Dave Filoni takes charge of Star Wars as new president of Lucasfilm

There’s a new name in charge of stewarding Star Wars at Lucasfilm. The studio just announced that Dave Filoni — best-known for his work on The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars — will be taking over as president. Former president Kathleen Kennedy, whose departure had been rumored for some time, will be stepping down and returning to producing films full-time.

Under the new structure, Filoni will continue to serve as chief creative officer at Lucasfilm, alongside becoming the studio’s president. Lynwen Brennan, who has been at the studio since 1999 and most recently served as president and GM of Lucasfilm business, will be co-president.

“My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas,” Filoni said in a statement. “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.“

Filoni has been with Lucasfilm since 2005, and is currently hands-on with several in-development projects; he’s showrunner on the second season of Ahsoka and a writer and producer on the upcoming film The Mandalorian & Grogu. He’s also taking over the studio at a pivotal time, as Star Wars is set to return to theatrical releases after years of false starts. In addition to The Mandalorian & Grogu hitting theaters on May 22nd, the Shawn Levy-directed Starfighter is due out in 2027.

Kennedy, meanwhile, had served as president since 2012 when Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and was handpicked by Star Wars creator George Lucas for the role. Prior to that, she had produced iconic films like ET and Jurassic Park, and she’ll be a producer on both the Mandalorian film and Starfighter.

“It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm,” she said in a statement. “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.”