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Kathleen Kennedy has become a lightning rod for fans and commentators unhappy at Disney’s handling of Star Wars since they acquired the property. She famously became the “star” of a South Park special that played on all perceptions of her creative leadership at Lucasfilm. So much so, that a line from that special has become both famous and synonymous with wider Hollywood failings.
We know this. We do the same thing here at Last Movie Outpost. Now, a report is spreading across the internet that claims this perception, and portrayal, is not true and perhaps unfair. Dark Horizons is reporting on some comments made on The Town podcast by Matthew Belloni.
These comments, attributing information to sources, say that it is not Kennedy making those decisions:
“Kathleen Kennedy is not… That whole ‘South Park’ thing was… It was funny, but it wasn’t accurate. She kind of has to be convinced, from everything I’ve been told, she kind of has to be convinced to do this stuff. And there’s still never been a female director of a ‘Star Wars’ movie. I’m very critical of Kathleen Kennedy, but I don’t think she’s gone overboard on the diversity stuff.”
This would imply that others are pushing agendas and she is either not stopping this, or is not aware enough of this.
Seems like a weird excuse to us. So these things are being done by others, under her nose. Three prequel movies, Ahsoka, season 3 of The Mandalorian, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all exhibit signs of this. This seems to say these things are somehow creeping in, undetected. Is this commentary saying that she lacks both reason and accountability?
The Acolyte is coming in a couple of months, and all signs point to more of the same, whatever the reason. The online commentary and meme factories were unbelievably savage once the trailer dropped earlier this year. The same report talking about Kennedy also mentions that star Dafne Keen gave an interview to Entertainment Weekly where she talked about a particular lightsaber dual they have shot for the series:
“We want to top the Darth Maul fight – the most iconic fight, I think, in the ‘Star Wars’ cinematic universe. It’s such an amazing fight and we were all so excited about the saber fights. There’s such a skill and a craft to it that it feels so OG ‘Star Wars’ and feels so impressive when you see it as a viewer.”
This is all very interesting, but while it was spectacular at the time, the Maul / Kenobi / Jin fight in The Phantom Menace is hideously over-choreographed and so full of needles flourishes that it seems to border on camp, and pales in comparison to the two Vader vs. Luke fights.
The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.
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