Kathleen Kennedy Addresses Retirement Rumors, Reveals Star Wars Succession Strategy

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement in 2025. Earlier this week, Puck News claimed that the veteran film producer planned to retire at the end of her contract this year, having previously considered stepping down in 2024 but choosing to delay the decision. While Variety dismissed these claims as "pure speculation" based on a source close to Kennedy, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the report.

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20 ImagesKennedy herself has now responded to these speculations. According to Deadline, she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, with Star Wars Rebels creator and current Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni being a strong contender for the position. However, Kennedy firmly stated, "The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring."

She emphasized her passion for filmmaking, declaring, "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." While she confirmed that Lucasfilm plans to make an announcement about her succession "months or a year down the road," she will continue her role at Lucasfilm, including producing the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy.

Kennedy acknowledged that plans are in place for her eventual transition from her current role as Lucasfilm president, but this does not mean she is leaving the company or the film industry. She reflected on her journey, saying, "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."

Kathleen Kennedy at the launch of Disney+ Star Wars show The Acolyte. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Gettty Images for Disney.Kennedy also refuted any suggestions that she was being "pushed aside" or "in need of being replaced," stating that such claims were "absolutely not the case" and "could not be further from the truth." Her tenure has included overseeing the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars Episodes 7-9) and the launch of Star Wars' streaming era, featuring hits like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While some projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens were major successes, others have been controversial, and films like Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed financially.

When Deadline directly asked Kennedy if she would step down as Lucasfilm boss this year, she replied that she did not know "at this stage," but affirmed that any decision to do so would be "100% my decision." She did not confirm whether Filoni would succeed her in the top role.