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Kathleen Kennedy says the future of ‘Star Wars’ is an ‘ever-evolving process’

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 12:  Kathleen Kennedy during the Star Wars Celebration at the Wintrust Arena on April 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 12: Kathleen Kennedy during the Star Wars Celebration at the Wintrust Arena on April 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)

Kathleen Kennedy has provided an update on the future of the Star Wars universe, calling it “an ever-evolving process,” while acknowledging that television will be integral to the future of the franchise.

Kennedy admitted as much to The Wrap, saying that her primary focus since she was hired to be the president of Lucasfilm was to complete the Skywalker saga, something that creator George Lucas had been talking about for decades.

“He always talked about doing nine movies and he was ready to complete that. And so our focus had been from the beginning on finishing that saga."

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With last year’s The Rise Of Skywalker having concluded what Lucas had begun, Kennedy says that she and the Lucasfilm team have now decided to take a step back and look at the whole Star Wars universe before deciding how to proceed.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA- JUNE 12: Producer Kathleen Kennedy and producer/director George Lucas attend Women In Film's 2013 Crystal + Lucy Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 12, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA- JUNE 12: Producer Kathleen Kennedy and producer/director George Lucas attend Women In Film's 2013 Crystal + Lucy Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 12, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.(Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)

“Stories have been told within this universe over the last 40 odd years, and there’s now the realisation that this is a mythology that actually spans about 25,000 years, when you really start to look at all the different stories that have been told, whether it’s in books and games."

When it comes to building on the past Star Wars movies, TV shows, novels, and comic-books, Kennedy says the most important aspect is absorbing what Lucas created and then thinking “where things might go.”

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"That’s what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been having a great deal of fun doing it, and meeting with lots of different filmmakers and talent. There’s so many fans out there and so many filmmakers that have been influenced by Star Wars for so long that it’s a fantastic opportunity to get a sense of who wants to be a part of this. So that’s what we’ve been doing."

This is where she acknowledged that TV will be integral to the future of the Star Wars universe, saying that she’s “already seen evidence” of that with Disney+’s The Mandalorian, which will return for a second season.

"The ability to be very character-driven, with extended storytelling and connected storytelling, I think this space offers us a great opportunity to do that."