Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Could Still Happen, According to Kathleen Kennedy

Kathleen Kennedy is thinking a lot about the future of Star Wars as Celebration Europe kicks off with a bang, and a new interview helps clear up some of her thoughts on the ambitious space opera franchise.



After Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase panel earlier this morning, IGN managed to snag a one-on-one interview with Kathleen Kennedy. The interviewer hit the ground running first by asking about the announcement of Dave Filoni's debut as a film director and the process behind his hiring. She responded with the following:

When pressed about what kinds of characters we should expect to see in his movie, she stated that most of the cast will be characters that he's introduced either through animation or live-action:

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: James Mangold attends the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny presentation during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)



Also on the subject of filmmakers -- James Mangold. When asked about his role in the future of Star Wars films and how his involvement with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny might have factored into the decision to hire him for the first project set in the Dawn of the Jedi era, Kathleen Kennedy said that it was part of it, but not the only deciding factor:

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: (L-R) Daisy Ridley, Kathleen Kennedy and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attend the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 attends the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)



One of the big surprises of today was that Daisy Ridley appeared on the stage, confirming her involvement in the film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, which will mark the start of the New Jedi Order era. Kathleen Kennedy could barely contain her excitement when talking about her return, along with how the highs and lows of Luke Skywalker's life influence her own journey:

What was notable about today's presentation was not just what was shown, but what was not. As we learned a month ago, Patty Jenkins's Rogue Squadron was no longer moving forward, and Kevin Feige suspended work on his spin-off film to focus on balancing a massive slate of Marvel Studios projects. Meanwhile, Rian Johnson's film (which could be the start of a potential trilogy) was a no-show once again, while the more recently-announced films to be helmed by the likes of Taika Waititi and Shawn Levy were also not mentioned. Kathleen Kennedy indicated that in most cases, the projects have been paused, not stopped:

Star Wars: The Acolyte



Also on the subject of shows, Kathleen Kennedy noted during the panel that she was blown away by the first four episodes of The Acolyte. When asked to elaborate, she explained what impressed her so much:

Lastly, she addressed the situation with Lando, following the recent interview with Donald Glover raising questions about whether or not, and when, the series will be made:

You can watch the full interview below:



[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz6s7kvuwMc[/embed]



As of right now, Star Wars films are scheduled to release on December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027.



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