When Kathleen Kennedy left her position as president of Lucasfilm last week, she left behind a ton of Star Wars projects in various states of production. From James Mangold’s “Dawn of the Jedi” and Dave Filoni’s Mandoverse epic, to potential films from Simon Kinberg, Taika Waititi, Steven Soderberg, Donald Glover and more, we look closely at that long list and try to determine which films may still actually happen under the supervision of Lucasfilm’s new regime. And where has the marketing been for this summer’s The Mandalorian and Grogu film? Plus, listener feedback on the new changes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars in Pop Culture and more.
CJ and Luke discuss Kathleen Kennedy stepping down, Filoni and Brennan stepping up and the latest news in the Star Wars Universe.
Share your thoughts in the comments below so we can discuss them in future episodes.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Starfighter News
07:00 Dawn of the Jedi no more?
13:40 Lando movie happening?
16:40 The new trilogy is coming
19:50 Galaxy Edge Update
24:25 Kathleen Kennedy Review
42:12 Lynwen Brennan Overview
44:30 Dave Filoni Overview
45:50 Was it the right choice?
56:30 Fan Comments
WhatCulture Star Wars is dedicated to all things Star Wars. We’ll have all the usual lists, features, and news, plus there’ll be Ups & Downs for all the latest shows and new Star Wars movies. The force is with us!
BREAKING NEWS: Kathleen Kennedy’s control of Lucasfilm and Star Wars has come to an end. We review some telling highlights from Kathy’s exit interview and discuss her Star Wars legacy. With Dave Filoni taking charge of Lucasfilm, does this mean George Lucas will return to the fold? We share our thoughts. Disney revealed a facelift is coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland as Original Trilogy characters and situations will be incorporated into the theme park this April. We review all the information about the changes and offer our opinions. Star Wars: Starfighter will feature lightsaber duels and none other than Tom Cruise stopped by the set to jump behind the camera to shoot a sequence. We look at a fresh interview with director Shawn Levy and speculate which characters will be involved in the duel and why. Mark Hamill recently discussed The Force Awakens and the lack of a reunion between Han, Luke and Leia. Find out why such a get together never materialized. Plus, we got interview highlights from Mia Goth, Oscar Isaac and more!
As Kathleen Kennedy steps down from Lucasfilm leadership to return to producing, Dave Filoni will lead the studio as President and Chief Creative Officer alongside Lynwen Brennan as Co-President
By StarWars.com Team
Lucasfilm announced today that after 14 years of leading the studio, President Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role. Kennedy will return to full-time producing, including the studio’s upcoming feature films The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter.
Dave Filoni, who worked closely with creator George Lucas to build the Lucasfilm animation department on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and helped launch Star Wars live-action series alongside Jon Favreau on The Mandalorian, will take on creative leadership of the company as President and Chief Creative Officer and Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President.
Their close collaboration and more than 30 years of combined senior executive experience will carry Lucasfilm into its next chapter of storytelling, with a strong foundation of creative vision and operational leadership guiding the studio forward.
“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,” said Filoni. “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.”…
Reports indicate that Kathleen Kennedy will be departing from her role as president of Lucasfilm. Dave Filoni will take over as the creative lead for Star Wars
We review the latest rumors which indicate the time has come for Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to step down from her leadership role to concentrate on producing films and Dave Filoni will be stepping up to have full creative control of the Star Wars franchise. We look at the pros and cons. We share memories of when Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars microseries premiered as a series of shorts on Cartoon Network back in 2003. A new still photo from The Mandalorian and Grogu was released this week and we look at the budget for the film and speculate on potential box office success. Plus, we dig deep into some Jon Favreau interview quotes for clues, revisit the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Star Wars in Pop Culture features Stranger Things and more!
We react to Kathleen Kennedy’s response to last week’s reports claiming she will be stepping down as president of Lucasfilm and clarifying what was true in the reports and what wasn’t. Kathleen also discussed several STAR WARS projects currently in the pipeline. More footage of ANDOR season two dropped this week as the hype for next month’s season premiere ramps up. We breakdown the “Special Look” footage and search for hints of what’s to come. We discuss the STAR WARS presence in the 2025 Oscars including nominees and presenters, some flubs in the Original Trilogy and more!
Brought to you by RFR on Patreon!
Official YouTube Video Home for Rebel Force Radio: Star Wars Podcast
NOTE: As we were prepping this podcast for release, Kathleen Kennedy responded to, but didn’t deny, the reports about her stepping down as president of Lucasfilm. We will discuss her recent statements on next week’s RFR.
Reports have emerged this week regarding Kathleen Kennedy eventually stepping down as Lucasfilm president at some point in the next year or so. We discuss the rumor and review Kathy’s reign as STAR WARS head honcho with a report card featuring all of her highs and lows. ANDOR is returning to Disney+ in April with its second season and a new trailer dropped this week. We go through the trailer shot-by-shot and discuss all the visuals and the music. We follow-up on Mark Hamill’s recent comments about singer Terri Nunn’s screen test for the original STAR WARS film with highlights of Terri recounting the audition via a rare radio interview. Plus, listener feedback and more!
Brought to you by RFR on Patreon!
Official YouTube Video Home for Rebel Force Radio: Star Wars Podcast
A late-night shocker from Matt Belloni’s Puck newsletter — Kathleen Kennedy will step down as President of Lucasfilm by the end of the year, after more than 10 years at the top of the company.
