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Star Wars fans were taken by surprise when reports emerged that Simon Kinberg had been tapped to develop a new trilogy of movies, and new reports point to the reasons why Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy chose to approach him specifically. Perhaps best known for his work on the X-Men franchise, it was reported that Kinberg had been tasked with writing and developing a new Star Wars trilogy. However, it is not currently known whether these movies could represent a potential continuation of the Skywalker Saga, and take the form of Episodes 10-12, or will be an entirely separate tale.
Now a new report from Variety suggests that sources familiar with the deal point to Kinberg’s established connections with the franchise forming the basis for Kennedy’s decision. Highlighting Kinberg’s ongoing relationship with Lucasfilm executives Carrie Beck and Dave Filoni, both of whom he worked with on Star Wars: Rebels, the report also indicated that it was Kennedy who personally reached out to offer him this latest project.
In addition to his work on Star Wars: Rebels, Kinberg had previously been selected by Kennedy to be one of the earliest voices in planning Disney’s approach to the sequel trilogy, alongside Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan. However, much of this work would be swept aside following the release of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Similarly, he had also been involved in aiding James Mangold write his standalone Boba Fett movie, another ill-fated project that never materialized.
What Kathleen Kennedy's Approach Means For Star Wars
Lucasfilm's President May Be Attempting To Play Things Safe
In the years since Kennedy assumed leadership of the Star Wars franchise following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, the property has experienced more than its fair share of setbacks, unrealized projects, and radical changes in direction. Even the sequel trilogy, which was once earmarked as the standard-bearer for Disney’s approach to the franchise, experienced major behind-the-scenes reshuffling, not solely limited to the decision to swap out Colin Trevorrow for J.J. Abrams as the person responsible for leading Episode IX.
Placing these new movies directly into the hands of someone who is not only familiar with the Star Wars brand, but also has experience working on other major franchises, seems like a sensible move designed to deliver a far more cohesive product.
Given the backlash generated by the prior approach to developing the Star Wars sequels, it would seem that Kennedy is now looking to ensure this new trilogy benefits from a more planned and even-handed approach. Placing these new movies directly into the hands of someone who is not only familiar with the brand, but also has experience with other major franchises, seems like a sensible move designed to deliver a far more cohesive product. Moreover, given that Kennedy is now in her 70s, the trilogy could serve to stand as something of an enduring testament of her work with Lucasfilm by the time of its eventual release.
Our Take On Kinberg's Star Wars Trilogy
His Track Record Is Not Entirely Spotless
At face value, it would seem that Kinberg is a largely safe choice to entrust with such an enormous task. Having recently helped deliver Disney another major boon in the form of his role as an executive producer on Deadpool & Wolverine, it is possible his Star Wars trilogy could potentially go on to silence even the franchise’s most vocal detractors. However, Kinberg’s track record is also far from spotless, and his own directorial debut on 2019’s X-Men: Dark Phoenix would go on to become widely regarded as one of the worst X-Men movies ever made.
Yet, despite a small handful of critical and commercial failures, Kinberg has also helped to deliver some of pop-culture’s most acclaimed properties and even earned himself an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture for 2015’s The Martian. Whether these assorted laurels will necessarily translate into success for his forthcoming Star Wars trilogy remains to be seen, but the franchise’s established fanbase will undoubtedly be keen to see which direction he takes his movies in, particularly since Rebels remains a favorite.
Source: Variety
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
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