"Star Wars" soon without Kathleen Kennedy?: Lucasfilm boss reportedly resigns

This rumor from Hollywood is causing a stir: After more than a decade as head of the legendary film studio Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy (71) is allegedly planning to retire. As the US industry magazine "The Hollywood Reporter" reports, citing the website "Puck", the film producer has told employees that she wants to retire by the end of 2025.

Kennedy took over the management of Lucasfilm in 2012, shortly after Disney acquired the company for four billion dollars from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas (80). Under her leadership, the studio brought the new "Star Wars" trilogy to the cinema, which began in 2015 with "The Force Awakens". The film grossed over two billion dollars worldwide.

From 2015 to 2019, Disney released a "Star Wars" film every year. After "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," there was a break in 2019. The final part of the Skywalker saga received mixed reviews and only grossed half as much as "The Force Awakens" a few years earlier.

New successes on streaming service

As head of Lucasfilm, Kennedy also had to deal with other setbacks. For example, she fired Chris Lord and Phil Miller as directors of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" in the middle of production. The film flopped. Other projects were promised but have not yet come to fruition, including a trilogy by Rian Johnson.

The "Star Wars" franchise celebrated new successes on TV screens with the launch of Disney+. "The Mandalorian" became a hit for the streaming service in 2019 and spawned several "Star Wars" series, including the critically acclaimed "Andor," which returns for a second season in April.

Next up is the film "The Mandalorian and Grogu," directed by Jon Favreau, which is scheduled to be released in May 2026. It is the first major theatrical appearance for the franchise since "The Rise of Skywalker."

Impressive career

Kathleen Kennedy's career began in the early 1980s. She made her debut as a producer in 1982 with "ET - The Extra-Terrestrial". This also marked the start of her long-term collaboration with director Steven Spielberg. Over the course of her career, Kennedy has produced films that have reportedly grossed more than eleven billion dollars worldwide, including some of the highest-grossing films in film history. As a producer, she received eight nominations for the Oscar for Best Picture.

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