Outline:
An empire steps into a new era. The first Star Wars dynasty after Disney has come to an end.
Kathleen Kennedy is leaving her role as president of Lucasfilm following 13 years of leadership marked by challenges. She has formally resigned from her position as head of Lucasfilm, Disney’s division that houses theStar Wars franchise.
During her time in charge, which started in 2012 when Disney officially purchased Lucasfilm and all its assets, Kennedy managed one of the most successful and lucrative eras for the world’s most beloved science-fiction franchise.
Kennedy’s tenure at Star Wars will be recalled for bringing the franchise into the contemporary content market through the creation of the three follow-up films to the Original Trilogy (1977-1983), along with two independent feature films (Rogue One, Solo), five major television series (The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Andor), and many more animated series, video games, books, and comics; all contributing to Star Wars’ reputation as arguably the most vast fictional universe.
But, for each highly praised performance such asAndoror the first part of the Sequel Trilogy,The Force Awakens, the former president of Lucasfilm has encountered strong disapproval from long-time members of the Star Wars fan community, reaching a peak with the highly controversial launch ofThe Last Jedi, which on the online review site Rotten Tomatoes received a very favorable 91% from critics and a harsh 41% from viewers.
This likely holds little significance for the executive board, as Kennedy’s leadership generated a total of $5.6 billion (€4.2 billion) in box office revenue, which is impressive given that Disney paid $4.2 billion (€3.6 billion) to acquire the company.
Succession
Kennedy is now passing the leadership of Lucasfilm to its current head of creative, Dave Filoni, along with Lynwenn Brennan, who oversees the studio’s business affairs and operations.
Filoni’s name is likely familiar to most Star Wars fans. He has contributed to some of the most cherished projects in the franchise, including the animated TV seriesStar Wars: Clone Wars(2008 to 2020) and more recently contributed to creatingAhsoka (2023).
Filoni will continue as the creative head while also serving as president, with Brennan appointed as co-president. Both individuals are anticipated to oversee the company’s daily activities.
“From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has been responsible for the most significant growth in Star Wars on-screen storytelling we’ve ever witnessed,” said Filoni. “I am deeply thankful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their confidence and the chance to head Lucasfilm in this new position, which is a role I genuinely enjoy. May the Force be with you.”
Prior to working at Lucasfilm, Kennedy was considered one of the most accomplished producers in Hollywood. In 1981, she established Amblin Entertainment alongside Steven Spielberg and her future husband, Frank Marshall. She producedE.T., Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Jurassic Park and the Back to the Future trilogy.
Her last projects as president in the Star Wars universe will involve serving as executive producer for two new Star Wars films,The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling.