The lightsaber has been passed. Long rumored, The Walt Disney Company announced today that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm, the division that shepherds the lucrative “Star Wars” franchise. In her place, Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan will take the reins as President and Chief Creative Officer and Co-President.
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As with many executives who step down, Kennedy will transition to a producer role. She’ll be a credited producer on the upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and “Star Wars: Starfighter.” Under Kennedy’s tenure, the division had box office success with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” all of which earned over $1 billion at the global box office. That being said, there hasn’t been a “Star Wars” theatrical release. since 2019, as numerous spinoffs and sequels languished in development. However, during that time, Lucasfilm became a main content supplier for Disney+ as she greenlit the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning “Andor,” “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Ahsoka,” among others.
In a statement, Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company noted, “When we acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, we knew we were bringing into the Disney family not only one of the most beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but also a team of extraordinary talent led by a visionary filmmaker — someone who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no less. We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”
Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman added, “Kathleen Kennedy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years, and it’s been our privilege to have her here at Disney leading Lucasfilm for nearly 14 of them. She has steered ‘Star Wars’ to incredible box office heights and brought a new generation of fans into the fold. We appreciate having her on board to produce our next couple of films, and the studio remains in extraordinarily capable hands with Dave Filoni, who’s a brilliant storyteller, and Lynwen Brennan, an avid innovator and business leader. They are deeply passionate and experienced executives who will continue to drive the studio and ‘Star Wars’ forward in exciting new directions.”
Kennedy herself remarked, “When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead. It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”
As a producer, Kennedy is an eight-time Oscar nominee as a creative force on films such as “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “The Color Purple,” “The Sixth Sense,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and “Lincoln.” She was honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Oscar in 2018.
Filoni has been at Lucasfilm since 2005. As a writer and executive producer, he took “Star Wars” in a new direction with the animated “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels.” He was a writer, director, and executive producer on “The Mandalorian” series created and showrun by Jon Favreau. He is a co-screenwriter and producer on the Favreau-directed “The Mandalorian and Grogu” coming to theaters in May. Unlike Kennedy, Filoni has also always had a close relationship with hardcore “Star Wars” fans, much in the manner of Kevin Feige at Marvel or James Gunn at DC Studios.
In a statement, Filoni remarked, “My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas. I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them. From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in ‘Star Wars’ storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”
First hired at Industrial Light & Magic in 1999, Brennan rose through the ranks to lead the visual effects division in 2009. She was named General Manager of Lucasfilm in 2015 and President & General Manager of Lucasfilm Business in 2024. She’s earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society and the honor of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Brennan added, “Lucasfilm has played such a meaningful part in my life. It’s a community of inspiring storytellers with a rebel spirit like no other, and I am honored to join Dave Filoni in leading us forward. I have been so fortunate to learn from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy, and Alan Bergman and have unwavering faith in Dave’s creative vision for the next chapter in this storied studio’s legacy.”
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