As December draws near, all eyes in the universe have fallen upon the Star Wars franchise.
Much of that attention comes from the gleeful anticipation surrounding The Rise of Skywalker, but it’s fair to say that there are currently a number of big question marks looming over this most beloved franchise, not least after the sudden departure of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
The Game of Thrones duo were originally attached to a brand new trilogy at Lucasfilm, but ultimately chose Netflix over a galaxy far, far away on the belief that they “could not do justice to both.” And while it wasn’t long before Star Wars fans drew their own conclusions about Benioff and Weiss’ exit, the Powers That Be still intend to release a new movie in 2022, after The Hollywood Reporter noted that Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy “has a film on deck” for three years’ time.
Per THR:
Sources say Kennedy has a film on deck for 2022, but not the one being developed by The Last Jedi filmmaker Rian Johnson. (No announcement is planned until January.) Kennedy’s contract is up in 2021, so whether she will be on the job when this film is completed is not clear.
As THR points out, the fact that Kennedy’s own contract expires in 2021 may result in that aforementioned pic, the first planned Star Wars blockbuster after Episode IX, being delayed. It’s also important to clarify that this is not the film being developed by The Last Jedi‘s Rian Johnson; rather, Lucasfilm seemingly has someone else lined up to replace Benioff and Weiss, the details of which will be revealed in January.
Closer to home, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker takes flight on December 20th. And with it, the end of the Skywalker Saga as we know it. What comes next? That’s a question for Kennedy and her team.
