Summary
- Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy addresses the backlash from some
Star Wars
fans to
The Acolyte. - Kennedy says, “My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people.”
- The Acolyte
showrunner, Leslye Headland, doesn’t believe “anyone who engages in bigotry, racism, or hate speech”
is a true fan.
President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to Star Wars fans and her support of Leslye Headland being a female storyteller in a “male-dominated” fandom. Less than a week before the streaming series The Acolyte drops, Kennedy reveals that she believes “storytelling does need to be representative of all people.” Kennedy’s frank and candid words come in response to a considerable amount of backlash online for The Acolyte from some followers of that galaxy far, far away. And in a new interview with The New York Times, Kennedy addresses the issue and the “level of expectation” facing the new Disney+ Star Wars series. Kennedy said (per ComicBook.com):
“Operating within these giant franchises now,
with social media and the level of expectation — it’s terrifying.
I think Leslye [Headland] has struggled a little bit with it.
I think a lot of the women who step into Star Wars struggle with this a bit more.
Because of
the fan base being so male-dominated,
they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal.
My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people.
That’s an easy decision for me.”
The Acolyte
Star Wars series that take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Disney+, Lucasfilm
- Franchise
- Star Wars
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
As the old cliché goes, it’s impossible to make everyone happy. So, The Acolyte’s showrunner is navigating an area of interest near and dear to her own heart: Headland explores more about the Sith within the confines of her Disney+ show. And make no mistake, like Kennedy, Headland is all too aware of the Star Wars fandom and their lofty expectations for any material introduced into creator George Lucas’ science fiction universe. Headland said in the same interview:
As a fan myself, I know how frustrating some Star Wars storytelling in the past has been. I’ve felt it myself. I stand by my empathy for Star Wars fans.
Leslye Headland Differentiates True Fans from Haters
While there certainly is some negativity being expressed by fans for The Acolyte, many diehards are excited to explore what happens some 100 years before the events of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. Many watchers enjoyed The Acolyte’s final trailer over May the Fourth Be with You weekend. And showrunner Leslye Headland wants to be absolutely clear that she doesn’t consider those generating hate on social media to be true Star Wars fans. Headland said in the same interview:
“I want to be clear.
Anyone who engages in bigotry, racism, or hate speech… I don’t consider a fan.
You’re thinking, ‘This is what people want from Star Wars. This is what people don’t want.’
It can mess with your head.
During the creative process, I had to give myself the forgiveness, as an artist, to fall off the razor – as long as I got back up.
That was my promise to myself.”
The Acolyte’s Dafne Keen Reveals Desire to ‘Top the Darth Maul Fight’ from Star Wars: Episode I
Dafne Keen and the team behind the upcoming Disney+ series “want to top the Darth Maul fight” from The Phantom Menace.
The first reactions to The Acolyte have been quite strong, despite the backlash. However, at the time of this writing, a Rotten Tomatoes score has not been posted because the embargo prevents critics from publishing their reviews. But for those who are curious about what the Disney+ series will offer the true and faithful fans, Headland said in a recent sit-down (via Star Wars):
What I was interested in examining were the Sith.
The two-episode premiere of
The Acolyte
drops Tuesday, June 4 on
Disney+.
