When you're at the controls of a giant franchise, you can't please everybody and this seems
to go double for Star Wars fans.
Disney CEO Bob Iger took a philosophical approach to fans' dissatisfaction with the sequel trilogy
during a conversation with Variety at the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere.
Iger acknowledged that, while the creative minds behind the series tried to be mindful
of what fans wanted, they were also aware of the fine line between fan service and simple
pandering.
"We don't overreact to that, we respect fans of Star Wars, that's really important to us,
to Lucasfilm, to the franchise.
But we do the best job we possibly can."
Iger expressed his own satisfaction with the job that his filmmakers had done on the sequels,
including J.J. Abrams, who as the co-writer and director of The Rise of Skywalker had
the unenviable task of bringing the nine-film Skywalker Saga to a close in a way that would
be true to all of the movies that came before, while still giving fans everything they wanted
and telling his own unique story.
“We've done a really good job of threading that needle, walking that fine line.
We respect our fans, but we don't overreact to it either."
Brace yourself for a shock: many fans and critics disagree.
One of the common complaints about Rise of Skywalker has concerned its willingness to
indulge in fan service at the expense of its story, which can be seen as course-correction
away from the daring narrative choices made in the series' previous installment, The Last
Jedi.
While that film was one of the best-reviewed in the entire series, it supremely divided
fans some of whom now feel that Abrams has swung too far back in the opposite direction.
Another pervasive gripe: that Rise of Skywalker was illustrative of the fact that the trilogy
as a whole lacked a unified vision, which may be why there has recently been talk of
future Star Wars movies straying away from the trilogy format.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy suggested as much during an interview with the Los Angeles
Times the weekend before the release of Episode IX.
She said,
"I think [focusing on single films] gives us a more open-ended view of storytelling
and doesn't lock us into this three-act structure.
We're not going to have some finite number and fit it into a box.
We're really going to let the story dictate that."
Iger, however, implied that her comments should be taken with a grain of salt.
"Oh, I don't know about that.
She and I have said, 'Well, maybe trilogies are too hard, so maybe we'll make one film
and then a sequel,' but we don't know."
Of course, it's likely that some observers will take this as yet further evidence that
the stewards of Star Wars lack a clear vision for the property but even the staunchest critics
would have to agree that the House of Mouse hasn't done everything wrong.
"So, I'm, still in command…?"
In fact, one thing has gone very, very right for Disney's Star Wars endeavors of late:
The Mandalorian, the Disney+ series that has drawn critical raves, helped amass millions
of subscribers for the nascent streaming service, and launched a bonafide pop culture icon in
"the Child," the adorable character better known to fans and the world at large as Baby
Yoda.
Iger admitted that, while he obviously had high hopes for the series' success, even he
was blindsided by its rapturous reception.
"I think it would be wrong for me to say I knew exactly how everybody would react because
it's been huge, but I did have a strong sense it was a character people were going to love."
Perhaps The Mandalorian could help provide some guidance for Disney and Lucasfilm brass
on how to effectively engage fans going forward that is, beyond "put Baby Yoda in everything,"
which we honestly wouldn't have much of a problem with.
Season 2 of the series is currently in production, and if creator/showrunner Jon Favreau is able
keep fans hooked, Iger and Kennedy would do well to take a good hard look at how they
could apply some of his Mando magic to future Star Wars films.
"I gotta get one of those."
Of course, they've also reached out for a little help from across the hall; in a development
which the Star Wars faithful have simply got to be pumped about, it was announced in September
that Marvel boss Kevin Feige who has had just a little bit of success in developing beloved
properties for the big screen to the utter delight of fans has been tapped to help develop
a new Star Wars picture.
"This will begin to set things right."
While we won't see the fruits of this arrangement for quite some time, that's okay Iger has
made it clear that Disney won't be rushing any new Star Wars flicks to market after The
Rise of Skywalker, but will instead place the property on a 2 or 3 year hiatus while
the direction of the franchise is worked out.
"We'll see about that."
All of which is to say that while the sequel trilogy may not have been exactly what everybody
hoped for, the future of Star Wars still looks reasonably bright.
Also, it must be said: the Mouse House may not have fielded a perfect trio of films,
but hey, they were better than the prequels, right?
"I'm not sure I understand."
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