George Lucas Erupts on Kathleen Kennedy After Disastrous Rey Movie Screening: A Star Wars Crisis
Disney’s Star Wars franchise, a cultural titan since 1977, has faced relentless scrutiny under Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership. The upcoming New Jedi Order film, starring Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, was meant to rejuvenate the saga by exploring Rey’s quest to rebuild the Jedi Order. Instead, reports of a disastrous private screening in early 2025 have sparked chaos, with Star Wars creator George Lucas reportedly erupting in anger at Kennedy for mishandling the franchise. The fallout, amplified by fan outrage on X and YouTube, has reignited debates about Kennedy’s tenure and Disney’s stewardship of Star Wars. As the Rey movie faces an uncertain future, what led to this crisis, and can Lucasfilm recover? Let’s unpack the screening debacle, Lucas’s criticisms, and the broader implications for a galaxy far, far away, building on your interest in Disney’s recent Star Wars and Marvel controversies.
The Rey Movie: A Troubled Journey
Announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023, New Jedi Order was pitched as a bold step forward, set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Directed by Obaid-Chinoy, the first woman and person of color to helm a Star Wars film, it promised to depict Rey founding a new Jedi Academy. Daisy Ridley, in a January 2025 AlloCiné interview, called it a “fresh exploration” of the Star Wars universe. However, the project has been plagued by turmoil. Initial writers Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson exited in 2023, followed by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) in October 2024. Rumors of Simon Kinberg (X-Men) joining as a new writer surfaced in January 2025, but Lucasfilm has yet to confirm, leaving the film without a finalized script and a release likely delayed to 2027.
Obaid-Chinoy’s activist background, including her Oscar-winning documentaries on women’s rights, drew backlash from conservative fans. A 2015 clip of her saying she likes to “make men uncomfortable” through her art, resurfaced in 2023, was misconstrued as her Star Wars vision, fueling accusations of a “woke” agenda. Her 2024 CNN comment, “It’s about time a woman shapes a story in this galaxy,” intensified criticism, with X users like @LucasSWGirl accusing Disney of prioritizing politics over storytelling. The backlash mirrors your noted controversies, like Snow White’s feminist reimagining and Fantastic Four’s gender-swapped Silver Surfer, where fan discontent over perceived political injections tanked reception.
The Disastrous Screening and Lucas’s Outburst
In February 2025, reports emerged of a private screening of an early cut of New Jedi Order, attended by Lucas, Kennedy, and Disney executives. YouTube channels like Doomcock and Star Wars Theory claimed Lucas was “furious,” labeling the film a “complete disaster” that disrespected Star Wars’s core mythology. Insiders, cited in a February 22, 2025, YouTube video, alleged Lucas blamed Kennedy for approving a script that sidelined legacy characters, overemphasized “identity politics,” and lacked the emotional depth of his original trilogy. While these reports lack official confirmation from Lucas or Lucasfilm, they align with fan sentiments on X, where users like @ScriptTrooper called the film “another Kennedy flop” and demanded her ouster.
Lucas’s reported anger reflects long-standing tensions with Kennedy. In a 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Kennedy acknowledged Lucas’s difficulty letting go of Star Wars after selling Lucasfilm to Disney for $4 billion in 2012. Lucas, who appointed Kennedy as president, had envisioned a sequel trilogy focused on midi-chlorians and cosmic balance, but Disney discarded his outlines for J.J. Abrams’s The Force Awakens (2015). A 2020 We Got This Covered report claimed Lucas held Kennedy responsible for the sequel trilogy’s divisive reception, particularly The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), which saw box office drops from $2 billion to $1 billion. Your interest in Star Wars’s Rey movie backlash, including Obaid-Chinoy’s “woke” criticism, suggests this screening debacle is a culmination of those creative missteps.
The screening’s specifics remain murky. Forbes speculated the cut was a rough assembly, riddled with pacing issues and an overreliance on new characters, alienating fans of Rey’s established arc. X posts, like @C36985048Caal’s, claimed the film “butchered” Jedi lore, though no concrete leaks have surfaced. Lucas’s reaction, if true, echoes his ex-wife Marcia Lucas’s 2021 Variety critique, where she slammed Kennedy and Abrams for “not getting” Star Wars’s magic, particularly for killing off Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. Kennedy’s defenders, like CBR, argue she faced impossible expectations, delivering hits like The Mandalorian and Andor despite fan toxicity.
