'Star Wars' shakeup! Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy to resign

It's the end of an era for "Star Wars."

Kathleen Kennedy, who has shepherded the sci-fi franchise during the entire time it has been owned by Disney, is stepping down from her role as president of Lucasfilm after almost 14 years.

Disney confirmed Kennedy's exit on Jan. 15 and said she will transition back to full-time producing. She will be succeeded by Dave Filoni, who will oversee creative as Lucasfilm president, while Lynwen Brennan will serve as co-president.

"When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn't have imagined what lay ahead," Kennedy said in a statement. "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."

Filoni is a Lucasfilm veteran who joined the studio in 2005 and is its chief creative officer. He previously worked under George Lucas on the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," which premiered in 2008, and has since become a major creative force behind "Star Wars" as a producer on shows like "The Mandalorian." Brennan, meanwhile, previously served as president and general manager of Lucasfilm's businesses.

In a statement, Filoni hailed Kennedy for overseeing "the greatest expansion in 'Star Wars' storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen."

Kennedy became the president of Lucasfilm, the "Star Wars" production company founded by Lucas in 1971, in 2012. She was tapped for the role when Lucas sold the company to Disney for $4 billion. Kennedy was previously the co-chairman of Lucasfilm.

Before her time at Lucasfilm, Kennedy worked with Steven Spielberg to cofound Amblin Entertainment and produce some of the biggest blockbuster films ever made, including "Jurassic Park" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

During Kennedy's tenure, Lucasfilm successfully relaunched the "Star Wars" franchise for a new era and released five feature films, most of which were hits. From 2015 to 2019, the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy collectively grossed more than $4 billion globally, and its first installment, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," holds the record as the highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office. Its two sequels, "The Last Jedi" and "The Rise of Skywalker," each collected more than $1 billion worldwide.

"Star Wars" also expanded its television presence under Kennedy, venturing into live-action TV for the first time with 2019's "The Mandalorian." The hugely popular streaming show helped launch Disney+ and turned "Baby Yoda" into a cultural phenomenon. Also on the television side, "Andor," a prequel series based on the film "Rogue One," racked up more than 20 Emmy nominations over two seasons and received glowing reviews. Some critics have hailed it as among the best "Star Wars" ever produced.

But not all of Kennedy's bets have paid off. In 2018, "Solo: A Star Wars Story" became the first "Star Wars" film to flop at the box office. Kennedy fired the original directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, from the Han Solo prequel and tapped Ron Howard to film extensive reshoots. Reviews for the finished movie were mixed, and Kennedy later said it was a mistake to try to recast Harrison Ford's iconic role.

Kennedy's tenure has been marked by numerous other instances of behind-the-scenes turmoil and creative clashes. Like "Solo," the 2016 prequel "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" underwent significant reshoots, though the completed movie was a hit and earned positive reviews. In 2017, Kennedy parted ways with the original director of "Star Wars: Episode IX," Colin Trevorrow. He was replaced by J.J. Abrams, whose trilogy capper, "The Rise of Skywalker," became the series' worst-reviewed episode on Rotten Tomatoes.

Outside of "Star Wars," Kennedy oversaw another flop in 2023's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," which brought back Ford as the title action hero to disappointing box office results.

In recent years, Kennedy has faced criticism for a mounting number of "Star Wars" projects that have often been announced with great fanfare, only to never materialize. New "Star Wars" movies from Patty Jenkins, Rian Johnson, Taika Waititi, and more filmmakers have all failed to make it across the finish line, even after, in some cases, being given release dates.

In 2020, Lucasfilm released a teaser video for "Rogue Squadron," a "Star Wars" film to be directed by Jenkins. It was announced it would hit theaters in 2023, only for it to be postponed indefinitely.

Amid these exits and delays, "Star Wars" has had a far longer-than-expected absence from theaters following the sequel trilogy's conclusion, with six years passing without a new movie.

But Kennedy's departure announcement comes as "Star Wars" finally looks to be on the right track when it comes to its feature film schedule. In May, "The Mandalorian and Grogu," a movie version of the Disney+ show, is set to hit theaters. This will be followed a year later by "Star Wars Starfighter," a new movie starring Ryan Gosling. It will debut in May 2027, the month "Star Wars" celebrates its 50th anniversary. Kennedy will remain a producer on both films.

Various other "Star Wars" movies have been announced but not given specific release dates, including one set to be directed by Filoni himself.

Filoni's elevation to Lucasfilm president is likely to be well-received among "Star Wars" fans, many of whom have called for the producer to be given greater creative control over the series in the past.

His selection will also allow for the head of Lucasfilm to be someone who personally worked with Lucas, the man who started it all. Lucas has gone on record in praising Filoni, saying in a previous interview with Vanity Fair, "I immediately found him to be very open-minded and a great listener, which are qualities I admire because it opens a person up to new experiences."