![Dave Filoni & Lynwen Brennan Said To Replace Kathleen Kennedy At Lucasfilm [Report]](https://cdn.theplaylist.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/06100158/DAVE-FILONI_STAR-WARS-MOVIE_LUCASFILM.jpg "Dave Filoni & Lynwen Brennan Said To Replace Kathleen Kennedy At Lucasfilm [Report]")
Changes appear to be afoot in the galaxy far, far away. A new report of “2026 Hollywood predictions” from Matt Belloni of Puck News claims that Kathleen Kennedy is exiting Lucasfilm as the head of the studio, echoing our own report that the company would name a replacement in the new year. Not only that, but it is said that the current chief creative officer of the “Star Wars” franchise, Dave Filoni, will be paired up with Lynwen Brennan (the president and general manager of Lucasfilm Business) as the two will be replacing Kennedy in that position, with Filoni said to be the main “decider.”
It’s news that sounds very similar to the James Gunn/Peter Safran operation at DC Studios, with Gunn handling the creative direction and Safran, a film producer, overseeing the business and logistics aspects.
Belloni and others have been advocating for Kennedy’s ouster from Lucasfilm for years (notably, many of those previous rumblings went nowhere, or Kennedy’s contract extensions with Disney were announced, countering that narrative) due to various hiccups in the handling of the “Star Wars” franchise. We’re still waiting to hear from Disney/Lucasfilm that this is officially happening. Given Belloni/Puck News’ recent track record with industry scoops, this is most likely going to be confirmed rather than refuted this time around.
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Filoni has been busy filming the second season of “Ahsoka” last year, while his other creative partner at the studio, Jon Favreau, had just helmed “The Mandalorian & Grogu” (a theatrical extension of the popular Disney+ series and first big movie since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”) We’re still waiting to see how audiences will ultimately react to the first live-action “Star Wars” feature film focused on Disney+/TV characters and events, and if they’ll shell out for tickets or wait until the film drops on the streaming service to save themselves some money.
As you might imagine, there are going to be mixed reactions to Filoni taking susignificanta big role at Lucasfilm, as some fans think that Filoni/Favreau have been way too focused on endless fan-service in recent years, as “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka” heavily focused on introducing a steady stream of animated characters to live-action and an obsession with trilogy call-backs (Hayden Christensen keeps coming back, over and over as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and “The Book of Boba Fett” spinoff series wasn’t exact a hit). While others will likely be thrilled that Filoni, a George Lucas protege, is going to have such a controlling interest in the franchise moving forward after having such a creative footprint since the launch of the prequels.
It’s unclear if Lucasfilm under Filoni will be announcing any new film or television projects, as “The Acolyte” (set in the High Republic era) struggled to warrant a second season (despite fan campaigns for the show to continue).
The other big theatrical release will be Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” coming to theaters on May 28, 2027, with a cast that features Ryan Gosling (“The Fall Guy”), Flynn Gray alongside Matt Smith (“House of the Dragon”), Mia Goth (“Frankenstein”), Aaron Pierre (“Rebel Ridge,” “Lanterns”), Simon Bird, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, and Amy Adams (“Arrival”).
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