Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy Might Be Retiring Later This 12 months

Kathleen Kennedy, one of many most prolific and successful producers in trendy Hollywood historical past, could also be retiring on the finish of this 12 months. For the previous decade-plus, she’s been the president of Lucasfilm the place she–for higher and worse–helped usher Star Wars into the twenty first century with a new trilogy, spinoffs, and a burgeoning tv slate. Now, nevertheless, that every one could also be coming to an finish.

The information broke early Tuesday morning through Puck News, who framed the reporting as particularly Kennedy retiring from the place, slightly than being ousted in a single type or one other. Puck Information additional alleges that Kennedy had beforehand thought-about retiring someday in 2024, going so far as to arrange a possible exit interview within the press, however finally determined to pause the choice for one more 12 months. io9 reached out to Lucasfilm for remark however hadn’t heard again as of publication.

In 2012, earlier than Lucasfilm was offered to Disney, Kennedy was hand-picked by George Lucas to shepherd the studio in its new and unprecedented period. Within the years since, Kennedy introduced the franchise again in methods each good and dangerous. She, in fact, had huge success with The Mandalorian, Rogue One, and Star Wars: The Drive Awakens, but in addition has been criticized for releasing an excessive amount of too quickly, not being adventurous sufficient with the tasks that do make it to screens whereas leaving a swath of introduced merchandise in various states of uncertain limbo, and, particularly in newer years, failing to convincingly navigate Lucasfilm by the tradition struggle that Star Wars has typically discovered itself part of, leaving solid and crew to fend for themselves.

So no, it was not at all times clean crusing. Alternatively, it’s not possible to disclaim the successes Kennedy has helped herald throughout her tenure as Lucasfilm’s president–serving to to craft new characters like Grogu and Rey which have change into beloved by generations of followers new and outdated, bringing again stars like Ewan McGregor and Temuera Morrison, or pushing for one in every of Star Wars‘ greatest modern successes in Andor. As a result of even when she missed, Kennedy was doing what she felt the followers wished.

After all, earlier than turning into the queen of Star Wars, Kennedy loved a long career as a blockbuster producer. She bought her begin working alongside Frank Marshall and Steven Spielberg on Raiders of the Misplaced Arok and stayed on that path, working with them and others on every part from The Goonies and Again to the Future, to Jurassic Park, Schindler’s Checklist, and the remainder of the Indiana Jones movies.

If Kennedy is retiring, the query turns into, who steps in? Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has lengthy fancied himself an even bigger Star Wars fan than a Marvel fan so, possibly he’d see this as an opportunity to leap ship. Internally, Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau–who’ve been the primary inventive forces on the studio in recent times, marked by Filoni’s own ascension to the place of Chief Artistic Officer in late 2023–each appear to be good guesses. The executive team additionally has a plethora of skilled expertise up and down the record, from president of enterprise Lynwen Brennan, to longtime producer and present govt vice-president Carrie Beck and others.

Whoever takes over although will be a part of at a key second in Star Wars historical past. Within the time since Disney took over the franchise, we’re at present within the longest drought of big-screen Star Wars movies up to now with the subsequent one, The Mandalorian and Grogu, nonetheless over a 12 months away. After that, movies unfold all throughout the Star Wars timeline are reportedly within the works however nothing is ready in stone. This is a crossroads, not simply due to the place Star Wars goes, however as a result of its newest captain might lastly be stepping down. With all eyes on Star Wars Celebration in just some month to present us a imaginative and prescient of Star Wars‘ future at this crossroads from a inventive standpoint, it wouldn’t be stunning if we hear extra about Kennedy’s personal future in additional sure phrases quickly.

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