*Courtesy of Jesse Grant / Getty Images for Disney.*

After 14 years leading Lucasfilm through the modern era of Star Wars, Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of the company. Her departure, effective this week, marks a major leadership change for one of Hollywood’s most valuable franchises.

Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside Star Wars creator George Lucas and became sole head of the company later that year following Disney’s $4 billion acquisition of the studio. A veteran producer of films including E.T. and Indiana Jones, she relaunched Star Wars theatrically with 2015’s The Force Awakens, which grossed $2 billion worldwide and became the top domestic release of all time.

Under Kennedy, Lucasfilm released Rogue One ($1 billion), The Last Jedi ($1.33 billion), Solo ($392.9 million), and The Rise of Skywalker ($1 billion). The era included setbacks, including director changes on Solo and Rogue One, though the latter ultimately became a critical and commercial success and led to the Emmy-winning series Andor.

Following the mixed response to The Rise of Skywalker, Disney paused theatrical Star Wars releases, with CEO Bob Iger later acknowledging the studio had released too many films too quickly. Multiple announced projects failed to materialize, and a Daisy Ridley–led film announced in 2023 remains in development.

Kennedy will remain a producer on Lucasfilm’s next two films—The Mandalorian and Grogu, due May 22, and 2027’s Star Wars: Starfighter—before transitioning to independent producing.

Lucasfilm will now operate under split leadership. Dave Filoni has been promoted to president and chief creative officer, overseeing creative direction, while president and general manager Lynwen Brennan becomes co-president, overseeing business operations. Both report to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman.

Filoni rose through Lucasfilm’s animation division, leading The Clone Wars before co-creating The Mandalorian with Jon Favreau. Brennan joined Lucasfilm in 1999 and later served as president of Industrial Light & Magic before assuming oversight of the company’s business in 2015.

While the film slate slowed after 2019, Kennedy’s expansion into television proved successful. The Mandalorian became a flagship Disney+ series, and Star Wars television projects under her leadership earned 85 Emmy nominations, including five wins for Andor. Upcoming projects include a second season of Ahsoka and the animated Maul: Shadow Lord.

With Kennedy’s departure finalized after a prolonged succession process, Lucasfilm is expected to move forward more aggressively under its new leadership as it seeks to restore momentum across film and television.

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