The Walt Disney Company has announced a major leadership transition at Lucasfilm, with longtime president Kathleen Kennedy stepping down from her role after nearly 14 years. Kennedy will transition back to full-time producing, including work on the upcoming feature films The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.
As part of the change, Dave Filoni will take on creative leadership as President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, while Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President. Filoni and Brennan, both of whom have held senior roles at Lucasfilm for more than 15 years, will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman.
“When we acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, we knew we were bringing into the Disney family not only one of the most beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but also a team of extraordinary talent led by a visionary filmmaker – someone who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no less,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”
Since being named head of Lucasfilm in 2012, Kennedy has overseen a significant expansion of the Star Wars franchise, including the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, both of which surpassed $1 billion at the global box office. She also led Lucasfilm’s move into live-action television with series such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka, while continuing the studio’s animated storytelling through projects like The Bad Batch and Star Wars: Visions.
“Kathleen Kennedy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years, and it’s been our privilege to have her here at Disney leading Lucasfilm for nearly 14 of them,” Bergman said. “She has steered Star Wars to incredible box office heights and brought a new generation of fans into the fold.”
As Kennedy shifts her focus back to producing, Filoni and Brennan will guide Lucasfilm’s next chapter. Filoni, who joined the studio in 2005, has played a central role in shaping modern Star Wars storytelling across animation and live action, while Brennan brings decades of operational and business leadership from her time at Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm’s business division.
The transition signals a new era for Lucasfilm, blending creative continuity with a refreshed leadership structure as the studio moves forward with its upcoming slate of films and series.
