According to a new rumor, Star Wars fans are in for a treat. The rumor claims that an official announcement will soon be made regarding upcoming Star Wars movies.
After enjoying a period of consistent theatrical releases, Star Wars fans have been in something of a drought. Released in 2019, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was the last theatrical project from Lucasfilm that followed the Skywalker Saga - and the last theatrical project for the following years. Since then, Lucasfilm has focused on shows exploring the Star Wars universe, like The Mandalorian, Andor, and The Book of Boba Fett. While the Disney Plus shows have garnered praise from fans and critics alike, they haven’t done much to push the Star Wars timeline forward. The shows mostly took place during established parts of the timeline, focusing on characters that previously got little to no time in the limelight.
However, it seems like Lucasfilm is finally ready to return to theaters. While talk has been circulating about an unnamed Star Wars movie that has changed hands a couple of times, no details about its story have been released. According to Jeff Sneider via The Hot Mic podcast, three Star Wars movies will be announced at the Star Wars Celebration in London, England. This year, the Star Wars Celebration will take place from April 7th to April 10th, which means that if Sneider is correct, fans only have to wait a couple of weeks for a huge update about their beloved franchise. For the moment, it's unclear if the projects helmed by Sharmeed Obaid-Chinoy and Taika Waititi will be part of that announcement.
Sneider also discussed the stakes surrounding the Star Wars project that is currently in production. "[The Sharmeed Obaid-Chinoy movie] is a big movie, not just for Star Wars, but for Kathleen Kennedy herself," Sneider said. "So, I’m told that Kathleen Kennedy's whole job depends on having a movie in theaters on Christmas Day 2025. If there’s no movie on Christmas Day 2025, there’s no job." Kennedy's tenure at Lucasfilm has been rife with criticism from fans, who have been quick to voice their dissatisfaction with the movies that have come out under her leadership. While fans aren’t in charge of hiring and firing at Lucasfilm, their reactions to the last several Star Wars films may have contributed to Kennedy's position being in a precarious place.
If this rumor is correct, fans will finally have a better idea of who is leading the next phase of Star Wars. While the Disney Plus shows have introduced quite a few characters that could appear on the big screen, Lucasfilm might use the departure from the Skywalker saga to break free from established characters entirely. This could be an opportunity for the franchise to get a fresh start and avoid contradicting expectations fans might have about well-loved characters. That being said, it’s difficult to imagine a situation in which fans are upset by seeing more adventures with characters like Grogu and Ahsoka. Hopefully, the answers to these questions will soon be revealed.
The Star Wars saga is available on Disney Plus.
Source: The Hot Mic podcast