Kathleen Kennedy Out, Dave Filoni In: What Does It Mean for the Future of Lucasfilm?
One thing is clear: the era of uncertainty for Lucasfilm is not over yet.
A new era has dawned at Lucasfilm – after 14 years as president of one of the most influential film companies, Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down.
This long-awaited reshuffle marks the end of a highly controversial period for Star Wars and the beginning of a new chapter, the details of which are still unclear.
Power will pass to two studio veterans: Dave Filoni will become creative director and Lynwen Brennan, former vice president, will assume business leadership.
Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan Are Taking Over for Kathleen Kennedy as President of Lucasfilm
The current division of responsibilities follows a common Hollywood model: Dave Filoni, a student and protégé of George Lucas, will oversee the creative development of the Star Wars universe.
He joined Lucasfilm in 2005 and spent many years as the architect of its animation division, creating iconic series such as The Clone Wars and Rebels. In recent years, he has successfully transitioned to live-action projects, working on The Mandalorian and the Ahsoka series.
Lynwen Brennan, who is less well known to the general public, is a finance and operations specialist. She began her career in ILM's special effects division in 1999, and by 2024, she had risen to vice president of Lucasfilm. She served as Kennedy's right-hand woman in management matters.
This division of roles is intended to ensure a balance between creative vision and commercial sustainability.
What Happened to Lucasfilm Under Kathleen Kennedy?
The Kennedy era will be remembered as a time of extreme highs and lows. Under her leadership, Star Wars made a triumphant return to the big screen – The Force Awakens grossed over $2 billion.
However, each subsequent movie earned less than the previous one, and Solo: A Star Wars Story became the franchise's first box office failure. These failures, coupled with a series of high-profile creative differences and director departures, led to a six-year hiatus from theatrical releases for the saga.
Meanwhile, Kennedy successfully launched the franchise on television. The debut of The Mandalorian on Disney+ was a sensation, and Andor was recognized as one of the franchise's best series.
However, this content-driven strategy ultimately led to oversaturation and a decline in quality, as evidenced by weaker projects such as The Book of Boba Fett and The Acolyte.
Attempts to revive other Lucasfilm franchises, such as Indiana Jones and Willow, resulted in resounding commercial and critical failures.
Perhaps the most significant outcome was that Kennedy split the fandom and dampened overall interest in Star Wars.
What Can We Expect From Dave Filoni as the Head of Lucasfilm?
Of all the changes, Filoni's appointment is the most discussed. He is a living encyclopedia of Star Wars, deeply immersed in its mythology and trusted by hardcore fans.
His adherence to George Lucas' vision inspires hope for a return to a more coherent and respectful interpretation of the canon.
However, Filoni is a relatively inexperienced director, and his career has primarily been in animation and television. His reputation as a storyteller is mixed – even in his best work, he has skillfully built upon the ideas of others rather than offering truly innovative ones.
An immediate and abrupt change of direction is unlikely. Many current projects, including the second season of Ahsoka and the animated series Maul – Shadow Lord, are his brainchildren.
The big question is whether Filoni, lacking experience working with top Hollywood directors, can successfully manage upcoming feature films and make difficult personnel decisions on projects stuck in production hell.
