Star Wars fans were caught off guard when reports surfaced that Simon Kinberg had been tapped to develop a new trilogy of films, and new reports point to the reasons why Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy chose to approach him specifically. Perhaps best known for his work on X-Men franchise, it was reported that Kinberg was tasked with writing and developing a new Star Wars trilogy. However, it is currently unknown whether these films could represent a potential continuation of the Skywalker Saga and take the form of episodes 10-12, or whether they will be an entirely separate story.
Now, a new report from Variety suggests that sources familiar with the deal point to Kinberg’s established connections to the franchise that formed the basis for Kennedy’s decision. Highlighting Kinberg’s ongoing relationship with Lucasfilm executives Carrie Beck and Dave Filoni, with whom he worked on Star Wars: RebelsThe report also indicated that it was Kennedy who personally reached out to offer him this latest project.
In addition to your work Star Wars: Rebels, Kinberg had already been selected by Kennedy to be one of the first voices in planning Disney’s approach to the sequel trilogy, alongside Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan. However, much of this work would be left aside after the release of the 2015 album. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Likewise, he was also involved in helping James Mangold write his standalone Boba Fett film, another ill-fated project that never materialized.
What Kathleen Kennedy’s approach means for Star Wars
Lucasfilm president may be trying to play it safe
In the years since Kennedy assumed leadership of the Star Wars franchise following Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, the property has suffered more than its fair share of setbacksunrealized projects and radical changes in direction. Even the sequel trilogy, once considered the standard-bearer for Disney’s approach to the franchise, has undergone a major shake-up behind the scenes, not least limited to the decision to swap Colin Trevorrow for JJ Abrams as the person responsible for helming Episode IX.
Putting these new films directly into the hands of someone who is not only familiar with the Star Wars brand, but also has experience working at other major franchises, seems like a sensible move designed to deliver a much more cohesive product.
Given the backlash generated by the previous approach to the development of Star Wars sequels, it appears that Kennedy is now looking to ensure that the new trilogy benefits from a more planned and even-handed approach. Putting these new films 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 much more cohesive product. Furthermore, given that Kennedy is now in his 70s, the trilogy could serve as something of a lasting testament to his work with Lucasfilm at the time of its eventual release.
Our opinion on Kinberg’s Star Wars trilogy
Your track record isn’t entirely impeccable
At face value, It appears Kinberg is a largely safe pick entrust such an enormous task. Having recently helped deliver Disney another major boon in the form of his role as executive producer on Deadpool and Wolverineis it possible that he Star Wars the trilogy could silence even the franchise’s most vocal detractors. However, Kinberg’s track record is also far from flawless, and his directorial debut in 2019 X-Men: Dark Phoenix would come to be widely regarded as one of the worst X-Men films already made.
However, despite some critical and commercial failures, Kinberg has also helped deliver some of pop culture’s most acclaimed properties and even earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 2015. The Martian. Whether these varied laurels will necessarily translate into success for your future Star Wars The trilogy remains to be seen, but the franchise’s established fan base will no doubt be eager to see what direction he takes his films in, especially since Rebels remains a favorite.
Source: Variety