Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm this week, after nearly 14 years leading the studio.
Dave Filoni will take over as President/Chief Creative Officer, while
Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President. Filoni was previously Lucasfilm's EVP and Chief Creative Officer, while Brennan was the longtime President & GM of Lucasfilm Business. Kenneedy will continue as producer of the studio's next two theatrical films:
"The Mandalorian and Grogu" (May 22, 2026) and
"Star Wars: Starfighter" (May 28, 2027). She will then pursue other producing projects independently.
The transition has been in the works for the last two years as Disney and Kennedy sought a seamless transition. Filoni and Brennan are veteran senior leaders at Lucasfilm who have worked closely with Kennedy since she accepted
George Lucas' job offer in 2012, shortly before Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney. Filoni and Brennan bring complementary expertise and experience spanning the studio's entire business. Lucasfilm's upcoming projects include the new animated series
"Maul: Shadow Lord", and a second season of
"Ahsoka".
Filoni was tapped by Lucas to build Lucasfilm's animation studio from the ground up and created its first series, the Emmy-winning
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and
"Star Wars Rebels". Filoni is the executive producer, episodic director and writer on multiple Emmy-winning live-action series including
"The Mandalorian" and
"Ahsoka", and producer and writer of Lucasfilm's upcoming feature film
"The Mandalorian and Grogu".
Brennan joined Industrial Light & Magic (now ILM) in 1999, rising through the ranks to become ILM President in 2009 (including Skywalker Sound); Lucasfilm EVP/General Manager in 2015; and President & General Manager, Lucasfilm Business, in 2024. She leads Lucasfilm's business strategy and franchise and production operations and has overseen ILM's expansion into several studios worldwide, establishing it as the industry's preeminent VFX studio at the forefront of production technology.
Here is an internal email sent by Disney Studio boss
Alan Bergman:
"I'm writing today to share the news that after nearly 14 phenomenal years, Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role as President of Lucasfilm. She’ll remain part of the Star Wars family as a producer on our next two films, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.
With this transition, I’m pleased to announce that Dave Filoni will become President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, and Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President. As many of you know, Dave and Lynwen are longtime members of the Lucasfilm team who have been integral to its success both creatively and commercially. Both will now report to me.
Kathy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years, and it’s been our privilege to have her here at Disney. George Lucas asked her to join him to lead Lucasfilm in 2012, shortly before it became part of Disney. She immediately got to work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which shattered box office records around the world and still stands as the biggest movie of all time in the U.S. It marked the start of a new era for Star Wars, and within the span of four years, Kathy and the Lucasfilm team delivered four of the biggest films in history with a box office total of nearly $6B, along with the launch of the incredibly popular The Mandalorian series, Star Wars’ first foray into live-action series, which anchored the debut of Disney+.
During her tenure, Kathy oversaw a significant expansion of Star Wars storytelling with the bold and instantly beloved blockbuster Rogue One and the Emmy-winning prequel series Andor. In addition, she launched the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka live-action series, championed new animated series for fans of all kinds from The Bad Batch to Star Wars: Visions, and helped bring the galaxy to real life through the immersive Galaxy’s Edge lands in Disneyland and Disney World. Throughout it all, she has driven Lucasfilm’s legacy of innovation forward – ensuring ILM remains the industry’s preeminent VFX house with five studios around the world as it continues to revolutionize production technology with cutting-edge tools like StageCraft.
What Kathy has accomplished at Lucasfilm is remarkable on its own, but of course she has been shaping the landscape of film and entertainment from the very first film she produced, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, ultimately becoming one of the most successful producers of all time. She has had a hand in so many unforgettable films, from Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park to The Goonies, Poltergeist, and The Sixth Sense to Schindler’s List, The Color Purple, and Lincoln. The list goes on, and the 70+ films she has produced have earned a collective 25 Academy Awards and more than 120 nominations, including eight Best Picture contenders. For her countless contributions to the industry, she was honored with the Academy’s prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award and the PGA’s Milestone Award, among others. There are few who are more deserving, and I’m thankful for her leadership through the years.
I am also excited that we have another visionary storyteller ready to lead the studio. Dave joined Lucasfilm in 2005 and worked closely with George Lucas on the creative side, including building the animation studio from the ground up. He is deeply connected to the franchise’s mythology and has helped steadily expand it to exciting new corners of the galaxy, from The Clone Wars and Rebels to The Mandalorian, earning numerous Emmy wins and nominations along the way. He is currently the showrunner on Ahsoka, which is now in production for its second season, and is working with Jon Favreau to finish up this summer’s The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Lynwen has over 26 years with the company, rising through ILM to become its leader in 2009 and later General Manager of all of Lucasfilm in 2015, before being named President & General Manager, Lucasfilm Business in 2024. Lynwen’s ability to drive innovation with a clear strategic vision has kept the company on the leading edge during a period of massive technology shifts. Her leadership in the industry has been recognized with a lifetime achievement award from the Visual Effects Society as well as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
With Dave at the creative helm, Lynwen leading the business, Kathy continuing to produce, and the stellar teams at Lucasfilm, ILM, and Skywalker Sound behind it all, audiences can look forward to iconic Star Wars storytelling – and beyond – for a long time to come.
Alan"
