Star Wars Projects Like Rogue Squadron And Lando Aren't Dead Or Shelved, Says Kathleen Kennedy
Star Wars Celebration 2023 kicked off in London today, with a slate of new projects already announced. While fans got pumped about the announcement of films that will bring back Rey, explore the earliest Jedis, and tie together several of the Disney+ series, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy spoke with IGN about back-burner projects that she says are far from dead.
When asked about shelved projects, Kennedy clarified that many of the Star Wars films that the press has reported as no longer in development aren't actually axed or forgotten. "Well, they haven't been shelved. Most things haven't been shelved," Kennedy said. "Development is a complicated, long-term process. [For] some people we're dealing with scheduling, because obviously really talented people are working." It's certainly true that Star Wars has a lot of talented, in-demand filmmakers attached to various projects, from "Logan" director James Mangold to "Thor: Ragnarok" filmmaker Taika Waititi. While it's easy to throw out a headline saying a project is dead if it's not being made, Kennedy says it's more a matter of timing and schedule coordination. "It's often not a shelving, it's just, 'Is it ready?' is really what it comes down to," she explained.
Lando lives!
Kennedy explained that both the Donald Glover-led Lando Calrissian series "Lando" is still in the works, and "Rogue Squadron," a film about fighter pilots which originally had "Wonder Woman" director Patty Jenkins attached, will likely still live on in some form. "'Rogue Squadron,' that definitely is something that we still talk about," Kennedy told IGN. "Whether it's a movie or whether it ends up being in the series space, that's definitely something."
As for "Lando," the exec didn't offer details, but confirmed: "I can just tell you it's still happening and [Donald Glover is] very excited about it." There is one Star Wars project that Kennedy revealed never actually gained any traction: the Kevin Feige-produced movie that was announced back in 2019. "Nothing ever got developed," Kennedy shared. "We never discussed an idea." She makes it sound as if the Marvel Studios president simply didn't end up pitching anything after all, but if he ever chooses to, Kennedy says she'd be "all ears." ("Loki" head writer Michael Waldron was hired to work on Feige's Star Wars movie, but perhaps he was just brought on to hone a pitch that still hasn't happened?)
Back in May 2022, Kennedy told Vanity Fair that "Rogue Squadron" was "kind of pushed off to the side for the moment" while Jenkins developed the script further. Now, it sounds like the project could end up as a TV show instead of a film, although it's not currently on the Lucasfilm release schedule. Earlier this week, Glover said "we're talking about it" in reference to "Lando," joking that he can't say more or run the risk of Kennedy hunting him down. "I would love to play Lando again," the artist told GQ. "It's a fun time to be him. It just has to be the right way to do it."