It’s going to be a long winter for anyone who was wanting Kathleen Kennedy to sail away from Lucasfilm and Star Wars. The contract extension I broke exclusively here at That Park Place more than two weeks ago is confirmed to be a three-year extension for the incredibly divisive head of Lucasfilm.
Kathleen Kennedy Signed to Three Year Deal Thru 2024
I took a bit of heat when I announced that Kathleen Kennedy had likely received a contract extension. This followed on an article I did based on what I was hearing through back channels about Kennedy’s contract negotiations. All the way back in September, I was telling readers that Kennedy was almost certainly returning.
Kathleen Kennedy Almost Certain to Receive Contract Extension
And yes, it is still the case that Kathleen Kennedy has lost the confidence of Bob Chapek and the rest of The Walt Disney Company’s upper brass. That is what makes this entire situation so utterly bizarre.
I had expected that Kennedy would receive a one-year extension and a guaranteed executive producer role on Indiana Jones 5. At the most, I thought Kennedy would get a two-year extension. The decision to give Kennedy a three-year deal flies in the face of the changes CEO Chapek has been attempting to push throughout Disney. He’s very much wanted to move away from longer contracts, and more towards performance-based deals with short-term limits.
Message from Kathleen Kennedy to Star Wars fans. pic.twitter.com/AQkLyNczqH
— Jar Jar (Not) ̶A̶b̶r̶a̶m̶s̶ (@JarJarAbramss) October 26, 2021
From a personal standpoint, I don’t see Star Wars recovering until Kathleen Kennedy is gone, and this is more or less a cinematic nail in the coffin. Sure, there will be Disney+ content headed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni… but as far as movies go, she’s already run Patty Jenkins off. There’s nothing else for the next three years. Star Wars has gone from the hottest property on the planet to the current situation. And in no small part, I believe Kennedy’s mismanagement of Lucasfilm is what led to the Gina Carano situation, which almost certainly led to the collapse in Disney+ subscriber growth.
One thing that I’ve heard repeatedly is that Kathleen Kennedy is a vicious negotiator. I have little doubt that she planned to leave on her own terms, and it would seem Bob Chapek has met his match. Perhaps he can call George Lucas so the two can discuss the utter prowess of one Kathleen Kennedy. After all, they and Bob Iger form a trio of men who have been unable to tango with Mrs. Kennedy.
Kathleen Kennedy laughing at all the fandom menace turds thinking she was going to be fired pic.twitter.com/RFtsVqq8Jw
— Darth Charmant (@DarthCharmant) November 15, 2021
From a personal standpoint, I certainly wish that Kennedy had gone into the sunset. Indiana Jones 5 has been a disaster, Star Wars is a highly damaged brand, and everything about her endeavors is politicized. But even in the face of all that, you’ll notice I’ve been saying for months that KK was being rehired. Sometimes the truth hurts.
Kathleen Kennedy is victorious, even if the fans and Disney are not.