Kathleen Kennedy

Source: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Kathleen Kennedy

Following a report that Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is expected to depart at the end of the year, Hollywood is abuzz with speculation over who might replace the longtime executive and steward of the Star Wars galaxy.

Kennedy, who co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall in 1981 and has produced films like Jurassic Park and E.T., was picked by Star Wars creator George Lucas to run Lucasfilm in 2012.

She remained in place when Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4bn later that year. Disney CEO Bob Iger wanted a new film from the Star Wars universe every year and Kennedy delivered. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens directed by J.J. Abrams opened in 2015, ending a decade-long hiatus after 2005’s Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith.

Feature spin-offs Rogue One (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) came out in between the two other core Stars Wars features under Kennedy’s watch: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi in 2017 directed by Rian Johnson, and Episode XI: The Rise Of Skywalker from Abrams in 2019.

That last feature earned mixed reviews and grossed just over $1bn worldwide, roughly half of what The Force Awakens had grossed four years prior. Since then the core feature pipeline has come to a shuddering halt after projects were announced and never materialised. There had also been difficulties on set with the spin-off features as directors were fired or replaced.

Kennedy also set in motion television spin-offs like the highly popular The Mandalorian from Jon Favreau, which is getting the feature treatment in the form of Favreau’s The Mandalorian And Grogu, scheduled to open in May 2026. Other series were not so well received, like The Acolyte, which got cancelled after one season in 2024.

Puck first reported the news of Kennedy’s expected departure. Disney had not replied to a request to comment on the report at time of writing.

Whenever Kennedy does leave Lucasfilm, Iger and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman must find a replacement for a demanding, high-profile job that by definition involves far less creativity than producers might want, and more deal-making and promotional activity.

Whoever is appointed will need to reinvigorate the core Star Wars feature pipeline after a six-year absence. Lucasfilm also controls the Indiana Jones franchise, which has dwindled in stature after Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny managed less than $400m worldwide in 2023. 

Names that have been bandied about include Kevin Feige, the Marvel Studios boss and a Star Wars fan. However Feige may want to remain at the helm of his superhero factory as he tries to steer it back into successful critical and financial waters. Marvel has endured a critical and commercial lean spell that has not been entirely banished by new release Captain America: Brave New World, which sits on an unheroic $291m worldwide after two weekends.

Feige’s focus is on summer release The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the latest run at a property that 20th Century Fox failed to crack in several attempts, and the upcoming Avengers and Doctor Doom tentpoles with the Russo brothers and Robert Downey Jr.

Favreau himself has been mentioned, although observers wonder if he would be willing to sideline his creative gifts in service to the daunting business remit that comes with the job. There has also been talk of Peter Rice, the British executive and former head of Fox Searchlight who was fired as Disney’s head of TV by Iger in 2022.

The list of candidates includes: former 20th Century Fox president of production Emma Watts; former Bad Robot and Sony executive president of production Hannah Minghella, now running animation and live-action features at Netflix; J.J. Abrams; and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni.

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