Kathleen Kennedy, the leader of Star Wars, is leaving after 14 years
Kathleen Kennedy, the leader of Star Wars, is leaving after 14 years
Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, is stepping down after 14 years in charge of the studio that produces Star Wars, one of the most successful Hollywood franchises of all time.
George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, chose Kennedy to oversee the firm, and the studio announced on Thursday that she will now be a full-time producer.
Kennedy is best known for overseeing the revival of the science-fiction series, which produced hits such as The Force Awakens, but she was also responsible for the franchise’s first box office disaster, Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Dave Filoni, who has worked on several of the studio’s animated productions, will become president and chief creative officer, working alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan.
Filoni commended Kennedy for managing the “greatest expansion” in Star Wars storytelling.
Kennedy has overseen Lucasfilm since 2012, when Disney purchased the firm that produces the Star Wars and Indiana Jones properties.
Kathleen Kennedy, the leader of Star Wars, is leaving after 14 years
She supervised the rebirth of the Star Wars franchise with five feature films that grossed over $5 billion (£3.74 billion) globally.
They include the sequel trilogy films starring Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, which set box office records in the United States.
During Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm, the company created projects such as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and the critically praised Andor series for the Disney+ streaming platform.
Kennedy also added more female protagonists and characters from various backgrounds. However, some fans criticized this method for introducing a social agenda into the Star Wars brand.
There was also criticism of Lucasfilm’s decision to develop new series that did not follow decades of Star Wars history, such as novels and comics.
Kennedy will remain at the studio to produce the company’s future blockbusters, The Mandalorian and Grogu, as well as Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling.