Opinion: Will Dave Filoni and Carrie Beck Become the New Co-Presidents of Lucasfilm When Kathleen Kennedy Departs?

Could two of Lucasfilm’s high-ranking executives be destined to share the top spot at the company that launched the Star Wars franchise nearly 50 years ago? Below you’ll find an examination of the current rumor partnered with my thoughts on this potential development in the ongoing Hollywood saga.

Yesterday in an exclusive story, The Hollywood Reporter broke the rumor that Lucasfilm’s current Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni and Executive Vice President of Live-Action Development & Production Carrie Beck are in the running to become co-presidents of the Disney-owned company when its current president Kathleen Kennedy steps down. Kennedy was first crowned President of Lucasfilm after The Walt Disney Company purchased it directly from George Lucas in 2012, with Lucas himself (who served as Founder and Chairman of the independent studio for nearly 40 years) doing the hand-selecting of his successor.

Back in February of this year, Kennedy denied she was retiring from show business, but did not count out the possibility that she would step down as Lucasfilm’s president, saying “I have been talking for quite some time with both Bob [Iger] and Alan [Bergman] about what eventual succession might look like. We have an amazing bench of people here, and we have every intention of making an announcement months or a year down the road." And now thanks to The Hollywood Reporter’s story, it looks like we have a pretty good idea of who she was talking about. THR goes on to reiterate that Kennedy would stick around to produce certain Star Wars projects, most likely referring to the already-announced Star Wars: Starfighter from director Shawn Levy (coming in 2027), among other potential upcoming film and TV efforts.

In November of 2023, when Filoni was publicly named Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, I said on Laughing Place’s Star Wars podcast “Who’s the Bossk?" that this decision made perfect sense to me as a fan. Dave served as a Padawan learner of sorts under George Lucas as the two combined their efforts to create the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, and of all the creative talents generating Star Wars content in recent years, I believe that his has hewed closest to the tone and spirit of what Lucas originally intended when he created the franchise. And with Filoni on the creative side of the partnership, Carrie Beck similarly strikes me as the perfect choice on matters more closely related to the business aspect of the entertainment industry. Best known for having produced The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels, and other Disney-era Star Wars content in collaboration with Filoni, Beck has earned her stripes and her successes speak for themselves much like Kennedy’s filmography still does after decades in the industry.

Speaking of Kennedy, I steadfastly hold to the idea that she’s had more wins than losses as Lucasfilm’s boss. Sure, The Force Awakens set a box-office-shattering precedent that was difficult for any of its follow-ups to live up to, but from both a creative and a moneymaking standpoint, I think it’s safe to say that the company remains in the black. But after a period of experimentation during the rise and decline of the streaming era during which it often felt like Lucasfilm was throwing everything at the wall to see what would stick, now is as good a time as ever for a new generation of executives to step in and zero in on what they know works. Filoni’s Mandoverse, which he spearheaded alongside The Mandalorian creator and showrunner Jon Favreau, is in a brief hiatus at the moment, but looks to return with hopefully strong showings from The Mandalorian & Grogu feature film and Ahsoka season two next year. And that’s all before the also-announced wrap-up movie to be directed by Filoni himself some years down the line.

I guess that leads to my only real concern about handing Filoni the reins to the company– will that promotion take away from his time as a creator? I suppose that’s why he’d theoretically be sharing the title with Beck, but as she’s been heavily involved with these projects as well, the question remains as to how such responsibilities will shift at Lucasfilm. With recent quote floating around about how much Dave has admired Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige’s approach to universe-building on a grand scale, I can foresee how Filoni might take more of an overseer-type role for the Star Wars franchise– finally truly stepping into the shoes once occupied by Lucas– while Beck handles the financial realities of the business. Either way, despite it being a decidedly tumultuous time for Hollywood in general, I’m still optimistic about the future of A Galaxy Far, Far Away.