Kathleen Kennedy steps down as Lucasfilm president after 14 years

Staff Report: PNN

Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, the Hollywood studio behind the Star Wars franchise, is stepping down from her position. After serving nearly 14 years, she will now continue as the studio’s full-time producer, Lucasfilm announced in a statement on Thursday.

Kennedy was chosen to lead Lucasfilm in 2012 at the personal recommendation of Star Wars creator George Lucas, the same year entertainment giant Disney acquired the studio. Under her leadership, the Star Wars franchise was relaunched and achieved massive global success.

The five feature-length Star Wars films produced during her tenure collectively earned over five billion U.S. dollars worldwide. Among them, The Force Awakens and the sequels set new box office records in the United States. However, her tenure also saw the franchise’s first major box office failure, Solo: A Star Wars Story.

In addition to films, Kennedy oversaw production for Disney’s streaming platform, including The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and the critically acclaimed Andor series.

Dave Filoni will assume the new role of Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer, co-leading the studio alongside Co-President Lynwen Brennan. Filoni, who has worked extensively on animated Star Wars series, described Kennedy’s leadership as “the greatest expansion” in Star Wars storytelling.

Under Kennedy, representation of women and diverse racial backgrounds increased in Star Wars. Although this perspective received some criticism, decisions to create new content beyond long-standing novels and comic storylines also generated debate.

Despite stepping down, Kennedy will remain associated with Lucasfilm as a producer for two upcoming major budget films: The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, in which Hollywood actor Ryan Gosling will star.

Kennedy said, “Working with the incredibly talented people at Lucasfilm for over a decade has been a great privilege. I look forward to continuing to tell stories with new and old creative collaborators in the future.”