Kathleen Kennedy Stepping Down as Lucasfilm President, Dave Filoni Named President

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Kathleen Kennedy era at Lucasfilm has officially come to an end. Kennedy will be stepping down from her role at Lucasfilm after nearly 14 years on the job and will be transitioning back to full-time producing, Disney announced on Thursday. Dave Filoni , the company’s Chief Creative Officer, will serve as President and Chief Creative Officer, and Lynwen Brennan will be Co-President. Both have been in senior leadership roles at the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” studio for more than 15 years. They will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman. Puck reported in February of last year that Kennedy would be retiring by the end of 2025 , something the studio denied at the time. Under Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm, we got a new trilogy of “Star Wars” films in the Skywalker Saga that were box office smashes, and “The Mandalorian” and “Andor” have become Disney+ streaming hits. But she also oversaw a series of lows with the likes of “Solo,” several other critically maligned “Star Wars” streaming series that have slowed the franchise, as well as a dearth of new “Star Wars” films since “The Rise of Skywalker” back in 2019. Seven years removed from that film , Disney will finally be releasing “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” a big-screen finale to the streaming series, and the studio is also currently at work on “Starfighter” starring Ryan Gosling , which will open in 2027. Several other prospective films however with a revolving door of talent have started and stopped over recent years. As for where Lucasfilm heads now, Filoni has been with Lucasfilm since 2005 and has been working closely with George Lucas for years, helping establish Lucasfilm’s animation studio and leading the vision of shows like “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Rebels,” and “The Mandalorian.” He’s also currently the showrunner for “Ahsoka,” which is in production for its second season. “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,” said Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.” “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,” said Bergman. “She has steered Star Wars to incredible box office heights and brought a new generation of fans into the fold. We appreciate having...

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