‘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:
“You know, it hasn’t been something that we just decided. It’s actually I feel like something we’ve been working toward, and he’s been working toward, for at least a decade. So this is a very evolving process – nothing happens, y’know, overnight. But it’s really thrilling to see him take this step.”
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:
“He’s obviously taking all the work he’s been doing in animation and now in television with Jon Favreau, and he’s moving some of those storylines in the feature space. So there’s going to be a lot people recognize… I wouldn’t do it without Dave. Dave created so much of what was in Clone Wars and Rebels, and that extension of that storytelling is something that’s Dave’s. And certainly working with him to try to evolve that into [what we do] in live-action, whether it’s a series or whether we go into features. That’s something that we would do with him.”
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:
“I’ve been following Jim for a long time. I mean, his work has consistently been so good, and certainly when he did [Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny], it was clear that he’s a real filmmaker and he loves movies and he loves Star Wars. He always has, and he’s constantly been in my ear – ‘Hey, maybe, maybe, maybe…’ – and then he came up with this idea, and we sat down and talked with Dave about it and [Carrie Beck], and all of us, and [we] agreed that this would be a really good next step.”
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:
“It’s huge! We’re fifteen years of from The Rise of Skywalker, so we’re kind of post-war, post-First Order, and the Jedi are in disarray. And there’s a lot of discussion around, who are the Jedi, what are they doing, what’s the state of the galaxy – and she’s attempting to rebuild the Jedi Order based on the books, based on what she promised Luke. So that’s where we’re going. I don’t know if we’ll spend a lot of time in flashbacks or Force Ghosts or things like that, but certainly the spirit of what he represents to her is gonna be significant.”
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:
“Well, they haven’t been shelved. Most things haven’t been shelved. Development is a complicated, long-term process. Some people – we’re dealing with scheduling, because obviously really talented people are working, so it’s often not a shelving. Is it ready? That’s really what it comes down to… Kevin Feige’s project was something announced in the press, or I suppose fandom, but there was nothing – nothing ever developed. We never discussed an idea, as everybody knows, Kevin’s a huge Star Wars fan, and if he did come up with something, I would be all ears, but that’s never really happened. It’s not an abandoned project, it just didn’t happen… Rogue Squadron, that definitely is something that we still talk about. Whether it’s a movie, or whether it ends up being in the series space, that’s definitely something.”
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:
“Leslye her storytelling – I was blown away by the scale and the size, and as you could see from what you saw in the room, it’s very compelling. She’s doing some really original things, and yet completely grounded in Star Wars.”
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:
“I can just tell you – it’s still happening, and he’s still very excited about it!”
You can watch the full interview below:
As of right now, Star Wars films are scheduled to release on December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027.
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
