Summary
Allegations ran rampant last week that the President ofLucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, could be leaving the job by the end of 2025. However, suspicions of Kennedy’s departure have been spun by the internet rumor mill before. Now, Kennedy herself has stepped in to clear the air and debunk these claims, mentioning that her responsibilities in the company may not end with her retirement.
Kathleen Kennedy has overseenStar Wars’creative vision for film and television since she began working atLucasfilmin 2012. With this being her thirteenth year at the company, Kennedy has been responsible for some of the most popular and controversial releases in the post-George Lucas era. Her credits include the Star Wars sequels: Episodes 7-9, andDisney’s venture into the streaming sphere, with projects likeThe Mandalorian,Ashoka, The Book of Boba Fett,andSkeleton Crew.This period has been defined by her push for progressivism, inclusivity, and a greater expanded universe ofStar Warslore; often taking from the franchise’s various novels, comics, and animated series in order to build a media empire that rivals that of the MCU.
Rumors surrounding her departure were initially mentioned in a Puck article. Matthew Belloni claimed that telltale signs of Kennedy’s exit had begun to emerge, primarily because her husband was selling off their Malibu house and offloading their art. However, this report has since been proven to be dubious in its reliability with many conflicting sources of information being published in its wake. Variety claimed shortly after its publication that a source close to Kennedy had denounced the Puck article as pure speculation. Now, inan exclusive interview with Deadline, Mike Fleming Jr. has allowed her to respond to the fervent speculation. Kennedy adamantly claimed: “I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies.” However, despite this strong response, she also mentioned that an ongoing process had been taking place over a number of years. Apparently, Kennedy has hadseveral discussions with Disney CEO, Bob Iger, and Chairman of Disney Entertainment, Alan Bergman, about what an “eventual succession might look like.”
In the near future, Kennedy has confirmed her role in a number of films: “I’m producing theMandalorianmovie right now, and I’m also producing Shawn Levy’s movie, which is after that.” The President will also be handling the release ofStar Wars’only upcoming project in 2025:AndorSeason 2. This quieter scheduling slate for Lucasfilm would explain the multitude of presumptions made about Kennedy’s retirement, as it would be the ideal time to transfer the reigns of power over to a fresh face. The returning success ofAndor,Star Wars’attempt at a prestige drama, would also be an ideal way to finish her career at Disney; the series previously earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in 2023, and is likely to sweep the awards season later this year. The release of any official news of a new Lucasfilm President has been given a broad timeline: “We’ll probably make an announcement months or a year out”. So, it does make sense that the selection of an heir would be publicized around this time.
Although someone else will eventually step into the job, Kennedy’s influence in the sci-fi genre is far from being over. It seems that she is planning on maintaining key positions in upcomingStar Warsprojects, whether or not she stays on as President. Whoever assumes control will have to contend with Kennedy as a coach, overseeing some form of transition period: “I have every intention of sticking around to help that person be successful”. As a result, her reach may still extend into planned and, as of yet, unannounced upcoming installments, including the newStar Warstrilogytipped to written and produced by Simon Kinberg.
Who Will Replace Kennedy?
The leading lights of theStar Warsbrand since 2019 have been Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, which makes them natural successors to the Presidency of Lucasfilm. However, neither producer has indicated whether they would be up for assuming control of the company. Any experienced Hollywood executive is not going to be inheriting a perfect situation.The Acolytenotoriously bombed earlier in 2024, andthe untitled Rey movieis currently stuck in development hell; the film has been indefinitely delayed and is in dire need of a strong, new direction. Whatever Disney has planned forLucasfilmin 2026 and beyond, Kathleen Kennedy will seemingly continue to shepherdStar Warsfor the foreseeable future.
