Kathleen Kennedy Officially Out, Dave Filoni In as Lucasfilm President And Head Of Star Wars

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Confirming what we reported last week, The Force has officially shifted.

After 14 years, Kathleen Kennedy is leaving her position as president of Lucasfilm. Disney and Lucasfilm jointly announced the leadership change.

Dave Filoni is now President and Chief Creative Officer of the studio, as many predicted. Lynwen Brennan will work alongside him as Co-President, managing the business side of things.

This announcement ends months of rumors and establishes Dave Filoni—the creator of popular series like The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka—as the key creative leader for the future of Star Wars.

Filoni’s Era Begins

Filoni publicly thanked both Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas for their impact on his work.

Filoni credits Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas with inspiring his passion for storytelling. He expressed his gratitude for the chance to learn filmmaking from both of them. He highlighted Kennedy’s role in significantly expanding Star Wars storytelling with characters like Rey and Grogu. Filoni is thankful to Kennedy, George Lucas, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their confidence in him and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm, a job he deeply enjoys. He concluded with a hopeful ‘May the Force be with you.’

Filoni will remain involved in future Star Wars projects, including Season 2 of Ahsoka and the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie, scheduled for release on May 22, 2026. He will also continue to guide the creative direction of all Star Wars content across platforms like Disney+ and in theaters.

Brennan Takes the Business Helm

Lynwen Brennan, who has spent 25 years at Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, is joining Dave Filoni as Co-President. She’s been a key leader in driving Lucasfilm’s technological advancements and overall strategy. Brennan highlighted the company’s innovative culture and expressed her full support for Filoni’s creative vision.

Brennan expressed deep appreciation for Lucasfilm, calling it a community of incredibly inspiring and unconventional storytellers. He’s thrilled to work with Dave Filoni to guide the studio’s future, and feels lucky to have learned from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy, and Alan Bergman. He also voiced strong confidence in Dave Filoni’s vision for what comes next for the iconic studio.

Brennan joined ILM in 1999 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming head of the visual effects studio by 2009. In 2015, she was named General Manager of Lucasfilm, and in 2024, she became President and General Manager of Lucasfilm Business.

Kennedy Returns to Producing

Kathleen Kennedy will continue working at Lucasfilm as a producer, beginning with the upcoming projects The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, which Shawn Levy is directing. Though she’s leaving her position as president, she’ll still be involved in the creative development of important films and series.

Bob Iger and Alan Bergman both commended Kennedy’s leadership. Iger highlighted that she was personally chosen by George Lucas, while Bergman described her as a powerful figure in the entertainment world.

More than ten years ago, when Disney bought Lucasfilm, we welcomed not just the incredible Star Wars galaxy, but also a remarkably talented team, including a filmmaker George Lucas specifically chose to lead it, said Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO. He added that Disney is very thankful for Kathleen Kennedy’s guidance and how she’s protected and grown such a famous studio and brand.

Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, praised Kathleen Kennedy’s 50-year career and her nearly 14 years leading Lucasfilm at Disney. He highlighted her success in making Star Wars a box office hit and attracting a new generation of fans. Disney is thankful she’ll be producing their next few films, and they’re confident in the future of the studio under the leadership of Dave Filoni, a talented storyteller, and Lynwen Brennan, a forward-thinking business leader. Both are passionate and experienced executives who will continue to develop exciting new stories and directions for the studio and Star Wars.

Kennedy reflected on her tenure.

Kathleen Kennedy said that when George Lucas asked her to lead Lucasfilm after he retired, she had no idea what an incredible journey it would be. She’s deeply grateful for the chance to have worked with the amazing people at Lucasfilm for over ten years, finding their talent and commitment inspiring. She’s proud of everything they’ve achieved as a team and looks forward to continuing to create films and TV shows with both familiar faces and new storytellers who will shape the future.

Her Legacy

Kathleen Kennedy became head of Lucasfilm in 2012 following Disney’s $4 billion purchase of the company. Under her leadership, a new Star Wars trilogy was launched, along with major box office successes like The Force Awakens and Rogue One. She also spearheaded the move into streaming with popular shows such as The Mandalorian, Andor, Ahsoka, and others.

Despite some successes, her tenure also faced criticism for creative decisions that didn’t appeal to all fans, and several projects were ultimately canceled. This change in leadership is largely viewed as Disney’s attempt to revitalize the franchise, aligning it with the more popular creative direction favored by fans under Filoni’s guidance.

Kathleen Kennedy, a highly acclaimed and award-winning film producer, is remembered for her work on over 70 movies. She collaborated with famous directors like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on huge hits such as E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and The Sixth Sense, and earned multiple Oscars throughout her career.

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2026-01-16 05:03