What Lucasfilm Should Be Doing

How to fix the Star Wars universe for the future.

I’m worried about the Star Wars Universe.

That probably sounds strange, but it’s the same kind of worry I have regarding the DC Cinematic Universe. I look at what’s been done so far and what’s coming down the road, and I worry no one is in charge. Of course, there is someone technically in charge of both franchises.

With the DCCU, it’s Walter Hamada, the President at Warner Bros. Pictures for DC-based film production. Hamada underwhelms me. He has done nothing so far but make moderately successful Aquaman and Shazam! movies and hire James Gunn to make The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. I’m waiting to see how The Batman, Black Adam, and the Flash do both creatively and at the box office. For me, the jury is still out on if Hamada has successfully navigated the post-Snyder aesthetic.

With Star Wars, the person in charge is Kathleen Kennedy, whom I think has been mediocre at best. However, she did do one right thing, and that’s name Dave Filoni the Executive Creative Director and Executive Producer of Star Wars. Filoni understands Star Wars better than anyone currently at Lucasfilm/Disney. He should be making/involved in all decisions in the future.

I’m not sure he is.

For example, the latest Star Wars offering, The Book of Boba Fett, was a mess. We had three different stories going on, with the most compelling one not involving the so-called star of the show. The show reeks of a heavy-handed producer directing the creative director on where to go and doubling down on previous good decisions. That’s why we are getting more Luke Skywalker and other general fan services. You get a cameo! You get an extended cameo!

Howabout just telling a compelling story?

Since the last feature film, Star Wars has become small. Small screen. Small storytelling. Why was The Mandalorian must-watch television in its first season? It told an original story with zero fan service. We didn’t need anyone showing up from the expanded universe to be drawn into the world of Din Djarin and his little green friend. It added something original. Ever since then, we’ve gotten more and more fan service.