Kathleen Kennedy, who was hand-picked by George Lucas to take over his “Star Wars”-powered film company, announced Thursday she is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm.
Kennedy has led the company for nearly 14 years, having previously made her mark in Hollywood by co-founding Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall — the production house behind films such as “Jurassic Park,” “E.T.” and “Back to the Future.”
Lucasfilm was acquired by The Walt Disney Co. in 2012.
“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,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement Thursday. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”
In a statement of her own, Kennedy said, “When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead. It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”
Replacing Kennedy as Lucasfilm president will be Dave Filoni, the company’s chief commercial officer, and Lynwen Brennan, who will serve as co-president, moving up from her current post as president and general manager of Lucasfilm Business.
Filoni has been with Lucasfilm since 2005 and was a driving force being series such as “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Rebels” and “The Mandalorian.” He is the showrunner for “Ahsoka.”
“My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas,” Filoni said. “I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them. From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen.”