As for the Ahsoka Tano show, the best part of it was Ray Stevenson's character and his apprentice. I found their story far more compelling than Ahsoka's. Anyway let see what Filoni can do now that he's got the reins.
 
Lord Panda said:
I hope Tony Gilroy and his crew are invited back to do more series or films.
Click to expand...

He should be hired as one of the writers for multiple shows due to how good Andor is

Lord Panda said:
As for the Ahsoka Tano show, the best part of it was Ray Stevenson's character and his apprentice. I found their story far more compelling than Ahsoka's. Anyway let see what Filoni can do now that he's got the reins.
Click to expand...

Ahsoka Tano used to be my favorite Star Wars character til Filoni overused her in everything. The first season of Ahsoka was OK, I'm going to give Season 2 a chance since this time, Filoni doesn't have KK breathing down his neck. I agree with you we shall see how he does now that he's fully in charge. He should also hire Jon Favreau to help him with both the tv and movie side of things

I wonder who they will replace Ray Stevenson character with, maybe a recast. I was surprised he was in one of my favorite shows which is Black Sails, he did a fantastic job playing Black Beard

Dirk Benedict said:
I share the same sentiments, my guy NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt
I have the original Trilogy on DVD and ripped. This was before Lucas went apeshit with the CGI inserts.
PT in 1080p BR, Ripped. I have the the latest ones, as well, but... they stay on an external drive, sitting there.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have both the DVD/Bluray sets for the OT, The Clone Wars and PT
 
Last edited:
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt said:
He should be hired as one of the writers for multiple shows due to how good Andor is



Ahsoka Tano used to be my favorite Star Wars character til Filoni overused her in everything. The first season of Ahsoka was OK, I'm going to give Season 2 a chance since this time, Filoni doesn't have KK breathing down his neck. I agree with you we shall see how he does now that he's fully in charge. He should also hire Jon Favreau to help him with both the tv and movie side of things

I wonder who they will replace Ray Stevenson character with, maybe a recast. I was surprised he was in one of my favorite shows which is Black Sails, he did a fantastic job playing Black Beard



Yeah I have both the DVD/Bluray sets for the OT, The Clone Wars and PT. I also have them pirated
Click to expand...

They replaced Stevenson with the Hound actor from GOT. Not terrible, but without swearing it will be strange ;)
 
DeepEnigma said:
Maybe inject more bare man ass and women making sexual orgy innuendos in a family film that blindsided parents at the theater and made them uncomfortable, like he did with the recent Thor.
Click to expand...
Can't put that one all on him that was just the direction at the time. I mean the Marvels had a strap on joke with an underage character in the scene.
 
She mention's story , yet I still don't know what the overall story was for those three films. I rewatched them last year with a family member and I was taken aback by how soulless they are.
 
Ozzie666 said:
They replaced Stevenson with the Hound actor from GOT. Not terrible, but without swearing it will be strange ;)
Click to expand...

I was hoping they'd pry Gerard Butler away from whatever slop he was filming and get him to play Baylan Skoll, because I reckon he would've been a great fit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Lucasfilm Boss Kathleen Kennedy Expected to Retire This Year
2 3 4
151
9K
Dr.Morris79 replied
Mass shooting at Brown campus & MIT physicist murdered [update: shooter down]
8 9 10 11 12
578
2K
dave_d replied
David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh both wanted to direct Star Wars films, but Lucasfilm/Disney declined
33
679
spookyfish replied
Supergirl | Official Teaser Trailer
2 3 4
178
1K
IntentionalPun replied
Youtube rolled out another useless, needless, terrible UI update
2
50
4K
Ozzy Onya A2Z replied
Top Bottom