Rian Johnson said he’s “looking forward” to seeing what Kathleen Kennedy does next after she steps down as president of Lucasfilm. Kennedy, who was tapped by George Lucas to run Lucasfilm 14 years ago and put him in charge of the Star Wars franchise, announced his departure from the studio earlier this month. She will be replaced by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan.
“I love Cassie, and I can’t wait to see what she does next,” Johnson said on Audible’s Variety Studio while in Sundance as executive producer of “New York’s Only Alive Pickpocket.” “As a Star Wars fan, the most exciting thing for me is to see the moment when they bring in fresh voices and fresh filmmakers to tell new stories in that world. That’s what I look forward to seeing more happen.”
Johnson directed “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and said of the experience, “I had the best time of my life working on this movie. I’m an even bigger Star Wars fan now than I was when I worked on this movie. If it were to happen again, I’d be happy.”
Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, also appeared at Sundance to promote her new film Rock Springs. Asked on Variety Studio what Kennedy’s leadership meant to her, Tran said it would be “very unfortunate” for the Star Wars franchise to lose her.
“She’s had a great career,” Tran said. “It’s historic that not just a woman, but someone so talented could stay in that role for so long. I think it’s a huge shame, but I’m so happy for the changes she’s making in her life.”
After 2017’s The Last Jedi, Johnson was scheduled to develop another Star Wars trilogy. However, the project never got off the ground, and Johnson went on to write and direct the “Knives Out” trilogy. In his exit interview with Deadline, Kennedy explained that Johnson never returned to the Star Wars franchise because Johnson spent “an enormous amount of time” working on the Knives Out movies. Johnson also claimed that he was “a little scared” by the fan backlash for The Last Jedi, which Johnson denied by posting on the X show, “LOL, I was scared, I’m sorry.”
