Recently Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy got into some hot water after she made the announcement that the company was looking to hire female directors for future ‘Star Wars’ films, but was misquoted as saying that these female directors would only be considered if they had the proper qualifications (some interpreted this to mean if a woman has not directed a blockbuster, they are not qualified to direct a ‘Star Wars’ film), which some felt was wrong as some male directors they have hired did not seem particularly “qualified” for the role, and had yet to direct a blockbuster either. When asked about that point blank during a ‘Rogue One’ press conference recently, namely why a man would be a given an opportunity like ‘Star Wars’ with less experience when a woman without experience would not be considered, Kennedy responded with the following:
“That’s not true. [Pats Gareth Edwards’ shoulder]. This gentleman did Godzilla before we hired him to direct the movie, and that quote was taken out of context. And I, as you can imagine, have every intention of giving somebody an opportunity. So if somebody actually moves through the process of making movies and wants to make a Star Wars movie, and shows that they have actually stepped into the role on that level, of course we’re going to consider a woman. That goes without saying.”
The follow-up question,of course, was about which female directors she thought had potential for the franchise, which of course, Kennedy could not really discuss, and simple answered with:
“I think there’s many. And I’ve talked to most of them. [Laughter] So, there are many out there.”
I mean, let’s be honest, Kathleen Kennedy is a woman herself, and she is the president of one of my favorite studios, so I highly doubt she is that biased against having other women join the Lucasfilm company as directors, especially when her parent company Disney is pushing so hard for diversity both in front of and behind the camera. This seems very much like a words taken out of context and misinterpreted situation, and I am sure we will see a female director for a ‘Star Wars’ movie soon enough. And yet, I do agree with her that they need to ensure whoever is behind the scenes needs to be competent, and while they may not need to be a JJ Abrams level director, they need to have someone with experience with a larger set and crew, as they cannot pull someone into the franchise who has never worked on action scenes and visual effects,and expect a miracle from them on a project as huge as ‘Star Wars.’
What are your thoughts on Kennedy’s comments? Do you think she is justified in wanting a female director with some experience? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Screen Rant
