Following the news that Kathleen Kennedy is gearing up to announce her retirement as Lucasfilm President, speculation continues to run rampant about her potential replacement (even Kevin Feige's name has been thrown into the mix).
Fans haven't appreciated Kennedy's stint in charge of the studio, She's delivered some successes for Disney - the Star Wars sequels were box office hits and Disney+ was launched on the back of The Mandalorian - but there have also been many failures.
Whether it's the countless Star Wars movies that failed to materialise or the way Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Solo: A Star Wars Story underperformed, the majority agree that a fresh face calling the shots would be no bad thing.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, scooper @MyTimeToShineH claims, "Dave Filoni is a candidate to replace Kathleen Kennedy after she steps down from Lucasfilm next year."
That might seem like an obvious suggestion but The Hollywood Reporter has since confirmed that, yes, Filoni is Kennedy's likely successor. George Lucas himself mentored him and, after cutting his teeth as a creative on The Clone Wars, Filoni has worked alongside Jon Favreau to spearhead Star Wars' streaming stories.
Having helmed Ahsoka in 2023, Filoni is knee-deep in pre-production on season 2 and is still expected to direct his own Star Wars movie. How can Lucasfilm's chief creative officer balance that and calling the shots in the studio? It's hard to say, but the trade notes, "Filoni is already Disney’s choice to succeed Kennedy and predicts his ascendancy will be announced at Star Wars Celebration in April."
In response, another source counters, "He’s a great resource of knowledge, but he’s ultimately a TV guy. He’ll be killed by all sides."
"One reason Kathy stuck around for so long is because there is no credible alternative," one insider explains, with sources adding that Lucasfilm executive Rayne Roberts was originally being groomed by Kennedy as her successor. However, last week, Roberts was Searchlight's new senior VP of production.
A producer with ties to Star Wars told the site, "What people don’t understand is that it’s not a creative job. That’s about 10 percent. The rest of it is dealing with Disney, licensing and fans."
Filoni being chosen as Lucasfilm President would make fans happy but it's a big job that extends well beyond just greenlighting movies and TV shows. Kennedy, with decades of experience in Hollywood, has struggled in the role over the past 12 years, so Filoni could face similar challenges.
As always, stay tuned for updates as we have them.