Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm after 14 years, with her departure effective this week. She will continue as a producer for two upcoming Lucasfilm movies: "The Mandalorian and Grogu," scheduled for May 22, and "Star Wars: Starfighter," set for 2027. Kennedy plans to pursue other independent producing projects outside Lucasfilm.
Dave Filoni, formerly EVP and chief creative officer, has been promoted to President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, overseeing the company's creative direction. Lynwen Brennan, President & GM of Lucasfilm business, will assume the role of Co-President, Lucasfilm, managing the business operations. This division of creative and business responsibilities is a common strategy at Disney.
Filoni and Brennan will report to Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment.
Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair with George Lucas. She became the sole head a few months later after Disney acquired the brand for $4 billion and Lucas exited. Her tenure included the launch of a new Star Wars film trilogy, beginning with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in 2015, which grossed over $2 billion globally. Other films such as "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" and "The Last Jedi" also achieved significant box office success.
Challenges during her leadership included changes in director for "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which became the first Star Wars film to incur a loss in its theatrical run, and director changes for "Rogue One." Following "The Rise of Skywalker," Star Wars movies entered a pause period. Several announced film projects, including those from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Rian Johnson, and Taika Waititi, did not materialize. A film starring Daisy Ridley, announced in 2023, remains in development.
Despite film-side slowdowns, Kennedy's decision to bring in Jon Favreau led to the creation of "The Mandalorian," the first live-action Star Wars TV series. "The Mandalorian" achieved significant popularity and became a flagship show for Disney+ at its launch in 2019. Subsequent series have received mixed responses, though "Andor" earned critical acclaim, five Emmy Awards, and 22 nominations. Under Kennedy's leadership, Star Wars series received a total of 85 Emmy nominations.
Other Lucasfilm projects during this period included the revival of the "Willow" series on Disney+ and a fifth "Indiana Jones" movie; neither achieved anticipated audience engagement.
Filoni's background includes mentorship by George Lucas and overseeing animated series like "The Clone Wars" before collaborating with Jon Favreau on live-action shows such as "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka." Brennan joined Lucasfilm in 1999 and previously served as president of Industrial Light & Magic.