It was just a few short years ago that theWalt Disney Companywas proudly announcing and opening their "Star Wars" themed land in multiple parks across the country.
Disney invested billions of dollars in theStar Wars: Galaxy's Edgedesign and construction, based on a fictional world called "Batuu." They hyped up technology and immersive elements meant to enhance the guest experience and allow for fans to spend hours in Galaxy's Edge. And return time and time again to build up experience points by interacting with props and characters.
"Batuu" was purposefully set in the world of the newest trilogy, led by characters like Rey and Kylo Ren. All thanks to advice from then-head of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, to then-Disney CEO Bob Iger.
RELATED:Kathleen Kennedy Blames 'Star Wars' Fans For Not Liking Her Bad Movies
And now, after just a few years in operation, new leadership at the top is completely changing the entire plan behind Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. In the process, admitting they completely missed the mark with their multi-billion dollar project.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run sits at the heart of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. (© Eve Chen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
One former top executive at Walt Disney World once explained in aninterviewwhy Galaxy's Edge focused on the new trilogy and not the belovedoriginal moviesand characters. Because Kathleen Kennedy gave awful advice to Bob Iger.
"We got a call one day," said former WDW VP Dan Cockerell. "They said, ‘Well, we got some news for you all.’ And the Imagineering guys, they’ve heard this line many, many times during their careers. And I had never been through this." "They said, ‘Well, yesterday Bob Iger met with Kathleen Kennedy, who as a lot people may know was sort of George Lucas’ protégé and headed up Lucasfilm. And they had a conversation. They had a meeting. And Kathleen Kennedy, her point of view was, there are way more Disney Star Wars stories ahead of us than behind us. So we really should think about do we want to build a Tatooine, and build what all the fifty-somethings remember Star Wars is or do we want to build something else which is going to appeal to all the upcoming generations who are going to know the new stories.'"
Don't focus the land on characters people like, focus it instead on the new movies, Kennedy said. And Iger listened. Well, those new movies have come and gone, and "Star Wars" has never meant less in the national conversation. Sure enough, under new CEO Josh D'Amaro, Disney announced this month that they were bringing Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker into Galaxy's Edge, as well as finally incorporating John Williams' beloved score from the original films.
That's how you know they're admitting they made a gigantic mistake listening to Kathleen Kennedy.
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