CEO Kathleen Kennedy of Lucasfilm tackles sexism in the Star Wars fandom and The Acolyte backlash.
Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy has spoken out to support The Acolyte and confront sexism in the Star Wars community. Lucasfilm executive Kathleen Kennedy has faced a lot of criticism; Kennedy was even the villain of a South Park special; the Star Wars fan base has always been split and contentious. The Acolyte, the upcoming Star Wars TV drama, has already generated controversy mostly due to its creator, Leslye Headland, a gay woman and the show will contain lesbian characters.
Kennedy and Headland both mention this when talking with the New York Times. Kennedy argues, "My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people". "That seems like a simple choice for me." She points out that women who enter Star Wars suffer the most of the issues as social media and the sheer scope of franchises have made them more prevalent presently. "They occasionally get attacked in quite personal ways because of the male dominated fan base."
The Star Wars Fandom Still Battles with Feel of Ownership.
One unresolved issue has dogged Star Wars always: who owns it? For George Lucas, the solution was always basic; he did. He felt thus at ease producing the Star Wars Special Editions and didn't really worry if his prequels defied the old Expanded Universe. He encouraged fans embrace modifications he made since he saw the movies as his artwork and himself as an artist. This resulted in some of the first strife in the fan base.
Since Lucas sold Lucasfiilm to Disney in 2012, another ownership struggle has been brewing; some of the fans object to so-called "woke" narrative choices, trying to retain their own vision of Star Wars - one that mostly stars white men. Actually, Star Wars has never been so constrained; Leslye Headland is herself evidence of that, a lifetime enthusiast. But the Disney-era "push" to improve diversity, to let other viewers perceive themselves in the Star Wars galaxy, has resulted in a backlash from those who wish Star Wars to remain unaltered.
The Acolyte's Viewpoint Is Quite Different From George Lucas's... But Makes Sense
Although this would be a different reading of the Force's balance, it exactly matches the definition of the term used in current times. Lucas's protégé Dave Filoni offered his opinions on the Force's equilibrium back in 2020, contending that each individual both shapes and is shaped by the force. To Filoni, the dark side is found in greed, thirst for power, and fear; the light side is selflessness, living in balance, and conquering fear.
Simply said, Leslye Headland and Amandla Stenberg are moving one step ahead. Through examining the tales of individual Jedi, The Acolyte sounds as though it will effectively be a trip from balance to imbalance, illustrating how the evil side of the Force came to rule. This reveals why the Chosen One was initially needed, thereby rendering this a necessary prelude to the prequels themselves.
The Acolyte Will Reword a Classic George Lucas Idea in the Best Way
The forthcoming Star Wars TV series, The Acolyte, will subtly rework one of George Lucas's most important ideas in the best possible light. Lucas chose to be explicit when he revealed the Chosen One prophesied in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, even although the story has always been one of light against dark. Anakin Skywalker was supposed, he said, to bring "balance to the Force." But even Lucas's conception of what this means seems to have evolved with time, as the idea changes during the Disney era.
Showrunner Leslye Headland and actor Amandla Stenberg discussed the Force's balance just with Screen Rant. Their viewpoint is a little more subtle and sophisticated; they emphasize a degree of individualism rather than stressing the cosmic elements of the Force and do not set light and dark in opposition to one another.
One Long Road.
Headland's excitement in the show not only reveals how much the showrunner loves Star Wars but also how much this era in the greater Star Wars world provides in terms of narrative.
Headland, a lifetime Star Wars enthusiast, acknowledges she has personally experienced the frustration fans might feel. "I stand by my empathy for Star Wars fans," she texted the New York Times. But let me say straight forwardly. Anyone who participates in hate speech, racism, or bigotry—I don't count a fan. Actually, it's depressing that such a remark even has to be made.
