Although this is a rumor article, based on sources I’ve communicated with, it’s likely not a surprise to readers. Indeed, other articles were out there last week discussing the situation similarly, likely due to some leak put out there by Disney or Kennedy. We’ve Got This Covered was on it, so was Epic Stream, and we’ve known since May that Bob Chapek was in a hard spot in regards to getting rid of Kathleen Kennedy.
Of course, since May things have changed again. The number one rule for Indiana Jones 5 was safety, yet Kennedy was present for filming in Scotland and Harrison Ford still was injured to the point he still hasn’t started filming again. Word around Hollywood is that the film’s budget has ballooned due to the situation, something that isn’t uncommon for Mrs. Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm. I’m told the Indiana Jones situation has created more friction between Kennedy and Chapek’s team.
Yet at the same time, Kennedy is almost certainly going to have her contract extended. According to sources, the contract negotiations were finalized sometime in very late August, despite the contract having been originally planned (reportedly) to be finalized in June. One source that has been right very often in the past claims that Kennedy’s new contract will be for 1-2 years. Given that Kathleen Kennedy just turned 70 years old, that seems probable to me. And, based on what I’ve been told, the real reason Kennedy is sticking around is to see Indiana Jones 5 through to completion. That would be the completion of her career, as well as quite a few others.
Make no mistake, however: Chapek is not pleased with Kathleen Kennedy.
In the upcoming, final years of her time with Lucasfilm, Kennedy is likely to have influence over Indiana Jones 5, Rogue Squadron, and The Acolyte. Outside of those projects, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni essentially own Star Wars. Significant turbulence awaits them as they attempt to repair the post-Gina Carano Star Wars landscape while simultaneously trying to please mainstream audiences… all while working with a Lucasfilm Studio that is hyper-partisan to the point of near-parody. Simply put, many of the people who have gained great authority at Lucasfilm under Kathleen Kennedy are not people you would want to have over for dinner. They tend to be extremists. Check out their Twitter pages if you doubt me. You’ll find more about political hatred than you will about lightsabers.
This should read “horribly selfish and disrespectful teens have been banned… “. https://t.co/BYSGPbGxjJ
— joelaron (@joelaron) August 27, 2021
#BoycottTexas 💯 https://t.co/U4DWa3VAmT
— joelaron (@joelaron) September 1, 2021
That Park Place isn’t a political site, but Lucasfilm certainly is. And political hot takes of only one variety appear to be acceptable at Kathleen Kennedy’s home. And trust me, Joel Aaron’s tweets are easily benign to other employees’ social media communications. His are just partisan… others can be cruel and vicious.
So what will Lucasfilm look like in a post-Kennedy era? It’s likely Chapek will want to clean up the mess that is over there, although Disney itself is not a bastion of morality at this time. It doesn’t look certain that Favreau is interested in taking on the role, and Filoni may not be in line due to his lack of experience in studio management. Given that there’s no certain replacement, it could be a corporate suit sent in from Chapek. Somebody is going to have to help right the ship, because there’s really very little to be excited about in regards to Lucasfilm projects.
As for whether or not Kennedy could lose her contract prior to renewal, anything is possible. Maybe something horrendous happens with Indy 5 and Disney just has to cut ties. But really, it would take a Deus Ex Machina type interruption to stop her at this point. So hang in there… the Kennedy era appears to still have a few trips around the sun left.