The future of Star Wars on the big and small screens is going to be under new leadership going forward. Disney has officially announced that Dave Filoni will be taking over as President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm alongside Lynwen Brennan as co-president, as Kathleen Kennedy steps down and returns to full-time producing. This news has been circulating the rumor mill for the better part of the last year, and it seems there was some merit to the whispers. Filoni has been working with the Star Wars franchise since the late 2000s with animated shows like The Clone Wars and Rebels, and he’s since become one of Lucasfilm’s most valued creatives.
Filoni has ushered in a new era of Star Wars, which began alongside the launch of Disney+ in 2019. He has written several episodes of The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars Disney+ series, and he’s also worked on other live-action Star Wars series like The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka. Marking the transition, Filoni, Brennan, and Kennedy shared several statements alongside the top brass at Disney.
“When we acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, we knew we were bringing into the Disney family not only one of the most beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but also a team of extraordinary talent led by a visionary filmmaker – someone who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no less,” said Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”
“Kathleen Kennedy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years, and it’s been our privilege to have her here at Disney leading Lucasfilm for nearly 14 of them,” said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman. “She has steered Star Wars to incredible box office heights and brought a new generation of fans into the fold. We appreciate having her on board to produce our next couple of films, and the studio remains in extraordinarily capable hands with Dave Filoni, who’s a brilliant storyteller, and Lynwen Brennan, an avid innovator and business leader. They are deeply passionate and experienced executives who will continue to drive the studio and Star Wars forward in exciting new directions.”
“When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” said Kennedy. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”
“My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas,” said Filoni. “I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them. From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”
“Lucasfilm has played such a meaningful part in my life,” said Brennan. “It’s a community of inspiring storytellers with a rebel spirit like no other, and I am honored to join Dave Filoni in leading us forward. I have been so fortunate to learn from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy, and Alan Bergman and have unwavering faith in Dave’s creative vision for the next chapter in this storied studio’s legacy.”
Dave Filoni Still Has a Star Wars Movie in the Works
Filoni and Jon Favreau have been working on Star Wars shows for years now, and they will carry their work to the big screen in the next few months with The Mandalorian and Grogu. The feature film will be a continuation of the first three seasons of The Mandalorian, and it premieres in theaters on May 22. The Mandalorian and Grogu will return star Pedro Pascal to voice Din Djarin, and Avatar and Alien veteran Sigourney Weaver has also joined the cast as Colonel Ward. The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White will even lend his voice to Rotta the Hutt, son of Jabba the Hutt, who was seen in the first trailer for the film. Jon Favreau directed The Mandalorian and Grogu with a script he worked on with Filoni.
It was announced during Star Wars Celebration in 2023 that Dave Filoni would direct a New Republic Star Wars movie, but there have been little to no public developments about the film in the years since. It has been confirmed to be the final chapter in the set of stories kicked off by The Mandalorian, known to some as the MandoVerse or the FiloniVerse, so more information will likely be announced after The Mandalorian and Grogu. Filoni has also been busy with the second season of Ahsoka, which will also likely play into the ending of his Star Wars saga.
via Collider