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Kathleen Kennedy Says Future Star Wars Films May Explore New Eras and Settings

August 25, 2020 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Star Wars The Old Republic

The Star Wars films have largely focused on the time of the Rebellion vs. Empire war, but Kathleen Kennedy has teased some films going out of that timeframe. The Lucasfilm president spoke with The Wrap for a new interview and when asked about the plan for future films now that the Saga is over, she suggested that they may be heading to other eras of the franchise’s mythology.

“Stories have been told within this universe over the last 40-odd years,” Kennedy said. “And there’s now the realization 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. We just need the time to step back and really absorb what George [Lucas] has created, and then start to think about where things might go. 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.”

The expanded Star Wars universe has delved into large swaths of the IP’s history, though much of that was made not necessarily canon by Disney’s continuity reset when they bought Lucasfilm. Stil, that setting material is out there and remains popular with fans. For example, the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic explored an era 3,000 years before the Battle of Yavin, as did the Knights of the Old Republic games. The next Star Wars film is currently scheduled for 2023, with more franchise exploration being done in the Disney+ shows.