Dave Filoni Is Taking Over Lucasfilm From Kathleen Kennedy

Legendary producer Kathleen Kennedy introduced at the moment that she is stepping down as the top of Lucasfilm and passing the reins to Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. The information comes after a year of speculation about Kennedy’s future in a galaxy far, far away.

“Once we acquired Lucasfilm greater than a decade in the past, we knew we have been bringing into the Disney household not solely one of the beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but additionally a workforce of extraordinary expertise led by a visionary filmmaker – somebody who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no much less,” Disney CEO Bob Iger mentioned in a press launch. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s management, her imaginative and prescient, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and model.”

With Kennedy stepping down from Lucasfilm to give attention to more general film production, her earlier duties will now be break up between the 2 Lucasfilm mainstays. Filoni, as President and Chief Artistic Officer, will deal with the extra artistic aspect, whereas Brennan, the longtime head of enterprise on the firm, will deal with logistics. Her title is Co-President. Consider it form of like issues are being dealt with at DC Studios, with James Gunn dealing with artistic and Peter Safran dealing with the extra day-to-day issues.

“When George Lucas requested me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay forward,” Kennedy mentioned. “It has been a real privilege to spend greater than a decade working alongside the extraordinary expertise at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply happy with what we’ve achieved collectively. I’m excited to proceed creating movies and tv with each longtime collaborators and contemporary voices who symbolize the way forward for storytelling.”

Kennedy acquired her begin as an assistant to Steven Spielberg and shortly established herself as a formidable artistic power. Over the past 50 years or so, she produced many of the best and top-grossing movies of all time, equivalent to Gremlins, The Goonies, Poltergeist, Again to the Future, E.T., and the Indiana Jones collection.

Lucasfilm founder and Star Wars creator George Lucas thought so extremely of Kennedy that he hand-picked her to run Lucasfilm as he offered it to the Walt Disney Firm in 2013. Since then, she’s been liable for the profitable relaunch of the franchise, each on the large display and its new renaissance on streaming, too.

And although Kennedy will stay on board for a bit, overseeing The Mandalorian & Grogu, Star Wars: Starfighter, and extra, all eyes now transfer to Filoni. Additionally a disciple of Lucas himself, Filoni made a reputation for himself with contemporary, thrilling storytelling in Star Wars animation earlier than making the shift to dwell motion. His success there hasn’t been fairly as spectacular, with many feeling he’s a bit too reliant on previous tales and nostalgia fairly than daring, ahead selections. However few folks on the planet know or perceive Star Wars as he does.

“My love of storytelling was formed by the movies of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas,” Filoni mentioned. “I by no means dreamed I might be privileged to study the craft of filmmaking from each of them. From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the best enlargement in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have now ever seen. I’m extremely grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for his or her belief and the chance to guide Lucasfilm on this new function, doing a job I really love. Could the Power be with you.”

Filoni is at present engaged on the second season of his present, Ahsoka, so don’t anticipate him to completely make the pivot for some time. As soon as he does, although, the films and reveals he places into manufacturing will say loads about how he views the way forward for Star Wars. There are certainly plenty of options on the table.

What do you consider Kennedy stepping down and placing in Filoni and Brennan? Tell us beneath.

Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to anticipate the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the things you’ll want to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.