Kathleen Kennedy Explains Why THE MANDALORIAN and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Will Not Cannibalize Each Other

Way back in the humble beginnings of the Star Wars films, fans got a movie every three years for episodes four through six. Then we waited sixteen years for the prequel trilogy, and got those every three years. Then after a decade the final trilogy bega, and has pumped out a new film every two years. Between these final films, we also got Rogue One and Solo Star Wars Stories. Now, as we wait for the final film (this week!), we are also enjoying the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which is said to tie into the film with the episode that is set to release this Wednesday, ahead of the film’s early Thursday showings.

We’ve slowly gotten more and more Star Wars content thrown out way over the years, and I don’t hear anyone complaining about frequency, but has it crossed over to too much of a good thing? In a discussion with io9, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was asked if there was a concern from the company that having the two properties out at the same time might cannibalize one another, and she said:

“I don’t think there was a worry about that. And I think we’ve been pleasantly surprised. We’re going into television. We’ve never done [live-action] television for Star Wars. So, yes, there’s an unknown and I suppose you could say there was an underlying risk. But what we absolutely knew is that the two are very different in look and feel and were not in any way trying to do the same thing. So we arrived at a point of view pretty early that we thought the two could live comfortably side by side. And I actually think the fans are having fun with Mandalorian and I think it will only help The Rise of Skywalker.”

I think the two properties are different enough that they are both just as exciting as the other. And the fact that The Mandalorian is suspected to lead into the film is just marketing genius. If there were any fans not watching the show before that news came out, I’m sure this was the final push to help them come aboard. I’m excited for all of it. It’s all such a fun addition to the holiday season.

Are you excited for all things Star Wars this week?!