Disney Restructures Lucasfilm by Splitting Leadership Roles for Filoni and Brennan

2026-01-06 companies

San Francisco, Tuesday, 6 January 2026.
Reports suggest a strategic shift separating creative vision from business operations, with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan poised to succeed Kathleen Kennedy as co-presidents.

A New Era for Lucasfilm Leadership

In a significant move to revitalize the Star Wars franchise, Disney (DIS) is reportedly finalizing a leadership restructuring at Lucasfilm that bifurcates the studio’s top role. According to reports circulating as of today, January 6, 2026, longtime president Kathleen Kennedy is set to step down from her executive position [1][3]. She will be succeeded by a dual-leadership team comprising Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, a strategy designed to separate creative oversight from operational management [1][4]. The official announcement is expected within the next one to two weeks, with Kennedy’s publicist reportedly already preparing for her exit interview [3][7].

Strategic Bifurcation: Creative vs. Business

The incoming leadership structure pairs Dave Filoni, currently Lucasfilm’s Chief Creative Officer, with Lynwen Brennan, the current President and General Manager of Lucasfilm Business [1][2]. This division of labor addresses a specific need within the studio: while Filoni is viewed as the spiritual successor to George Lucas regarding storytelling—having helmed The Clone Wars, Rebels, and Ahsoka—he is not considered a traditional studio executive [1][4]. Consequently, Brennan will handle the corporate and financial decisions, allowing Filoni to focus exclusively on the creative direction across film, television, and other media platforms [3][4]. This partnership aims to stabilize a studio that has faced criticism for a lack of cohesive vision in recent years.

Analyzing the Box Office Decline

Kennedy’s departure marks the end of a tenure that began in June 2012, characterized by extreme financial highs and diminishing returns [3]. While she oversaw the release of The Force Awakens in 2015, which grossed $2 billion, subsequent entries in the sequel trilogy saw a sharp decline in revenue [4]. The Last Jedi earned $1.3 billion, and the trilogy concluded with The Rise of Skywalker generating $1 billion—a drop of -50% from the trilogy’s opener [4]. Critics and analysts have noted that trilogies typically aim to build momentum, whereas this series faced a deflation in audience engagement, compounded by a hiatus in theatrical releases since 2019 [4].

Future Slate and Transition

Despite stepping down as president, Kennedy is expected to transition into a producer role for ongoing and upcoming projects [3]. The new leadership team faces immediate pressure to deliver, with the studio’s return to the big screen scheduled for later this year. Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian & Grogu is slated for release on May 22, 2026, followed by Ahsoka Season 2 on Disney+ later in the year [1]. Looking further ahead, Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter is currently scheduled for May 28, 2027 [1]. This transition represents a critical pivot point for Disney as it attempts to rebuild trust in the brand after a period described by industry observers as a “revolving door” of unfulfilled announcements [4].

Sources

Corporate Governance Media Strategy