1. Due to the increased amount of spam bots on the forum, we are strengthening our defenses. You may experience a CAPTCHA challenge from time to time.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Notification emails are working properly again. Please check your email spam folder and if you see any emails from the Cantina there, make sure to mark them as "Not Spam". This will help a lot to whitelist the emails and to stop them going to spam.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. IMPORTANT! To be able to create new threads and rate posts, you need to have at least 30 posts in The Cantina.
    Dismiss Notice
  4. Before posting a new thread, check the list with similar threads that will appear when you start typing the thread's title.
    Dismiss Notice

Will Reed Morano Break the Glass Ceiling Hovering Over Female Directors in Star Wars?

Discussion in 'SWNN News Feed' started by SWNN Probe, Jan 19, 2018.

  1. SWNN Probe

    SWNN Probe Seeker

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2016
    Posts:
    9,894
    Likes Received:
    11,414
    Trophy Points:
    3,842
    Credits:
    12,280
    Ratings:
    +18,205 / 24 / -23
    [​IMG]

    Reed Morano's story is nothing short of inspiring. A mother of two, cancer survivor, with a drive and passion unteachable, inherently born within certain people, and she has it. A recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter mentions her work drawing the attention of Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy, sparking the discussion on whether Morano will be the one to shatter the glass ceiling hovering over female directors in Star Wars films. There is no doubt she has the talent, the passion, and drive to succeed. The question is would Kathleen Kennedy take a risk on a director whose first feature film has yet to debut?







    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Morano mentions how her work on the HULU drama Handmaid's Tale drew the attention of Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy:

    [​IMG] I Think We're Alone Now (2018)



    Her Sci-Fi/Drama film I Think We're Alone Now will debut at Sundance this weekend, and she is currently directing an action/thriller The Rhythm Section which carries a $50 million budget. So while her experience in directing films hasn't been judged by critics or audiences yet, it is evident those in the industry are starting to feel a buzz rumbling about her, and Paramount Pictures was comfortable enough to hand her a $50 million production. Other big studios are certainly watching, and may want to pounce at the chance to sign her before anyone else does. The question is, can Kathleen Kennedy take that risk?



    By risk I mean Lucasfilm hiring a director before seeing the returns on their work. We need to take into consideration the reputation Lucasfilm has developed in the public eye in regards to shake-ups on their recent films:


    • Someone was brought in to handle reshoots for Rogue One, and Gareth Edwards played ball.
    • Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired and replaced by Ron Howard for Solo.
    • Colin Trevorrow was fired as the writer/director of Episode IX.


    [​IMG]



    You can't argue that there hasn't been instability at the helm of these recent films.



    Reed Morano possesses all of the qualities a producer would want. She is extremely talented, a proven Emmy Award winning television director, and has a limitless drive to succeed with an unwavering confidence and calming presence under the wire. But the question remains, will Lucasfilm take a risk before she establishes a major motion picture track record? That remains to be seen, and Kathleen Kennedy surely understands the reputation Lucasfilm currently holds with people watching their film shake ups closely.



    The bottom line with Disney will ALWAYS be the bottom line, and by bottom line we mean profits. Every decision they make will be made to make sure their products have the maximum level of financial success. Will a quote from this interview be taken as off-putting or jarring to some? Perhaps.



    Many fans would feel that generalization (while perhaps true for some films) does not apply to Star Wars films, as Carrie Fisher, Felicity Jones, Gwendoline Christie, Daisy Ridley and others have proven how undeniably badass they continue to be firing off blasters in recent Star Wars films under the Disney umbrella.



    Star Wars should have a female director. I think that ceiling needs to be shattered for several reasons. With that said, could Kathleen Kennedy reach out to a more established film director like Patty Jenkins or Kathryn Bigelow instead? Absolutely. But perhaps Kennedy sees a fire in Morano that will push aside the risk and be willing to pull the trigger to bring her in before another major studio takes the leap. Based on what know about Morano as a person, and as a creator, the risk may be worth it.



    [​IMG]



    Keep in mind that Lucasfilm has also announced a live action TV series that will help launch Disney's streaming service. Could Kennedy be courting Morano to helm the first ever Star Wars live action TV series? That is possible too, as her track record (currently) is much more established in that area.



    Either way it is great news to hear that Kennedy is branching out and publicly proving her desires to reach out to female talents BEHIND the camera for Lucasfilm projects going forward.



    You can find me on Twitter @JohnnyHoey.

    'For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.'





    Click HERE to check out and comment on this topic on our main site
     
    #1 SWNN Probe, Jan 19, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2018
    • Like Like x 1
  2. Grand Master Galen Marek

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2015
    Posts:
    22,073
    Likes Received:
    101,677
    Trophy Points:
    176,317
    Credits:
    48,344
    Ratings:
    +115,549 / 340 / -131
    I hope so, she's directed good movies in the past.
     
  3. mjb0015

    mjb0015 Clone

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2018
    Posts:
    1
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Credits:
    435
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    The franchise of Star Wars needs to grow, it needs to show that it can mix it with the rest of the industry and hire a female director, Moreno may just be that person! Let’s hope so..
     
    • Like Like x 1
Loading...

Share This Page