It hasn’t exactly been entirely plain sailing for the Star Wars franchise since Kathleen Kennedy was named President of Lucasfilm following Disney’s purchase of the company for over $4 billion back in 2012. The studio may have made their money back and then some after The Force Awakens, Rogue One, The Last Jedi and Solo combined to earn close to $5 billion at the box office, but ever since Star Wars entered the post-George Lucas era, the series has also been plagued by behind-the-scenes issues, as well as coming under heavy criticism from certain sections of the fanbase.
With a franchise like Star Wars, which has been beloved by people from all walks of life for over 40 years and has been enjoyed by multiple generations, there’s virtually no chance that every movie is going to be able to please everybody. Kennedy knows this, too, and addressed the fan opinion on Disney’s handling of the franchise in a recent interview, claiming that the filmmakers themselves are fans and are willing to listen to their audience.
“I frankly love the feedback and the criticism. You develop a little bit of an armor, but you learn from that. It’s kind of like having a continual focus group that’s out there telling you things, whether it’s what you want to hear or you don’t want to hear. We’re just like the fans out there, we’re just trying to find out what’s cool, what’s heartfelt, what’s strong storytelling and so I have to say, within reason, I love the feedback.”
No franchise has a perfect track record, especially one that’s been going as long as Star Wars, but the Disney-era movies haven’t exactly gone off without a hitch. The Force Awakens was generally well-received if perhaps a little too reverential to the Original Trilogy, while The Last Jedi deviated hugely from some of the established mythology and became the most divisive and polarizing entry in the entire series in the process.
The concept of biennial Anthology movies was also quietly abandoned after Solo became the first live-action installment in the saga to bomb at the box office following a troubled production that saw original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller fired with shooting well underway. Rogue One may have been a runaway success, but there were also persistent rumors that director Gareth Edwards was essentially replaced by Tony Gilroy when it came to the extensive reshoots and post-production process.
The Rise of Skywalker looks to bring a definitive end to the current cinematic makeup of the Star Wars franchise, with the saga reportedly taking a break from cinemas for several years as Lucasfilm focuses their efforts on their Disney Plus shows. For what it’s worth, The Mandalorian looks great and the fans are definitely onboard with Ewan McGregor’s return as Obi-Wan Kenobi, so hopefully Kathleen Kennedy and the other higher-ups at Lucasfilm will address the issues that have become increasingly common with recent Star Wars-related projects.
from Movies – We Got This Covered https://ift.tt/30GhHIX
Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge
Jack Leach put his cult hero status down to looking like a "village cricketer" after his key supporting role enabled Ben Stokes to steer England to a staggering victory in the third Ashes Test.
Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce joked that he was willing to play Ben Stokes as a centre half after the England all-rounder's epic century sealed a one-wicket victory over Australia in the third Ashes Test on Sunday (August 25).
England captain Joe Root praised 'freak' Ben Stokes for one of the greatest of all match-winning Test innings and believes the all-rounder's epic has helped instil fresh belief in his side that they can now go on to regain the Ashes.
It’s not often that Jasprit Bumrah is not among the wickets, no matter what the format of the game. In just 11 Tests, Bumrah has 55 wickets till date and averages 20.63. On Sunday (August 25), he produced another blistering spell against the West Indies at Antigua to claim 5/7 in eight overs and set up India’s massive 318-run win in Antigua.
Captain Tim Paine bore the brunt of Australian frustrations Monday at throwing away the third Ashes Test, with former skipper Ian Chappell saying he "lost his brain" in the final hour.
Ben Stokes may well have given the team dietician nightmares after doing the same to Australia's bowlers by revealing takeaway chicken and chocolate bars had fuelled his remarkable unbeaten century that saw England to a staggering one-wicket win in the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Sunday (August 25).