Lucasfilm Reportedly Limits Creative Control on Star Wars Movies

A lot of news has unfolded after this week for the Star Wars franchise after Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss departed their brand new trilogy. Now, there is talk that Lucasfilm is limiting creative control on Star Wars movies moving forward. Variety’s report discusses the fallout from this week and what caused the split. Numerous reasons come up over the course of this conversation. Was it the Netflix deal, or the comments about Game of Thrones‘ ending, or something else entirely? No one will ever know the absolute concrete answers. But, the reports surfacing now do give fans a much more full-bodied idea of what exactly happened. Everything changed in the post-Rise of Skywalker timeline almost overnight and now, people want answers.

Variety’s report details, “When Kennedy and her team pitched these filmmakers on joining the “Star Wars” family, sources say they were promised some measure of creative control. However, multiple insiders said new ideas were commonly shot down as Kennedy and her team were only looking for people to stick to the company line.”

“If disagreements about the direction of the film became too intense it usually led to the person leaving the project rather than an attempt to find common ground,” Variety continued. “The Lucasfilm brain trust would often turn to new writers such as Lord and Miller before ultimately retreating to old standbys such as Lawrence Kasdan, the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ writer who is still seen as a key sounding board on the productions. Even if the lack of an appetite for creative risk isn’t to blame, there are questions about whether the abrupt departures of key talent points to a problem in how directors and writers are being vetted and hired.”

Other reports point toward the looming uncertainty around the franchise after this Winter’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The Game of Thrones showrunners were supposed to helm a trilogy focusing on the beginnings of the Jedi, but that’s in the rearview mirror now. The duo took some heat over some comments about limiting the fantasy elements of their series over the hotly debated stretch run for the show. Internet commenters cried out in absolute horror at those comments and less than a week later, there is no Star Wars trilogy coming from those creators.

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s report, Kennedy was skeptical of the pair’s ability to juggle multiple projects. Previous statements about how they prefer to focus on one production at a time also probably inspired some worries. Benioff and Weiss reportedly told potential suitors, including Netflix, that they were planning to balance their development slate with the Star Wars trilogy they were committed to at the time.

The next film in the franchise, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is currently scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 20th.