Following over 13 years leading Lucasfilm,Kathleen Kennedyis leaving the “Star Wars” universe established byGeorge Lucas.
The Walt Disney Company revealed on Thursday that it has decided to entrust Dave Filoni with leading the “Star Wars” franchise as president and chief creative officer, ensuring its continued success into its sixth decade and beyond. Filoni, who previously held the position of chief commercial officer at Lucasfilm, will take on this significant role, alongside Lynwen Brennan, who is the president and general manager of Lucasfilm’s operations, serving as co-president.
When George Lucas invited me to assume control of Lucasfilm after his retirement, I had no idea what was coming,” Kennedy stated. “It has been an honor to spend over a decade collaborating with the remarkable talent at Lucasfilm.
Kennedy, chosen by Lucas as his replacement, has led the growing science-fiction universe of “Star Wars” since Disney took over in 2012. When announcing Thursday’s update, Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, described her as “a visionary filmmaker.”
Kennedy managed a very profitable yet frequently disputed era in “Star Wars” history that produced a successful trilogy and praised streaming offshoots like “The Mandalorian” and“Andor,”yet experienced growing dissatisfaction from long-time supporters.
During Kennedy’s leadership, Lucasfilm generated over $5.6 billion at the box office and played a key role in positioning Disney+ as a major streaming platform — accomplishments that clearly justified the $4.05 billion Disney invested in the company. However, Kennedy faced challenges in recreating the cinematic charm that Lucas achieved with the original trilogy from the late 1970s and early 1980s, and her interactions with “Star Wars” fans turned into a story of their own.
Filoni has primarily built his career through television, joining the franchise with the animated show “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and developing the somewhat underwhelming Disney+ series “Ahsoka.” Filoni, who initially worked with Lucas on “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” has also served as an executive producer on “The Mandalorian,””The Book of Boba Fett,” and “Skeleton Crew.”
Both individuals will be under the supervision of Alan Bergman, who serves as co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
“From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has been responsible for the biggest 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, doing a job I truly enjoy. May the Force be with you.”
Prior to working at Lucasfilm, Kennedy was considered among Hollywood’s most accomplished producers. In 1981, she established Amblin Entertainment alongside Steven Spielberg and her future husband, Frank Marshall. She was responsible for producing “E.T.,””Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,””Jurassic Park,” and the “Back to the Future” series.
At Lucasfilm, her most successful project began with 2015’sStar Wars: The Force AwakensThe film directed by J.J. Abrams generated over $2 billion globally. However, the following movie, directed by Rian Johnson’s“The Last Jedi”(2017), caused significant controversy. The third film, Abrams’“The Rise of Skywalker”(2019), received widespread criticism from both critics and fans.
Following “The Rise of Skywalker,””Star Wars” experienced a period of inactivity on the big screen, even though numerous projects were previously announced. This quiet period is expected to end in May with Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian & Grogu.” The past years have seen achievements through streaming series like “The Mandalorian” and “Andor,” yet the future of “Star Wars” has appeared more uncertain than ever.
Frequent disputes about style and direction have occurred. The2018 film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” featuring Han SoloWatched its directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, being let go during filming and subsequently being taken over by Ron Howard. Many found the inconsistent outcome to be unexciting and underwhelming.
More recently, Adam Driver, who portrayed Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in the latest “Star Wars” trilogy,”revealed to The Associated PressLast year, he and Steven Soderbergh had been working on a Ben Solo film with Kennedy’s and Lucasfilm’s backing for two years before Disney’s CEO Bob Iger rejected the project. Fans became extremely upset, leading to a plane flying over Disney’s Burbank studios with a sign that said “Save ‘The Hunt for Ben Solo.'”
Rather, the sole “Star Wars” film during Kennedy’s leadership that received broad and enduring praise from fans was likely 2016’s“Rogue One.”Gareth Edwards’ spinoff also faced challenges during production, resulting in Tony Gilroy, who later became the creator of “Andor,” handling reshoots. Nevertheless, “Rogue One”— set within the “Star Wars” universe but separate from the primary Jedi narrative — could be the only film under Kennedy’s “Star Wars” era that successfully maintained the space saga’s atmosphere while pushing boundaries.
Kennedy’s influence will be evident in numerous upcoming “Star Wars” ventures for years ahead. This encompasses Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter,” featuring Ryan Gosling, set for release in May 2027, along with a range of other projects at different development stages.
Jake Coyle, Associated Press