Kathleen Kennedy steps down as Lucasfilm president, marking a new era for the Star Wars franchise
Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down as president of Lucasfilm. Although she will continue as a producer on several Star Wars projects, including the upcoming film The Mandalorian and Groguthe company will now be led by a duo consisting of Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. It’s a big changing of the guard for Star Wars fans and marks the start of a new chapter for the sci-fi universe.
Before taking over as CEO of Lucasfilm, Kennedy had great success as a producer with a few small films you may have heard of: AND And Jurassic Park. She became president of Lucasfilm in 2012 when the company was acquired by Disney. At that time, several years had passed since the last Star Wars film; Revenge of the Sith closed out the generally criticized prequel trilogy in 2005. Fans’ best option for Star Wars content was The Clone Warsa standalone film and animated series that were highly regarded but mainly popular among die-hard enthusiasts rather than achieving the widespread cultural relevance of the previous feature films.
During Kennedy’s tenure, Star Wars returned to the big screen with The Force Awakens in 2015. Although this JJ Abrams-led trilogy was also a roller coaster ride for many fans, it marked a renaissance for the franchise. Lucasfilm launched into two independent films in Thief One And Solowhich generated even more buzz and more money for the company. Star Wars has received the full cinematic universe treatment, with critically acclaimed live-action television projects and several new video games. The world has fallen in love with Baby Yoda. Ewan McGregor finally got to don his Obi-Wan Kenobi robe in a better vehicle. The franchise was back in the mainstream, with the budgets and expectations of media giant Disney under its belt. Whatever your feelings about the current state of Star Wars, it’s an impressive achievement by Kennedy and a great legacy she leaves for Lucasfilm.
So now that Lucasfilm has arguably ended this phase on a high note, what’s next? The arrival of Dave Filoni in first place is not really a surprise. He has long been seen by fans and seemingly society as the spiritual successor to George Lucas. Filoni was also the showrunner of The Clone Wars at the time and has been involved to some extent in many recent television series, including The Mandalorian And Ahsoka. All this history means his new role as president and chief creative officer is pretty much anticipated, and Star Wars faithful probably feel like they’re in good hands.
As the title suggests, Filoni will be responsible for the artistic side of the operation, while as co-president, Lynwen Brennan will be in charge of the business side. Brennan may be a less familiar name, but her tenure with Lucas’ companies dates back to 1999, when she joined legendary effects studio Industrial Light & Magic. Dividing art and commerce can yield good results if the two manage to find good synergy. Star Wars has proven to be a moneymaker even when the films and series aren’t particularly well-received, but here’s hoping that Filoni and Brennan are each able to maintain high standards for Lucasfilm and the Star Wars fandom.
