Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan Taking Over at Lucasfilm

Kennedy has long been looking to step down from leading Lucasfilm, and will go back to producing independently after 14 years running the company.

(Left) 'Maul: Shadow Lord’s Dave Filoni at Lucasfilm Animation’s 20th Anniversary at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Chiba, Japan. Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images for Disney. (Right) President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.

Preview:

Kathleen Kennedy is officially stepping down as president of Lucasfilm.
Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan will become co-presidents.
The next ‘Star Wars’ movie, ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu,’ is due in May.

There is big news coming from Lucasfilm, the company that produces the ‘Star Wars’ movies and TV shows.

After plenty of speculation across the last year or so, company president Kathleen Kennedy, who has run it for 14 years, has confirmed she’ll step down.

The new President/Chief Creative Officer is ‘The Mandalorian’ co-creator Dave Filoni, who has been Lucasfilm EVP and Chief Creative Officer. Serving as Lucasfilm’s new Co-President is Lynwen Brennan, the longtime President & GM of Lucasfilm Business.

Filoni, of course, has long been involved with ‘Star Wars,’ having been recruited by Lucas to work on animated adventures, but earning his stripes working alongside Jon Favreau on the expanding small-screen universe.

What's Kathleen Kennedy next step?

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award recipient Kathleen Kennedy accepts the award at the 2018 Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, November 18, 2018. Photo: Matt Petit/©A.M.P.A.S.

Kennedy, who turns 73 this year, is likely looking to work on projects that don’t generate the ire that more recent developments in ‘Star Wars’ fandom have (let’s be honest here –– Filoni and Brennan are unlikely to stop hearing from dissatisfied fans) and instead return to working more as a producer alongside husband and business partner Frank Marshall.

After all, she had a long-established career producing a variety of movies before Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas.

Shortly after, Lucas exited his post as Disney acquired the company for $4 billion, and Kennedy was elevated to president.

Since then, she has steered the franchise ship through highs (the $2 billion success of ‘The Force Awakens,’ the small screen universe-building of ‘The Mandalorian’) and lows (‘Solo: A Star Wars Story,’ lesser-performing Disney+ series such as ‘The Acolyte’).

Who is Lynwen Brennan?

(L-R) Ron Howard, Lynwen Brennan, Phil Tippett, Rose Duignan, Joe Johnston and Dennis Muren attend the “Light & Magic” presentation at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California on May 27, 2022. The ILM documentary series premieres exclusively on Disney+ July 27, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney).

Brennan joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1999, rising through the ranks to become ILM President in 2009 (including Skywalker Sound), Lucasfilm EVP/General Manager in 2015, and President & General Manager, Lucasfilm Business, in 2024.

She leads Lucasfilm’s business strategy and franchise and production operations and has overseen ILM’s expansion into several studios worldwide, establishing it as the industry’s preeminent VFX studio at the forefront of production technology.

The new join initiative sounds a lot like the DC Studios split in duties between James Gunn, who handles the creative side and Peter Safran, who tackles business issues.

What’s happening in the on-screen ‘Star Wars’ universe?

(L to R) Grogu and Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) in Lucasfilm's 'The Mandalorian & Grogu'. Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm. © 2025 Lucasfilm Ltd™. All Rights Reserved.

Big screen Mando spin-off ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production for a release on May 22. That will be followed by Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, which stars Ryan Gosling and is scheduled for May 28 next year.

Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film (though that might be on hold given the new gig unless he goes the Gunn route and keeps writing and directing projects), and there are a variety of others in different stages of development.