With the recently-released Indiana Jones 5 underperforming at the box office, there has been speculation that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has been “fired” from her position. This isn’t Kennedy’s first rodeo with this kind of fan backlash — she has previously found herself in the spotlight as a result of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and has frequently been the target of a variety of YouTube videos and social media posts speculating on her position within the company.
Of course, this speculation has never amounted to much of anything, though due to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s theatrical performance, rumors are mounting once again. So, is any of the current gossip surrounding Kennedy credible?
Why ‘Kathleen Kennedy fired’ is trending
Rumors have circulated again that Kathleen Kennedy has been “fired” from Lucasfilm as a result of a tweet posted by user @Thwipt_, who has a hit-and-miss history of Disney leaks, though previously correctly stated which announcements would be made at the D23 Expo 2022 (via Bespin Bulletin).
Thwipt tweeted that they had heard “Kathleen Kennedy is now gone from Lucasfilm,” a comment that quickly gained traction online:
More fuel was added to the fire of these rumors by screenwriter Kamran Pasha, who claimed that his insider source at Disney had also reported unusual goings-on related to Kennedy.
In an interview on YouTube, Pasha said: “Apparently, someone at Disney put a block starting today, of two weeks paid leave … which is bizarre in and of itself, but bizarre happening on the day that Indiana Jones is released.”
Is Kathleen Kennedy still working at Lucasfilm?
Despite these rumors, Kathleen Kennedy is still working at Lucasfilm, and the company has not announced that she has been “fired” from her position.
Kennedy has been the president of Lucasfilm since 2012. She was handpicked by George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, to succeed him and oversee the company’s operations after he sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in 2012. Kennedy has been responsible for producing several Star Wars films, including the new Star Wars trilogy. Additionally, the standalone films Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Although Lucasfilm produced some very successful movies under Kennedy’s leadership, especially Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the fans’ reception of most new projects has been mixed.
This mixed reception unfortunately stretches to the Dial of Destiny. The James Mangold-directed movie has grossed $154 million at the box office after its first weekend of theatrical release. Overall, the results can’t be considered good, considering Indy’s popularity and how much the movie cost to produce; Indiana Jones 5 had a reported $300 million production budget.
For more Kathleen Kennedy-related content, check out the Taika Waititi Star Wars movie update given by Kathleen Kennedy. Also, Kathleen Kennedy gave an update on Lando Calrissian series.
