Dave Filoni & Lynwen Brennan To Replace Lucasfilm’s President Kathleen Kennedy

Disney has officially announced that Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role as the president of Lucasfilm and will transition back to full-time producing, including the studio’s upcoming feature films “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and “Star Wars: Starfighter”. 

She will be replaced by co-presidents, Dave Filoni, who will take on creative leadership of Lucasfilm as President and Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm, and Lynwen Brennan.  They have both held senior executive roles at the studio for more than 15 years at Lucasfilm. 

Filoni joined Lucasfilm in 2005 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the creative direction of the Star Wars universe. Working closely with George Lucas, Filoni was instrumental in establishing the company’s animation studio and has since expanded the franchise into new and compelling territory. His storytelling contributions span acclaimed series such as “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, “Rebels”, and “The Mandalorian”, earning multiple Emmy Awards and nominations. Filoni currently serves as showrunner for “Ahsoka”, now in production for its second season, and is teaming with Jon Favreau on “The Mandalorian and Grogu”.

Brennan has been with Lucasfilm since 1999, beginning at Industrial Light & Magic, where she rose through the ranks to become its leader in 2009. She was appointed General Manager of Lucasfilm in 2015 and President & General Manager of Lucasfilm Business in 2024. During her tenure, she has guided the company through transformative technological shifts with a clear strategic vision and a commitment to innovation, and her industry leadership has been recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society and the honour of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement regarding the change:

“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.  We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”

The two executives will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, and their close collaboration will carry Lucasfilm into its next chapter of storytelling, with a strong foundation of creative vision and operational leadership guiding the studio forward.  Alan also added in the statement:

“Kathleen Kennedy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years, and it’s been our privilege to have her here at Disney leading Lucasfilm for nearly 14 of them.  She has steered Star Wars to incredible box office heights and brought a new generation of fans into the fold. We appreciate having her on board to produce our next couple of films, and the studio remains in extraordinarily capable hands with Dave Filoni, who’s a brilliant storyteller, and Lynwen Brennan, an avid innovator and business leader. They are deeply passionate and experienced executives who will continue to drive the studio and Star Wars forward in exciting new directions.”

Kathleen Kennedy also spoke about her change in role at Lucasfilm:

“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.”

The new co-president, Dave Filoni, who is also behind the Disney+ series, “Ahsoka” added:

“My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas.  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. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”

And finally, Brennan also spoke about her new role:

“Lucasfilm has played such a meaningful part in my life.  It’s a community of inspiring storytellers with a rebel spirit like no other, and I am honored to join Dave Filoni in leading us forward. I have been so fortunate to learn from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy, and Alan Bergman and have unwavering faith in Dave’s creative vision for the next chapter in this storied studio’s legacy.”

Roger’s Take:  This has been a long time coming, as we’ve seen the excitement over the Star Wars brand slowly drop off in the past few years.   Star Wars needs a new direction after many years of multiple projects from across different eras, along with a massive shift from theatrical films to Disney+ shows, now back to major movies.  Over the time, Kennedy has been in charge of Lucasfilm, we’ve seen some fantastic projects released, such as “Andor”, “Skeleton Crew”, “Rogue One” and “The Mandalorian”.  But we’ve also seen some disappointing projects such as “The Acolyte” and “The Rise Of Skywalker”, cause massive problems for Disney, especially as many Star Wars fans felt it was time for a change in leadership.

Ultimately, we aren’t going to see any major changes from Star Wars in the next couple of years, since the next few projects have already begun production, so it’ll be years until we see where the new co-presidents take the brand.  However, it’s a good shift for Star Wars to get ready for a new era, be that in cinemas or on Disney+.  While I’ve enjoyed Dave Filoni’s work, I’m glad Disney has brought on a second co-president to let Dave deal with the creative side, while she focuses more on the business side.

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