In a recent social media outburst, Elon Musk over the weekend criticized Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy‘s management of the Star Wars franchise.
What Happened: Musk expressed his discontent with Kennedy’s leadership of Lucasfilm on his social media platform X. He referred to the Academy Award-winning film producer as “more deadly than the Death Star,” in response to a meme labeling her a “franchise killer.”
Since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, Kennedy’s stewardship has received mixed reviews from Star Wars fans. Despite initial box office successes, subsequent entries into the franchise have underperformed. The franchise’s venture into streaming has also seen mixed results.
Musk’s criticism extended to Kennedy’s focus on progressive themes and female protagonists in Star Wars projects. He accused Kennedy of being “super bigoted against men,” referring to an interview Kennedy gave to The New York Times last month.
However, Kennedy’s leadership isn’t the sole reason behind the franchise’s perceived decline. In 2019, then-Disney CEO Bob Iger suggested that the studio may have released too many Star Wars projects too quickly.
This is not the first time Musk has voiced his displeasure at what he perceives as “woke” ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. He has previously criticized fellow billionaire Mark Cuban for supporting corporate DEI initiatives.
Lucasfilm has yet to respond to the queries sent by Benzinga.
Why It Matters: Musk’s criticism of Kennedy comes after a series of public disagreements with other high-profile figures over DEI initiatives. In March, Musk had a heated exchange with Cuban over the latter’s support for President Joe Biden and corporate DEI efforts.
Furthermore, in April, Musk joked on social media that he had been appointed as the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer at Disney, expressing his plans to make the company’s content “MORE woke!”
Image Via Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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