As it turns out, making a successful Star Wars film is hard.
Fans were excited for new chapters in their favorite franchise among the stars when Disney announced it was purchasing Lucasfilm and the rights to further films in 2012. But it has not all been smooth sailing since then.
The first new Star Wars film in over a decade, The Force Awakens, made close to a billion dollars worldwide and was received favorably, even if the tide of fandom has turned on JJ Abrams and his over-reliance on elements from previous films. In December 2015, any Star Wars fan likely would have been gushing over the film. Now, it’s met more with a shrug.
Since The Force Awakens though, most of the other announced properties have gone through an upheaval. Josh Trank was fired from his spinoff. Gareth Edwards was forced to do massive retooling on Rogue One. Chris Lord and Phil Miller were let go during production of the upcoming Han Solo film. And just last week, Colin Trevorrow, who was in pre-production on 2019's Episode IX, was let go.
A common component for these departures and story changes is Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. Lord & Miller and Trevorrow were reportedly let go because of disagreements in style or substance in the universe Kennedy is overseeing, as is her charge. Rogue One did well enough that we can forgive the film that could have been. Only time will tell if Ron Howard can step into Lord & Miller’s shoes to make a cohesive movie.
But the news that Abrams is stepping back into the director’s chair for Episode IX is good news. For all the (valid) criticisms you can throw at TFA, Abrams is a self-proclaimed huge Star Wars fan who did more right than wrong in the film. Yes, having another Death Star stand-in is tiresome and structuring the third act almost beat-for-beat like that in Episode IV is just lazy.
But Star Wars is back, thanks in part to Abrams easing audiences back into this fanciful world. Great new characters in Rey and Finn have been introduced, Kylo Ren, a villain that could match Darth Vader’s ferocity is lurking about, and we have most of our old friends back for new adventures. But most of all, Abrams knows the system and knows the expectations Kennedy has for this series. We may not ever get a Star Wars film that completely breaks the mold, but our desires will be satiated. JJ will do just fine on Episode IX, you guys.
Besides, would you really rather have George Lucas take over?
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