Kathleen Kennedy may have stepped down in January, but her impact on Disney Studios’ Lucasfilm continues to resonate.
The former president of the studio became well-known for the disappointing performance of several projects during her time, and she frequently clashed with fans over her decisions to alter established properties toward a more feminist perspective.
Disney’s break-even threshold for film success lies between $500 million and $600 million globally.
Kennedy’s Challenge
Before her resignation, Kennedy had two films planned for release, including “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which debuted over Memorial Day weekend.
The film was forecasted to pull in around $33.8 million on its opening day, but attendance was significantly impacted by the holiday, leading to a total domestic gross of about $82 million. The four-day opening estimate was expected to be between $97 million and $98 million, but actual numbers fell short. In fact, this movie is now performing even lower than “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which opened with $84.4 million—marking it as Disney’s least successful “Star Wars” debut. To add to the concern, “Solo” had just three days to attract audiences compared to “Mandalorian’s” four.
It sounds like a lot of money, and yet, for “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” its $168 million global earnings barely cover its estimated $165 million production budget.
As noted by sources, Disney indicated that the film’s break-even point is somewhere between $500 million and $600 million worldwide. To give some perspective, “Solo” only managed to make $393 million globally.
Future Plans
Disney still has another project associated with Kennedy planned for next year, coinciding with the release of “Star Wars: Starfighter,” aimed for May 28, 2027. Kennedy is attached as a producer on this film, which seems to feature a more prominent cast compared to the recent production that starred passionate advocate Pedro Pascal.
Pascal has been vocal about his support for his co-star’s journey regarding gender identity and comes from a politically engaged family in Chile.
However, “Star Wars: Starfighter” has enlisted actors like Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams, who generally enjoy wider audience approval.
Fan Friction
During Kennedy’s tenure, she often directly confronted “Star Wars” fans, even going so far as to accuse them of attacking women who criticized her work.
In a metaphorical sense, she attributed the show’s lackluster box office results to its “male-dominated” fan base. “I think a lot of women who step into ‘Star Wars’ struggle with this a little bit more. Because the fanbase is so male-dominated, you can get attacked in very personal ways,” she remarked in 2024.
“I do not consider anyone who engages in bigotry, racism, or hate speech to be a fan,” she added.
