Phil Roberts 
With Kathleen Kennedy stepping down, Dave Filoni will lead Lucasfilm as President and Chief Creative Officer alongside Lynwen Brennan as Co-President.
Breaking news tonight, as Kathleen Kennedy has officially stepped down as President of Lucasfilm. Kennedy led the company for 14 years, overseeing the studios’ transition from George Lucas to Disney and the production of the sequel trilogy and into the Disney+ era. Kennedy will return to full-time producing, including the studio’s upcoming feature films The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter. Read on for the major talking points.
KENNEDY STEPS DOWN
Lucasfilm announced today that after 14 years of leading the studio, President Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role. Kennedy will return to full-time producing, including the studio’s upcoming feature films The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.
Dave Filoni, who worked closely with creator George Lucas to build the Lucasfilm animation department on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and helped launch Star Wars live-action series alongside Jon Favreau on The Mandalorian, will take on creative leadership of the company as President and Chief Creative Officer and Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President.
Their close collaboration and more than 30 years of combined senior executive experience will carry Lucasfilm into its next chapter of storytelling, with a strong foundation of creative vision and operational leadership guiding the studio forward.
“My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas. I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them,” said Filoni. “From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”
“Lucasfilm has played such a meaningful part in my life,” said Brennan. “It’s a community of inspiring storytellers with a rebel spirit like no other, and I am honored to join Dave Filoni in leading us forward. I have been so fortunate to learn from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy and Alan Bergman and have unwavering faith in Dave’s creative vision for the next chapter in this storied studio’s legacy.”
LEGACY
“When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” said Kennedy. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”
Since being named president of Lucasfilm, Kennedy has guided a new era of storytelling, expanding Star Wars and Indiana Jones while championing bold creative directions and exciting new voices. She oversaw the record-shattering release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first in a new trilogy of billion-dollar Skywalker Saga films, as well as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which also grossed over $1 billion worldwide and led to the creation of the Emmy-winning Andor series. She also led Lucasfilm’s foray into live-action Star Wars series, including three seasons of The Mandalorian as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and others, alongside popular animated shows such as Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: Visions. Kennedy is currently producing the feature films The Mandalorian and Grogu and director Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, set for theatrical release in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
THE FUTURE
Whether you love her or not, one cannot argue with Kennedy’s incredible track record. From her days producing films like Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to reshaping the Star Wars franchise for a new generation, her track record speaks for itself. We at Future of the Force send our thanks for her service, hard work, and dedication to the sequel trilogy, the live-action spin-offs, the Disney+ era shows, countless comic books, novels, video games, hotels, and more…
Looking ahead, we support the new dynamic duo leading Lucasfilm. With Dave Filoni as President and Chief Creative Officer and Lynwen Brennan as Co-President, the studio is in good hands, and we look forward to seeing the saga grow under their leadership.
Thank you, Kathleen. May the force be with you…always.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
