Kathleen Kennedy Exits Lucasfilm After 14 Years – Here’s Who Will Take Over

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After 14 years leading Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy is leaving her position. Disney has appointed two new executives to take her place: Dave Filoni, who will become president and chief creative officer, and Lynwen Brennan, who will serve as co-president, managing the business and production sides of the company. Together, they will lead the studio responsible for “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” as these franchises move forward.

While Filoni’s promotion was anticipated due to his extensive work with Lucasfilm, the appointment of Brennan came as a surprise. Disney seems to have strategically combined a talented creative visionary with an experienced manager focused on finances and daily operations. Both Filoni and Brennan will report to Alan Bergman, who is a co-chairman at Disney Entertainment.

Kathleen Kennedy will remain with Lucasfilm as a producer on their upcoming films, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” (scheduled for 2026) and “Star Wars: Starfighter” (2027), while also working on other projects. Disney CEO Bob Iger commended Kennedy’s work, stating that they are thankful for her leadership and guidance of the well-known studio and Star Wars franchise.

As a fan, I’ve definitely seen the highs and lows of Kennedy’s time leading Lucasfilm. She was instrumental in bringing Star Wars back to its former glory with The Force Awakens, which was huge, and we got some other great movies like The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and Rogue One. But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing – films like Solo and the recent Indiana Jones didn’t perform as well as hoped. It’s also been frustrating to see projects from talented directors like Patty Jenkins, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Taika Waititi fall through, reportedly due to disagreements about the creative direction.

Kennedy played a key role in bringing the Star Wars stories to streaming platforms with popular shows like The Mandalorian and the well-received series Andor. However, not all shows succeeded, and some, including The Acolyte, were canceled after just one season.

Dave Filoni has been with Lucasfilm for many years, originally chosen by George Lucas in 2005 to head up their animation department. He’s the creator of both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, and has also directed, written, and executive produced live-action shows like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. Kathleen Brennan began at Industrial Light & Magic in 1999, eventually becoming its president before being named president and general manager of Lucasfilm in 2024. She’s responsible for managing the company’s business and production, and has been key to ILM’s expansion.

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2026-01-16 16:26