Star Wars Boss Kathleen Kennedy Expected To Leave Lucasfilm By The End Of 2025

It’s the end of an era over at Lucasfilm. Hot on the heels of the Broccoli family ceding creative control of the James Bond franchise over to Amazon MGM Studios, yet another longstanding institution is about to be rocked by behind-the-scenes change. Kathleen Kennedy, the prolific producer who worked hand in hand with Steven Spielberg for several decades and who recently spearheaded both the “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” properties, is reportedly set to leave Lucasfilm by the end of 2025 in a major development. The news was first reported by Matthew Belloni of The Puck newsletter and subsequently picked up by outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter.

The news about Kennedy (who turns 72 years old this June) and her retirement comes after years of speculation and debate surrounding her handling of the volatile “Star Wars” IP, both on the big screen and on Disney+ streaming. It’s undeniable that she helped oversee the return of one of the most storied franchises in cinema and guided it to multiple billion-dollar hits at the box office, reinvigorating the brand in the immediate aftermath of George Lucas selling off his golden goose to the Mouse House. But it’s equally as important to note that, under Disney’s ownership, “Star Wars” has also fallen on (relatively) hard times in recent years. 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” marked the last time Lucasfilm debuted a film set in the galaxy far, far away in theaters, ending a financially successful but extraordinarily divisive sequel trilogy.

Kennedy’s impending exit will leave a glaring hole in the leadership of Lucasfilm, and only time will tell how this power vacuum will be filled.

It’s a development that plenty of disgruntled fans have waited a long time for, but one that’s far more complicated than most of the internet would have you believe. Kathleen Kennedy, who has been president of Lucasfilm since 2012 and one of the most accomplished producers in the entire industry for decades now, has reportedly let a small circle of people know — including Disney executives, industry professionals, and close friends — that she intends to step down from Lucasfilm by the end of the year. It’s worth noting that Kennedy was personally selected for the job by George Lucas himself, based on her longtime relationship with both Lucas and Steven Spielberg working on various Amblin classics, the “Indiana Jones” film series, and many more titles along the way.

Still, the question of what legacy Kennedy leaves behind at Lucasfilm will be the source of debates for many years to come. Shepherding the grand return of “Star Wars” to the big screen after Lucas’ prequel trilogy appeared to put a definitive end to the franchise simply can’t be overlooked, and neither can her involvement in the instant breakout success of the first Disney+ streaming series “The Mandalorian.” Still, there’s similarly no denying the creative hardships that “Star Wars” has endured with numerous directors and writers fired (or, in industry parlance, “parting ways”) from productions over the years, with several occurring at the last moment — including, but certainly not limited to, “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and even the film that ultimately became “The Rise of Skywalker.”

For now, the immediate question becomes who will be tasked with stepping up and filling Kennedy’s shoes … once her retirement becomes official, that is. Longtime veteran Dave Filoni, recently named Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, would seem a natural (if extremely safe) choice, though Jon Favreau would represent another obvious option. This announcement comes mere months before “Star Wars” is set to appear at 2025’s Star Wars Celebration held in Tokyo, Japan, where more news is bound to come in regarding Kennedy’s status and the fate of the overall franchise.