Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down after 14 years on the helm of the studio that makes Star Wars, one of many highest-grossing Hollywood franchises in historical past.
Kennedy, who was picked by Star Wars creator George Lucas to guide the corporate, will turn into a full-time producer, the studio stated on Thursday.
Best identified for steering the reboot of the science-fiction sequence, Kennedy oversaw hits like The Force Awakens however she was additionally behind the franchise’s first ever field workplace flop – Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Dave Filoni – who has labored on most of the studio’s animated exhibits – will take the function of president and chief artistic 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 leisure big Disney purchased the studio, house to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
She oversaw the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise with 5 function movies, which collectively have earned greater than $5bn (£3.74bn) worldwide. They embody the sequel trilogy films, starring Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, which broke field workplace data within the US.
During Kennedy’s time in command of Lucasfilm it produced exhibits like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka and the critically-acclaimed Andor sequence for the Disney+ streaming platform.
Kennedy additionally launched extra feminine leads and characters from numerous backgrounds. But that method was criticised by some followers for what they noticed as a social agenda being introduced into the Star Wars franchise.
There was additionally backlash over Lucasfilm’s choice to create new exhibits that didn’t comply with many years of Star Wars historical past from sources like novels and comics.
Kennedy will proceed on the studio to provide its upcoming blockbuster movies, The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, which is able to star Ryan Gosling.
“It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm,” Kennedy stated 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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