Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down after 14 years at the helm of the studio that makes Star Wars, one of the highest-grossing Hollywood franchises in history.
Kennedy, who was picked by Star Wars creator George Lucas to lead the company, will become a full-time producer, the studio said on Thursday.
Best known for steering the reboot of the science-fiction series, Kennedy oversaw hits like The Force Awakens but she was also behind the franchise’s first ever box office flop – Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Dave Filoni – who has worked on many of the studio’s animated shows – will take the role of president and chief creative officer, working alongside co-president Lynwen Brennan.
Filoni credited Kennedy for overseeing the “greatest expansion” in Star Wars storytelling.
Kennedy has led Lucasfilm since 2012, when entertainment giant Disney bought the studio, home to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
She oversaw the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise with five feature films, which together have earned more than $5bn (£3.74bn) worldwide. They include the sequel trilogy movies, starring Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, which broke box office records in the US.
During Kennedy’s time in charge of Lucasfilm it produced shows like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and the critically-acclaimed Andor series for the Disney+ streaming platform.
Kennedy also introduced more female leads and characters from diverse backgrounds. But that approach was criticised by some fans for what they saw as a social agenda being brought into the Star Wars franchise.
There was also backlash over Lucasfilm’s decision to create new shows that did not follow decades of Star Wars history from sources like novels and comics.
Kennedy will continue at the studio to produce its upcoming blockbuster films, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, which will star Ryan Gosling.
“It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm,” Kennedy said on Thursday.
“I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”
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