There has been a great disturbance — and an awakening — in the Force. Almost a year since whispers first started spreading that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy would soon be stepping back from her role as leader of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, today Lucasfilm has made it official: after 14 years of leading the studio, Kathleen Kennedy is indeed ending her reign at Lucasfilm. And, to continue her work, Lucasfilm’s current Chief Creative Officer — and George Lucas’ Clone Wars protégé — Dave Filoni will be stepping up as the company’s new President, alongside new co-President Lynwen Brennan.
While this will be Kennedy’s last week as President of Lucasfilm, the veteran producer — who oversaw Star Wars’ big-screen return with the Sequel Trilogy; ushered in the franchise’s Disney+ era; and helped get Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny over the line during her remarkable run as studio head — isn’t done with that galaxy far, far away just yet. Kennedy is still going to be producing movies, including The Mandalorian & Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, the latter of which she herself announced onstage at Star Wars Celebration Japan last year.
In a statement following today’s announcement, Kennedy reflected on her pride at having carried the Lucasfilm torch for her friend and collaborator George Lucas since he stepped back in 2012. “When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” said Kennedy. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”
As one historic reign comes to an end however, another begins (it’s like poetry; it rhymes.) And Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, who’ve got over thirty years of Lucasfilm experience between them, are ready to get to work. “My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas. I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them,” said Filoni upon his appointment. “From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”
Brennan — who started out at ILM in 1999, rose through the ranks to lead the VFX company, and has been Lucasfilm General Manager for over a decade now — echoes Filoni’s sentiments. “Lucasfilm has played such a meaningful part in my life,” she said in her own statement. “It’s a community of inspiring storytellers with a rebel spirit like no other, and I am honored to join Dave Filoni in leading us forward. I have been so fortunate to learn from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy and Alan Bergman and have unwavering faith in Dave’s creative vision for the next chapter in this storied studio’s legacy.”
With Star Wars’ first cinematic release in almost seven years just months away, a whole array of projects — from Simon Kinberg’s planned trilogy, to James Mangold’s “on hold” Dawn Of The Jedi, to the hopefully-not-quite-dead-yet Hunt For Ben Solo and the very much alive Rey movie — at various stages of development in the pipeline, and the franchise’s big 50th birthday celebrations ahead next year, fans (and Disney execs) are going to be looking to Filoni and Brennan to hit the ground running. May the Force be with them!
