Rian Johnson on Kathleen Kennedy: “I am excited now to see what she does next”

January 27, 2026

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Speaking at the Variety Studio presented by Audible while in Sundance, Episode VIII director Rian Johnson spoke on the news that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role as Lucasfilm president after almost 14 years, and was keen to see what one of cinemas most decorated producers does next.

“I love Kathy. I am excited now to see what she does next. As a ‘Star Wars’ fan, the most exciting thing for me is always seeing when they bring in fresh voices and fresh filmmakers to come in and tell new stories in that world. That’s what I am looking forward to seeing more happen.”

He also spoke of his experience making The Last Jedi.

“I had the time of my life doing it. I am now an even bigger ‘Star Wars’ fan than I was when going into it. I would feel blessed if that were to ever happen [again].”

SourceVariety

Mark Newbold

Exploring the galaxy since 1978, Mark wrote his first fan fiction in 1981 and been a presence online since his first webpage Fanta War in 1996. He currently contributes to ILM.com, SkywalkerSound.com and Star Wars Insider, having previously written for StarWars.com, Star Wars Encyclopedia, Build The Millennium Falcon, Starburst Magazine, Geeky Monkey, TV Film Memorabilia and Model and Collectors Mart. He is a four-time Star Wars Celebration Stage host, the only podcaster to have appeared on every Celebration podcast stage since it began in 2015, the Daily Content Manager of Fantha Tracks and the co-host of Making Tracks, Canon Fodder and Start Your Engines on Fantha Tracks Radio.

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Counting Down To:

March 2026

sat07mar10:00 AM3:00 PMEcho Base Live: Episode XVIII: 7th March 2026TIME UNTIL THE EVENT ENDS:

April 2026

mon06apr12:01 AM1:01 AMStar Wars: Maul - Shadow LordThis event ends in..

May 2026

fri22may12:01 AM11:59 PMThe Mandalorian & GroguThe Mandalorian & Grogu arrives

Event Details

The Mandalorian and Grogu, announced as The Mandalorian & Grogu, is a Star Wars movie that started production in 2024. Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, and Dave Filoni, it takes place between the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode VII: The Force Awakens, focuses on the adventures of Din Djarin and Din Grogu, and will be a spinoff to the TV series Star Wars: The Mandalorian. The film was announced on January 9 that year on StarWars.com with a conceptual sketch by veteran illustrator Ryan Church, along with an announcement of a second season of the television series Star Wars: Ahsoka. A fourth season of The Mandalorian is also still in development.

On May 7, 2019, Disney revealed their future movie release schedule, including a set of three untitled new Star Wars films, one of which had a scheduled release date of December 20, 2024. The Star Wars Show also reported on the news on May 15. On July 23, 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was delayed to December 19, 2025. After the start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, Disney shifted their theatrical film release slate, with the film being pushed to its current release date of May 22, 2026. A film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy occupied this release slot until The Mandalorian & Grogu was announced.

Star Wars Insider 224 revealed the initial film logo was the same as the one for The Mandalorian Season Three. In August 2024, during D23 2024, it was revealed that the film had entered production, and a new logo was revealed, in addition to a teaser that was shown to the audience. In August 2024, Sigourney Weaver revealed that she had joined the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Alongside the release of the movie, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will be updated to include a new mission featuring Djarin, Grogu, Tatooine, Endor and Cloud City, which takes place off camera from the film.

Time

May 22, 2026 12:01 AM - 11:59 PM(GMT+01:00)

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“I love Kathy. I am excited now to see what she does next. As a ‘Star Wars’ fan, the most exciting thing for me is always seeing when they bring in fresh voices and fresh filmmakers to come in and tell new stories in that world. That’s what I am looking forward to seeing more happen.”

He also spoke of his experience making The Last Jedi.

“I had the time of my life doing it. I am now an even bigger ‘Star Wars’ fan than I was when going into it. I would feel blessed if that were to ever happen [again].”

SourceVariety

Mark Newbold

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