Kathleen Kennedy is exiting her role as president of Lucasfilm after nearly 14 years, handing leadership to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. The transition, planned for two years, allows Kennedy to return to producing, including the studio's next two Star Wars films. Filoni will serve as president and chief creative officer, while Brennan becomes co-president.
Kathleen Kennedy, who took over Lucasfilm in 2012 shortly before Disney's $4 billion acquisition, is stepping down this week after leading the studio through a major expansion of the Star Wars franchise. Under her tenure, the company produced five theatrical films grossing $5.9 billion globally, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which earned $936 million in North America and $2 billion worldwide, the highest-grossing film in U.S. history at the time. Other successes included The Last Jedi ($1.3 billion), The Rise of Skywalker ($1 billion), and Rogue One ($1 billion-plus), which spawned the Emmy-winning series Andor.
Kennedy oversaw the shift to television with series like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, earning more than 90 Emmy nominations collectively. Expansions included animated shows such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge attractions at Disney parks, and Lucasfilm Games titles. She will produce the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu, releasing May 22, 2026, directed by Jon Favreau, and Star Wars: Starfighter, set for May 28, 2027, under Shawn Levy with stars Ryan Gosling and young actor Flynn Gray.
In an exclusive interview, Kennedy explained the succession: "Two years ago, I went to Bob and Alan to figure out what the transition plan would be and I made the recommendation that it be Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan." Filoni, a Lucasfilm veteran since 2005, built the animation division and contributed to live-action series. Brennan, with 26 years at ILM and Lucasfilm, handles business strategy.
Disney's Alan Bergman praised Kennedy in an internal email: "Kathy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years." Despite highs, challenges included the box office underperformance of Solo: A Star Wars Story and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and canceled projects like The Acolyte. Kennedy expressed no major regrets, noting, "I wouldn’t change anything that we’ve done over the years."
The interview occurred in London in December, amid wrapping Starfighter.
