If there’s one figure in the Star Wars universe that fans view as more dangerous, scheming, and downright nefarious than Darth Vader and Palpatine combined, it’s Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy.
While her track record for box office success as a producer is among the best in the business, her stewardship of the franchise since Disney acquired George Lucas’ baby back in 2012 has repeatedly been called into question, which is of course a completely understandable response.
Under Kennedy’s watch, countless filmmakers have signed on for various Star Wars projects only to either walk away or be fired, while Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron was recently hit with an indefinite delay after the dreaded “creative differences” were cited once again.
Factor in the wide-ranging disappointment at the lack of a Disney Plus Day presence and the underwhelming conclusion to the Sequel Trilogy, and folks won’t be too thrilled to hear Puck‘s Matthew Belloni report that Kennedy has reportedly extended her contract for another three years.
Many of Kennedy’s peers have sung her praises publicly, including Disney CEO Bob Chapek and Jon Favreau, the latter of whom many would love to see succeed her as the driving force behind Star Wars. She’s clearly got great friends in very important places given the disconnect between her professional and public perceptions.