Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to step down

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Kathleen Kennedy is leaving her position as President of Lucasfilm this week. This was a planned transition at the “Star Wars” studio, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Disney announced Thursday that Dave Filoni, currently Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer, will become president while continuing in his creative role. Lynwen Brennan, who is currently Lucasfilm Business President and General Manager, will serve as co-president. Together, they will lead the studio based in San Francisco and report to Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment.

The announcement follows a lot of discussion about Kathleen Kennedy’s position at Lucasfilm. Chosen by George Lucas in 2012 to lead the company he built, the 72-year-old Kennedy has been responsible for growing the “Star Wars” universe with a new trilogy, standalone films, and popular TV series like “The Mandalorian” and “Andor.”

But the expansion, and her tenure, were not without setbacks.

The 2018 film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” earned only $392.9 million in theaters, following a difficult production that included a change of directors mid-filming. Over the years, many other “Star Wars” projects with well-known creators attached have been announced, but then postponed or cancelled – one example being a planned trilogy from the creators of “Game of Thrones,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

Kennedy told The Times in 2019 that perceptions of director churn at Lucasfilm were overblown.

She explained that developing anything in their line of work isn’t a solo effort and rarely goes flawlessly. It’s normal to encounter challenges. However, working on ‘Star Wars’ brings intense public attention. She emphasized that because she aims for a high standard, she collaborates with the best people in the industry, and they seek her out as well.

Look, taking on a franchise as beloved as “Star Wars” is never easy, and Kennedy definitely faced a lot of heat from fans worried about where the story was going. But you can’t argue with the results! This latest trilogy brought in a staggering $4.3 billion worldwide. And it wasn’t just the main films – “Rogue One” was a huge hit, earning over a billion dollars and, even more importantly, paving the way for the fantastic series “Andor.” It’s clear she knew how to expand the universe in a way that resonated with audiences.

She will remain the producer for Lucasfilm’s upcoming movies: “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” releasing in May, and “Star Wars: Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy and scheduled for 2027.

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” will be the first “Star Wars” movie shown in theaters since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker.” While making that film, Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Lucasfilm, suggested to Disney CEO Bob Iger that they slow down the release of “Star Wars” movies to allow for better story development. Disney had been releasing a “Star Wars” film every year since 2015, a faster pace than George Lucas typically followed – he usually waited at least three years between films. (Since 2019, Disney has released “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” along with several “Star Wars” series and streaming movies.)

Both Filoni and Brennan step into their new roles as Lucasfilm veterans.

Dave Filoni, easily recognized by his signature cowboy hat, was selected by George Lucas in 2005 to lead animation at the studio. He developed Lucasfilm’s first animated series, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” and later “Star Wars Rebels.” He also served as an executive producer on popular shows like “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka,” and is currently a producer and writer for the upcoming film, “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

Brennan started at Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm’s visual effects studio, in 1999. Today, he directs the company’s business planning, manages its major franchises and production work, and oversees its global growth.

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2026-01-16 02:02