Kennedy Hands Lucasfilm to Filoni, Confirms Grogu Silent
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- Kathleen Kennedy received an honorary award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors at the group's Golden Reel Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, presented by Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt
- Kennedy handed Lucasfilm's leadership to Dave Filoni (now president and chief creative officer) and Lynwen Brennan (co-president) in January, describing it as the culmination of a 10-year mentoring process she began with Filoni
- "The Mandalorian & Grogu", which Kennedy greenlit and produces, opens in May — she confirmed Grogu will not gain the power of speech in the film despite Yoda's broken-English legacy, telling Variety audiences will "fall deeper in love" with the silent character on the big screen
- Kennedy said she wishes AI were called "augmented reality" rather than artificial intelligence, arguing the tools should "augment" human creativity and explicitly rejecting any role in "replacing human beings in the process"
- Kennedy's remaining Lucasfilm producing credits include the Ryan Gosling-led "Star Fighter" in addition to the May theatrical release
- Films released on Kennedy's watch at Lucasfilm include "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" — the highest-grossing domestic film of all time — plus "Rogue One," "The Last Jedi" and "Solo"; her pre-Disney filmography includes 70+ producing or EP credits garnering 120 Oscar nominations and 25 wins, including "Jurassic Park," "E.T.," "Back to the Future" and "Schindler's List"
Why it matters: Kennedy's January exit marks the first Lucasfilm leadership change since Disney's 2012 acquisition, placing Star Wars creative control with Filoni — the animation veteran who built Clone Wars and Rebels — and Brennan. Her on-the-record confirmation that Grogu stays silent locks in the character's signature appeal ahead of a May theatrical test for the franchise.
