Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy addresses retirement rumors: "I am not retiring."
Recent reports in publications like Puck News suggested Kathleen Kennedy, the veteran film producer, would retire at the end of her contract in 2025. While Variety dismissed the reports as speculation, The Hollywood Reporter corroborated them. Kennedy herself has now responded, directly refuting the retirement claims in an interview with Deadline.
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Kennedy clarified that she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, thirteen years into her role. Dave Filoni, creator of Star Wars Rebels and Lucasfilm's chief creative officer, is reportedly a strong contender for her position. However, Kennedy emphatically stated, "The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring. I will never retire from movies. I will die making movies."
While a future transition is anticipated, with Lucasfilm planning a formal announcement in the coming months or year, Kennedy confirmed her continued involvement at Lucasfilm, including overseeing production of the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy. She acknowledged the significant growth of Lucasfilm since she assumed the presidency, encompassing the expansion into streaming services and various new projects.
Kennedy refuted suggestions that she was being forced out, stating that this was "absolutely not the case." Her tenure has overseen the sequel trilogy (Episodes VII-IX), and the launch of the successful Star Wars streaming era, encompassing shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Andor, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, and The Acolyte. While acknowledging the varied critical and commercial reception of these projects, she maintained that the decision regarding her stepping down as Lucasfilm president remains entirely hers. She declined to comment on whether Filoni is the frontrunner for the position.
