Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has addressed recent reports suggesting her retirement in 2025, firmly stating her commitment to continue working in the film industry. Earlier this week, Puck News reported that Kennedy, a veteran film producer, was set to retire at the end of her current contract. They also mentioned that she had considered retiring in 2024 but postponed the decision. While Variety dismissed these claims as "pure speculation" based on a source close to Kennedy, The Hollywood Reporter corroborated Puck News's story.
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In response to the reports, Kennedy told Deadline that she is collaborating with Disney CEO Bob Iger on a succession plan, 13 years into her role at Lucasfilm. She highlighted that Star Wars Rebels creator and current Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni is in a "strong position" to potentially succeed her. However, Kennedy was emphatic about her own plans, declaring, “The truth is, and I want to just say loud and clear, I am not retiring.”
She further emphasized her passion for filmmaking, stating, "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 acknowledging that Lucasfilm plans to announce a successor "months or a year down the road," Kennedy affirmed her ongoing commitment to the company. She will continue to produce projects such as the upcoming Mandalorian movie and a Star Wars film directed by Shawn Levy, known for Deadpool & Wolverine.
Kennedy clarified that although she is considering stepping down from her presidency at Lucasfilm, she has no intention of leaving the company or retiring from 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.”
When directly questioned by Deadline about stepping down from her role at Lucasfilm this year, Kennedy responded that she did not know "at this stage," but assured that any such decision would be "100% my decision." She remained non-committal about whether Filoni would take over the top job.
