Kathleen Kennedy on Future of Star Wars, Sequel Trilogy Characters, Moving Past Trilogy Model

In a spotlight piece posted on the LA Times website, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy talks in general terms about the future of the Star Wars franchise after the release of The Rise of Skywalker. We know the next film in the franchise is set to arrive in 2022 with subsequent films slated for winter releases in 2024 and 2026. Lucasfilm has not revealed any specifics about this 2022 Star Wars film, though word is Kennedy will be announcing details on this project sometime next month.

Kennedy says even though Episode IX will be wrapping up the Skywalker saga, it won’t necessarily be the end of the new characters introduced throughout the Sequel Trilogy. She also believes the future storytelling in the franchise won’t be centered solely around the use of trilogies.

The next “Star Wars” film is expected to arrive in 2022, and that’s essentially all that’s known about it. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has an idea for a “Star Wars” movie, but it’s in the early stages, according to Kennedy. Rian Johnson, who wrote and directed “The Last Jedi,” is also developing more “Star Wars” films.

Kennedy said she plans to make key decisions about the direction of the franchise in the coming weeks. But some things she already knows. While the “Skywalker” saga is ending, the company won’t abandon the characters created in the most recent trilogy. Additionally, she said, the plan is to move beyond trilogies, which can be restricting.

“I think it gives us a more open-ended view of storytelling and doesn’t lock us into this three-act structure,” she said. “We’re not going to have some finite number and fit it into a box. We’re really going to let the story dictate that.”

Kennedy mentions how she is open to expanding the franchise content that falls under the Lucasfilm umbrella beyond the Star Wars brand.

“I’m very excited at the possibility of being able to do things that expand our portfolio a little bit,” she said. “You realize there’s so much potential to do some pretty great things, and to expand beyond just ‘Star Wars’ is pretty exciting to think about.”