Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is making ready to step down from her place by the tip of 2025, as reported by Puck. The veteran producer, who has overseen the Star Wars franchise since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, has not publicly introduced the choice, and representatives for each Kennedy and Disney have declined to touch upon her future plans.
Kennedy’s potential departure comes after greater than a decade of guiding the enduring sci-fi franchise by means of its Disney period. At 71, she stands as one among Hollywood’s most achieved producers, with a profession spanning collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas lengthy earlier than taking the Lucasfilm presidency. Her tenure has seen the launch of a brand new trilogy, a number of spin-off films, and the franchise’s growth into streaming tv on Disney Plus.
Kathleen Kennedy’s Legacy at Lucasfilm
The timing of Kennedy’s reported exit aligns with Lucasfilm’s shifting focus towards revitalizing the Star Wars movie franchise. After a five-year hiatus from theaters following 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, the studio introduced The Mandalorian and Grogu for a 2026 launch. This timeline would enable a successor to shepherd the franchise’s theatrical return whereas Kennedy departs after finishing tasks just like the second season of the critically acclaimed Disney Plus collection Andor.
Kennedy’s management has produced blended outcomes, with streaming successes like The Mandalorian contrasting with inventive challenges in different tasks. Her tenure noticed field workplace successes however confronted criticism over narrative path within the sequel trilogy. A number of introduced movie tasks — together with trilogies from Rian Johnson and Recreation of Thrones creators Benioff and Weiss — had been introduced however by no means materialized, elevating questions in regards to the studio’s improvement course of.
As hypothesis builds relating to Kennedy’s successor, consideration has turned to executives with expertise within the Star Wars universe. Dave Filoni, who rose from animation to turn into a key inventive pressure throughout Lucasfilm tasks, has emerged as a possible candidate with robust fan assist. Jon Favreau, who developed The Mandalorian alongside Filoni, represents one other risk, however it will be shocking to see him stepping away from his profitable directing profession.
Keep tuned for the most recent information relating to the way forward for Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise!
