Everything is proceeding as many have forseen. Following an extended period of speculation and rumors, a new report claims that the heir to George Lucas’ empire, Lucasfilm’s creative Grand Admiral Dave Filoni, will soon be named co-President of the company alongside Lynwen Brennan as Kathleen Kennedy steps down from the role.
The news comes from Matt Belloni who reports that Lucasfilm will confirm the moves in “the next week or two.”
Filoni, the creator behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka, has served as Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Office since November 2023 and will remain in command of the “creative direction of the franchise in film, television, and any other platforms in the galaxy.” Brennan, who was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Lucasfilm by Kennedy in 2015, is expected to continue coordinating the business side of things for the studio.
Kennedy‘s career at Lucasfilm began in 2012 when she was handpicked by George Lucas to serve as co-chair before the company’s acquisition by The Walt Disney Company. Following the sale, she was promoted to President, overseeing Lucasfilm’s primary divisions, including Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Skywalker Sound. Under her leadership, the studio revitalized the Star Wars franchise, launching a sequel trilogy that began with the record-breaking The Force Awakens (2015) and continued with The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). Beyond the Skywalker Saga, Kennedy shepherded standalone “anthology” films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) as well as the return of another iconic Lucasfilm property with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).
In addition to her work in feature films, Kennedy spearheaded Lucasfilm’s expansion into streaming through Disney+. She served as executive producer on critically acclaimed and award-winning live-action series, most notably The Mandalorian, which debuted in 2019, and the Emmy-winning Andor.
As Kennedy prepares to step away, Lucasfilm has rough 7,813,212 Star Was projects in development, none of which a large segment of fans believe will actually be made.
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