Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has discussed the future of Star Wars films, saying they want to “create a whole new saga”.
Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, released in 2019, marked the closing chapter in the Skywalker saga and the last film in the franchise. Since then, Star Wars has expanded its TV output with Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch and The Book Of Boba Fett.
Speaking to GamesRadar, Kennedy reaffirmed however that progress is underway on a new saga of Star Wars films.
“[Future movies have] been in movement all along,” Kennedy said. “As we leave the saga, we have all this great, exciting work happening on the television side that informs so much about where we’re going. We want to be very intentional about that.
“And we have great talent that we’re working with – people who care so deeply about what the next iteration of Star Wars is and about getting people back into movie theatres, so we can really come out with a bang. That’s important to us.”
After saying there’s “no hesitancy” in following up the Skywalker saga, she added: “We need to create a whole new saga. That takes a lot. There’s a lot of conversation around that.”
Director Taika Waititi is helming the next Star Wars film, who is writing the screenplay with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917). The untitled film is set to be released in late 2023.
Rogue Squadron, directed by Patty Jenkins, is expected to be the follow-up project after it was delayed last year. The other known Star Wars film in development is being produced by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
At Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm announced a number of release dates for upcoming shows – with the third season of The Mandalorian set for February 2023 and Star Wars Andor arriving on August 31 this year.
In a four-star review of the latest release in the franchise, Obi-Wan Kenobi, NME wrote: “Walking the line between nostalgia and novelty as well as shouldering the entire Skywalker saga, Obi-Wan Kenobi has one of the toughest jobs in the galaxy. As long as no-one tries to bring Jar Jar Binks back in the next few episodes, it might just pull it off…”
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