Kennedy’s Tenure: A Mixed Legacy Under Fire
Kennedy’s 13-year run as Lucasfilm president has been polarizing. Her achievements include The Force Awakens ($2 billion), Rogue One (2016, $1 billion), and The Mandalorian’s cultural dominance. CBR notes she’s produced over 70 films, earning $13 billion and 25 Oscars, making her one of Hollywood’s most accomplished producers. Yet, failures like Solo (2018, $393 million, the first Star Wars film to lose money), The Acolyte (2024, canceled after low viewership), and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023, $384 million against a $300 million budget) have tarnished her record. Far Out Magazine called her tenure a “cautionary tale,” citing the sequel trilogy’s inconsistent narrative and the firing of directors like Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Colin Trevorrow.
Fan criticism often targets Kennedy’s perceived “woke” agenda. A 2018 Medium post accused her of turning Lucasfilm into a “naked mole rat colony” obsessed with feminist ideals, a view echoed by OutKick’s claim that she inserted “female characters in her own image” into projects. The dismissal of Gina Carano from The Mandalorian in 2021, amid political disagreements, fueled accusations of ideological bias. Your exploration of Star Wars’s Rey movie and Fantastic Four controversies highlights this pattern, where fans decry Disney’s focus on diversity and feminism, as seen in The Acolyte’s 14% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kennedy has pushed back, denying retirement rumors in a February 2025 Deadline interview. “I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies,” she said, confirming she’s producing The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026) and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars film. She admitted in 2022 to Vanity Fair that Lucasfilm had “taken the fun out” of Star Wars due to high stakes and corporate pressures, a rare acknowledgment of fan discontent. Supporters, like IndieWire, argue she faced a “no-win scenario,” navigating a toxic fanbase and culture wars while expanding Star Wars into streaming.
Lucas’s Role and the Fan Divide
Lucas’s reported outburst has galvanized fans, who see him as Star Wars’s ultimate authority. His original trilogy—A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983)—grossed $1.8 billion (adjusted) and defined the franchise’s mythic appeal. However, his prequels (1999–2005) faced fan backlash for wooden dialogue and overreliance on CGI, suggesting even Lucas isn’t immune to criticism. A 2024 MovieWeb piece noted fans have been “angry” at Lucas since the Ewoks, highlighting their selective reverence.
X posts reflect a divided fanbase. Users like @AdmiralCherry hailed Lucas’s critique as “long overdue,” demanding Kennedy’s removal, while others, like @r/StarWarsCantina on Reddit, defended her, citing Andor’s 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and arguing Lucas’s absence left her with an impossible task. Medium’s 2024 post called anti-Kennedy sentiment “sexist” and “misogynist,” noting her credentials as George Lucas’s hand-picked successor. Your interest in Star Wars’s cultural battles, like the Rey movie’s “woke” backlash, aligns with this divide, where Kennedy is either a scapegoat or a symbol of Disney’s missteps.
Can Star Wars Recover?
The Rey movie’s disastrous screening, if accurate, poses a significant hurdle. GameRant argued Rey’s arc lacks audience investment, citing Ridley’s post-Star Wars flops like Chaos Walking (2021, $26 million). The film’s troubles echo your noted Snow White and Fantastic Four controversies, where creative risks—feminist themes, diverse casting—triggered fan backlash and commercial failure. Disney’s pivot to The Mandalorian & Grogu, leveraging Baby Yoda’s appeal, suggests a safer bet, with a 2026 release confirmed. Andor Season 2, set for April 2025, also offers hope, with its Season 1 hailed as a “masterpiece.”
Lucasfilm must address the Rey movie’s issues, likely requiring reshoots or a script overhaul. Obaid-Chinoy’s vision, if tempered to honor Star Wars’s emotional core, could resonate, but her “uncomfortable” remarks risk further alienation. Kennedy’s leadership remains under scrutiny, with Forbes questioning whether new leadership could revive Star Wars’s cultural dominance. A Change.org petition to remove her, active since 2023, reflects ongoing fan unrest.
What’s Next for Lucasfilm?
The Rey movie’s fate will shape Star Wars’s trajectory. A successful pivot could restore fan trust, building on The Mandalorian’s success, while a flop could cement perceptions of decline, akin to Snow White’s $115 million loss you’ve tracked. Lucas’s reported eruption, whether exaggerated or not, underscores the franchise’s high stakes. IndieWire likened Kennedy’s tenure to a “Kobayashi Maru,” a no-win scenario where fan expectations and corporate demands collide. As Star Wars approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, Lucasfilm must recapture the saga’s magic—balancing innovation with respect for its roots—or risk further estranging its galaxy of fans.
