Rumor: Star Wars Movies Not Expected to be Announced at D23; No New Movie Before 2024

This may seem like a cynical or depressing thing, but I think this is actually good news. Lucasfilm for the past couple of years has announced a fair number of big projects that either haven't panned out, either publicly or behind closed doors. Holding back from announcing those and promoting the things that are filmed and around the corner is a smarter choice than hyping people up for movies that may silently be shelved a year or two before it was supposed to release.

 

Heck, it wasn't that long ago that Kathleen Kennedy was telling us with a staight face that Taika Waititi's film was going to begin filming soon for a scheduled 2023 release.

At the time, a bunch of us said, "Yeah, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight" because Taika was telling folks he and his writing partner have yet to complete a first-draft of the screenplay for it.

 

honestly, i hope this is just a case of LFL playing things closer to the chest. Don't announce a movie or project until it's deeper into production and is likely to actually happen.

With stuff like this, I tend to think of Marvel's 2014 slate announcement. They laid out the next 5-6 years of films at that point, and delivered on (as far as I remember) all but one- that one being the Inhumans movie, that was eventually relegated to a pretty weak TV show.

I tend to contrast that with DC, who has an absolute minefield of abandoned projects since their DCEU started. More derelict projects that what's even been released, it's pathetic. And I say that as someone who has tended to have a pretty positive outlook on much of the DCEU, at least what they manage to actually release.

Yet, Star Wars is starting to look more DC than Marvel right now. RJ's trilogy, the GOT bros, Taika, Rogue Squadron on hold, Kenobi and Fett movies turned to TV shows, wasn't Feige doing something at some point...? And honestly, it feels like I'm even still missing quite a few.

I like what Star Wars does. They just need to learn to play things closer to the chest.

 

Not exactly.

She was hoping back in May they could release in late 2023, but she even acknowledged that it wasn't locked it.

Seems like that's what they're doing now until they're ready to move on this next project.

 

Solo flopped, TLJ was hugely controversial, TROS got a lot of criticism, but the spin off series have been huge successes, so it's maybe common sense for them to wait for a bit before deciding to press ahead with more movies. It depends on if they think there is an audience for new characters now the Skywalkers are all gone.

 

Not exactly? What am I missing here? You confirmed my earlier post.

Kennedy said at the time Taika would start filming soon and the production was aiming for a late 2023 release date. Disney already had a December 2023 theatrical release window open and ready for them if they made it.

 

Taika also wants to have a cast of entirely new characters, whether by this he means characters from the larger SWU rather than the surviving ST cast, or simply newbies he creates himself I have no idea...but I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter, he has a fondness for his own brand of movie. After all - he DID turn Ragnarok aka the end of the world into a comedy!!

 

I presented the quote. She didn't say they would start filming soon. You're inferring that somehow, but she doesn't say anything definitive other than she was hopeful for a late 2023 release.

At first I wanted a whole new story set in a different period, but that would be a huge risk that I'm not sure Disney is going to approve. Disney has a park built dedicated to established IP. At some point it seems like the higher ups are gonna say keep milking that cow.

 

Your Kennedy quote was from SW Celebration back on May 27, 2022. She publicly announced that 'she was hopeful' Taika's film would be theatrically released in late December, 2023 (taking over the theatrical release window vacated by Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron SW film.)

I'm 'somehow inferring' that he'd be filming soon??!?

Based on the date of Kennedy's 'hopeful' announcement, by my calculations that gave Taika less than 19 months to shoot his film and get it ready. Tell me how in the world could Kennedy have expressed any 'hope' whatsoever if Taika wasn't prepared to start filming soon???

That's why her announcement was bullpucky from the moment she uttered it. As I stated earlier, Taika was telling reporters at the time that he didn't even have a first draft script finished.

 

Correct.

Answering a question and saying you're hopeful but "haven't locked anything in" isn't an a formal announcement. You seem to be doing the heavy lifting of jumping to conclusions here, but her quote is pretty straight forward. She hoped it would be ready by late 2023, but they didn't have a definitive date. She never said anything about "filming soon." Which is what you said and why I said "not exactly."

Also, the use of "straight face" and "bullpucky" for what is an innocuous quote from Kennedy is a little silly. There's nothing nefarious going on here from Lucasfilm or Kennedy. She just answered a question, it wasn't some evil propaganda announcement from a Bond villain.

 

Yes, her quote was pretty straight forward---straight forward baloney. And the worst part is, she knew it at the time she made her SW Celebration comment. Why did she do it? I have no idea. Seems to me the company had nothing to gain (except some in-the-moment fan excitement) -- and a great deal to lose in credibility -- by setting up unrealistic fan expectations.

Here is one last attempt to explain it:

At the time of KK's comment (late May of this year), Lucasfilm had less than 19 months until her announced "hoped for--but nothing definitive, folks" late-2023 theatrical release of the next SW film. So if we are to believe she was being serious with us at the time, what did her comment tell us?

After Disney bought Star Wars in 2012. JJ Abrams was announced as the director and co-writer for the first Star Wars film under Disney. The production began filming The Force Awakens in April 2014. After eight months of shooting, he wrapped up filming in November. Following the film's lengthy post-production (as you would expect with an effects-heavy SW film), the movie was released in December of 2015. Count 'em up: It was 20 months from the start of filming to its eventual release.

If Kennedy's intent was to give us an honest projection, Taika had no time to waste if his boss was crossing-her-fingers for a late 2023 theatrical release. Again, if she was being serious and the date began slipping a bit---does it mean we're getting Taika's film in early 2024 instead? Or maybe Summer or Fall of 2024? How about Late 2024? If the answer is that none of those release dates are likely, what in the world was that comment from the President of Lucasfilm based on?

 

You said one thing and I pointed it wasn't how you characterized it. There's no need to build some elaborate story about it and I really don't understand your over the top perspective about a simple statement from May. Lucasfilm had a film spot for 2023. Back in May, Kennedy was hopeful they could still hit it and would announce something over the Summer. It didn't happen. There's not much more to add.

 

Okie dokie.

 

DP....why are you so angry?