Kathleen Kennedy Says Star Wars Movie Getting Female Director Very Soon

The future of the Star Wars saga is now an unexplored frontier, as no one knows what direction [...]

The future of the Star Wars saga is now an unexplored frontier, as no one knows what direction Lucasfilm will explore now that they have wrapped up the Skywalker Saga. More than 40 years after the premiere of the first movie, the long-running storyline has finally come to a conclusion with the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But now that J.J. Abrams has finished the sequel trilogy he began over five years ago, there are a lot of questions about what's next for the Star Wars franchise. The person with the answers, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, just revealed that she's looking forward to seeing a woman calling the shots behind the scenes.

While appearing at the BAFTA Awards, Kennedy told BBC News that there would be a female Star Wars director coming soon. She also pointed toward the work of Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard, who helmed a few fan-favorite episodes of their flagship Disney+ series Star Wars: The Mandalorian.

Walt Disney Studios has already claimed release dates for three future Star Wars movies, all of them set to release in the month of December in 2022, 2024, and 2026.

It's not clear if a woman will be handling any of these Star Wars movies as of now — Chow is already committed to directing the Disney+ Star Wars series focusing on Obi-Wan Kenobi with Ewan McGregor set to return, which begins filming in 2021. And Howard only has experience helming that episode of The Mandalorian, and might need more credits before taking on a production as massive as Star Wars.

There are plenty of talented options to choose from outside of these two candidates, from The Rhythm Section director Reed Morano to Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan and countless others, Kennedy has a deep well from which to select a capable filmmaker. She spoke with the LA Times about the future of the franchise, explaining how vital this moment in history will be.

"Obviously, that's what's we've been spending so much time talking about, and it's a really important transition for Star Wars," Kennedy began. "What we've been focused on these last five or six years is finishing that family saga around the Skywalkers. Now is the time to start thinking about how to segue into something new and different."

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently playing in theaters, and there is no word yet on what the next Star Wars film will be.

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