Credit: LucasfilmThis may be the last year for Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy.
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This year will mark the last one for Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, according to a new report from Puck News. This update follows years of rumors regarding Kathleen Kennedy’s status as head of Lucasfilm, with the longtime executive reportedly setting her sights on retirement in 2025, leaving the throne open to someone new.
While people like George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, and Mark Hamill are often considered the most important when it comes to franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, Kathleen Kennedy has had a hand in both for over a decade. Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside Lucas himself, taking the reins just a few months later as a result of Disney’s acquisition of the company.
Just like Disney’s purchase of Marvel and 20th Century Fox, the Lucasfilm acquisition was a big one, with The Walt Disney Company paying $4 billion for it. This moment acted as something of a “rebirth” for Lucasfilm, which would go on to relaunch the mainline Star Wars saga with 2015’s The Force Awakens.
This began one of the most action-packed and controversial moments for the Star Wars brand since the prequels hit theaters, with Disney’s new Star Wars trilogy leaving many perplexed and divided.
Some loved the direction Disney went, while others saw Disney’s handling of the brand as tactless and ill-advised. Much of this controversy stemmed directly from Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), which served as the middle film of a new trilogy. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi still proves divisive today, with its implications on the story permanently altering what was set up in The Force Awakens.
While much negativity and hate was directed toward Johnson and Disney, Kathleen Kennedy bore the brunt of the backlash.
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As boss of Lucasfilm, Kennedy held the keys to one of the biggest kingdoms in entertainment, a difficult job as shown by some of the less successful releases. Over the last decade, Star Wars has become something entirely new, finding more success on the small screen rather than the silver one.
Where films like Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) failed, Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian and Andor triumphed, with both now spawning their own continuations.
In a full-circle moment for Disney and the Star Wars brand, The Mandalorian will be getting its own feature-length movie in 2026, directed by Jon Favreau. The upcoming film, titled The Mandalorian and Grogu, will serve as the first theatrical Star Wars release since 2019’s Rise of Skywalker.
Kennedy’s career expands well beyond the Millenium Falcon however, as she has helped create over 70 films, working with legendary directors and visionaries like Steven Spielberg.
This news comes just a few weeks ahead of 2025’s Star Wars Celebration, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan, this time around. The big news is expected to be about the franchise and its various new projects, with fans especially eager to learn more about the upcoming new film centered around Daisey Ridley’s Rey.
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