Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to Remain at Disney Amid Retirement Speculations
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy to Remain at Disney Amid Retirement Speculations
For some time, rumors have circulated about the potential departure of Lucasfilm's longtime president, Kathleen Kennedy, from Disney. Recent reports suggesting her retirement at the end of her contract may be premature.
On Tuesday, Puck reported that Kennedy, 71, is expected to step down as president of the renowned production company behind the "Star Wars" franchise before the end of 2025. Several news outlets have echoed this report. However, a source familiar with the situation that these claims are unfounded, emphasizing that "there's nothing there right now." Any announcement regarding Kennedy's retirement will be made public once "actual decisions are made," the source added.
Lucasfilm did not respond to requests for comment, and a Disney spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside George Lucas and was named president shortly after Disney's $4 billion acquisition of the company that same year.
Under her leadership, the "Star Wars" franchise experienced a resurgence with the release of a new trilogy. While these films achieved significant box office success domestically, they faced diminishing returns: 2015's "The Force Awakens" grossed over $936 million, followed by $620 million for 2017's "The Last Jedi," and $515 million for 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker." Despite this decline, the trilogy outperformed the prequel films in domestic earnings.
Between 2015 and 2019, Lucasfilm released a "Star Wars" movie annually, with varying degrees of success. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016) garnered critical acclaim and earned over $532 million domestically, while "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018) received mixed reviews and made $213 million domestically. Notably, "Solo," with a production budget of at least $250 million, became the first "Star Wars" film to incur financial losses.
In response to the declining box office performance, Lucasfilm shifted its focus to streaming platforms, launching "The Mandalorian" on Disney+ in November 2019. Since then, the company has produced several live-action series, including additional seasons of "The Mandalorian," "The Book of Boba Fett," "Obi-Wan Kenobi," and "Ahsoka."
While not all series have been universally acclaimed—"The Acolyte" was canceled after one season due to mixed reviews—the company recently released a trailer for the highly anticipated second season of "Andor," set to premiere on Disney+ on April 22.
Capitalizing on the success of "The Mandalorian," Lucasfilm announced in 2024 that it is developing a feature film titled "The Mandalorian and Grogu," directed by Jon Favreau, marking the company's first theatrical release since 2019.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Kennedy's age. She is 71.
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