According to the report, Kennedy had planned to step down by the end of 2024 (when her contract was also up), and had even set up an exit interview with a reporter, but eventually decided to stay for one more year. Three sources are telling Belloni that she has already informed Disney, as well as friends and associates. Both Disney and Kennedy’s personal publicist declined comment to Belloni. We have reached out to Lucasfilm, but will probably not hear back given the hour.
There is no information on succession as of yet. The official confirmation will probably wait, but other Hollywood trades might pick it up in the coming hours….
Kathleen Kennedy is set to be honored by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) with the 2025 ASC Board of Governors Award, the organization announced on Wednesday.
The ceremony will take place on Feb. 23 at the 39th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The ceremony will be streamed live worldwide.
In a statement, ASC President Shelly John said that “Kathleen Kennedy’s extraordinary career has left an enduring mark on the world of cinema. Her keen eye for storytelling is unparalleled. She consistently brings forth projects that elevate and confirm her trust in the director and cinematographer relationship. Recognizing it as the backbone of great filmmaking, her movies consistently showcase this belief. Her dedication to visual excellence has made her a true trailblazer in the film industry.”…
Kathleen Kennedy will receive a prestigious producing award at this year’s Austin Film Festival.
The Lucasfilm president is set to receive the Polly Platt Award for producing during the festival in October. She will speak about her career during AFF’s Writers Conference.
Established in 2019, the award “is given annually to producers with a keen sense of story, who have a history of fostering new talent.”…
It’s no secret that the lack of Star Wars news to come from either Celebration or the D23 Expo has been a major disappointment. The franchise’s television future on Disney+ is relatively clear for the next few years, though the theatrical waters remain murky. Any anticipation for film announcements has been met with Lucasfilm’s trademark secrecy.
Such a tight-lipped approach at Star Wars Celebration was particularly perplexing, given the nature of the event and the lack of positive motion picture developments in recent years. Much of the studio’s main presentation was spent discussing the Willow series and Indiana Jones 5 – a bonus for fans of those properties, but an irritation for people in Jedi cosplay who payed top dollar to attend.
While a more general presentation at D23 is acceptable and unsurprising, the Star Wars segment of Lucasfilm’s time on stage only provided updates for shows that could be done in tweets. The roof was far from blown off the building, and the Star Wars faithful expected nothing less. As head of the company, Kathleen Kennedy naturally draws the most ire for these lackluster episodes… but it may not entirely be her fault…
Kathleen Kennedy To Become Co-chair Of Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd. today announced that Kathleen Kennedy will become Co-Chair of Lucasfilm. In an effort to move forward with his retirement plans, George Lucas will work with Kathleen Kennedy to transition into her new role. Lucas will become Co-Chairman of the Board of Lucasfilm and continue as CEO. Micheline Chau will remain as President and COO of Lucasfilm, and continue to focus on the day-to-day operations of the business.
“I’ve spent my life building Lucasfilm and as I shift my focus into other directions I wanted to make sure it was in the hands of someone equipped to carry my vision into the future,” said George Lucas. “It was important that my successor not only be someone with great creative passion and proven leadership abilities, but also someone who loves movies. I care deeply about my employees-it is their creativity and hard work that has made this company what it is today. As the company grows and expands I wanted to be sure the employees of Lucasfilm have a strong captain for the ship. I also care deeply about our fans and it was important to have someone who would carry on the passion and care that I’ve given the films over the years. So for me Kathy was the obvious choice, she is a trusted friend and one of the most respected producers and executives in the industry.”
Director Steven Spielberg said, “George’s prescience is once again proven by his choice of my long time producing partner, Kathy Kennedy to co-chair Lucasfilm. Kathy has been a member of both of our families going into a fourth decade so it does not feel like she is going to another galaxy far far away. She will get just as much support from me with Lucasfilm as George has given both of us all these years.”
“George is a true visionary,” said Kathleen Kennedy. “I’ve seen him build Lucasfilm from a small rebel unit in Northern California to an international fully integrated entertainment company. I’m excited to have the chance to work with such an extraordinary group of talented people. George and I have talked about the enormous opportunities that lie ahead for the company, and as George moves towards retirement I am honored that he trusts me with taking care of the beloved film franchises. I feel fortunate to have George working with me for the next year or two as I take on this role-it is nice to have Yoda by your side.”
Seven-time Academy Award nominated Kathleen Kennedy is one of the most successful and esteemed producers and executives in the film industry. As a producer she has an impeccable record with a robust filmography working with such filmmakers as Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese, Robert Zemeckis, Barry Levinson, Clint Eastwood, David Fincher and Gary Ross. As a testament to her standing in the film community, she previously held the position of governor and officer of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and currently serves as a member of the board of trustees. She is also a former President of the Producers Guild of America.
Kathleen will step down from her role at The Kennedy/Marshall Company, shifting her responsibilities to partner Frank Marshall. The Kennedy/Marshall Company is currently in post production on LINCOLN, directed by long time collaborator Steven Spielberg whom Kennedy also produced for on the INDIANA JONES and JURASSIC PARK franchises, and THE BOURNE LEGACY, written and directed by Tony Gilroy and produced by Marshall. Under the Kennedy/Marshall banner, the pair has produced such Academy Award nominated Best Picture films as WAR HORSE (six nominations), THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (thirteen nominations) THE SIXTH SENSE, (six nominations) and SEABISCUIT (seven nominations), as well as blockbusters including the BOURNE series and THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN. Marshall will oversee the company’s current slate of projects and continue to expand it via their development deals with DreamWorks and CBS TV Studios.
