Today, a new report confirmed that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will step down after over a decade at the studio. Her exit was rumored last year but was quickly shut down by the studio. Director Dave Filoni and producer Lynwen Brennan are expected to take over as co-presidents. Filoni will oversee all creative aspects of the Star Wars universe, while Brennan will oversee the studio’s executive side. Filoni has long been expected to succeed George Lucas in the Star Wars universe, having personally learned under him. He has been the creative force behind The Clone Wars animated series, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka. He has been the chief creative head at Lucasfilm since 2023.
Kennedy was brought on as President after Walt Disney Studios acquired Lucasfilm from director George Lucas in 2012. Kennedy has been a mainstay in Hollywood as a producer, working with many well-known directors, including Steven Spielberg, throughout the 80s and 90s (via Vanity Fair). She implemented many new films in the Star Wars universe, including the sequel trilogy, a Han Solo origin movie, and the spin-off Rogue One. However, since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuted in 2019 to mediocre numbers, her focus shifted to Disney+ shows such as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the critically acclaimed Andor. Lucasfilm also tried to revive non-Star Wars-related content, such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and a Willow revival series. Both scrapped any future installments after they debuted, with Willow being removed from Disney+ altogether.
Kennedy’s number one issue as President was her inability to keep top creative talent and get projects off the ground, which became even more apparent post-COVID. Many films were announced (and double-rumored) that were scrapped before they were ever made. She also famously fired co-directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord (21 Jump Street, Into the Spider-Verse) from Han Solo in the middle of filming, replacing them with Ron Howard, which literally never happens. Her last two films as producer will be The Mandalorian & Gorgu, and Star Wars: Starfighter. Under new leadership, perhaps Lucasfilm will now churn out more high-quality feature films and retain some high-level directors and writers. Walt Disney has yet to announce her exit officially.
The Mandalorian & Gorgu and Ahsoka season 2 hits theaters and Disney+ later this year
Source: Puck News
