Kathleen Kennedy Addresses Retirement Rumors, Reveals Star Wars Succession Strategy

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has firmly addressed recent reports suggesting she plans to retire in 2025. Earlier this week, Puck News claimed that Kennedy, a veteran in the film industry, intended to step down at the end of her current contract. The report also mentioned that she had considered retiring in 2024 but postponed the decision. While Variety dismissed these claims as "pure speculation" based on a source close to Kennedy, The Hollywood Reporter corroborated the story.

In response, Kennedy has clarified her position through Deadline. She is currently collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, having been at the helm of Lucasfilm for 13 years. Star Wars Rebels creator and Lucasfilm's chief creative officer, Dave Filoni, is reportedly a strong contender to succeed her. However, Kennedy emphatically stated, "The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring."

She further emphasized her dedication to filmmaking, saying, "I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies. That is the first thing that’s important to say. I am not retiring." Kennedy confirmed that while Lucasfilm will make an announcement about her succession "months or a year down the road," she intends to remain actively involved with the company. This includes her role in producing upcoming projects such as the Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy.

Kennedy acknowledged the evolving nature of her role, noting, "I’m not going to be here forever. George [Lucas] asked me 13 years ago to step in, and now I’m looking at who’s going to replace me. And as I said, we have a bench of people internally to handle the business, the creative side. The job has grown also since I stepped in. There was no streaming, there weren’t a lot of the things that we’re involved in right now going on. So it has grown."

Addressing any speculation about being forced out, Kennedy firmly denied being "pushed aside" or "in need of being replaced," stating that such claims "could not be further from the truth." Under her leadership, Lucasfilm has navigated the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars Episodes 7-9) and spearheaded the franchise's expansion into streaming with series like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens have been major successes, others, such as Solo: A Star Wars Story, have faced financial challenges.

When directly asked by Deadline if she would step down as Lucasfilm president this year, Kennedy responded that she did not know "at this stage," but assured that any decision to do so would be "100% my decision." She remained non-committal about Filoni's potential ascension to the top job.

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