Kathleen Kennedy, holding the title of CBE, currently serves as the President of Lucasfilm. Her career as a film producer began in the 1980s. In 2012, she took over the leadership of Lucasfilm from its founder, George Lucas. Prior to this, Kennedy held the position of President within the Producers Guild of America. She took on the role of executive producer for each of the three films in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, in addition to other standalone Star Wars movies and television shows. Alongside Frank Marshall and Steven Spielberg, Kennedy also co-established Amblin Entertainment, a film production company responsible for many of the more than seventy films that Kennedy produced or executive produced. This accomplished producer has been recognized with multiple film production awards, including eight nominations for an Academy Award. Furthermore, she is a member of various boards, and also serves as the chair of the American Film Institute's board of trustees.
Upon assuming the role of President at Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012, Kathleen Kennedy's goal was to breathe new life into Star Wars with a fresh series of films, especially after the perceived disappointment of the prequel trilogy among fans. Her position involves overseeing Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound. Kennedy took on the role of producer for Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, which marked the beginning of the new sequel trilogy. She also served as producer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker.
Around 2018, Lucasfilm Ltd. initiated the development of a television series set before the events of Rogue One, featuring Cassian Andor and K-2SO as the main characters. Kennedy shared the script for one of the pilot episodes with director Tony Gilroy to get his feedback. In response, Gilroy provided Kennedy with a detailed analysis explaining the reasons why the concept would not be successful and suggesting an alternative approach for Lucasfilm.
In early 2019, several months ahead of the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Kennedy publicly announced that Lucasfilm would be taking a break to reassess and strategize. Lucasfilm came to the conclusion that collaboration was essential to establish the framework for the company's upcoming phase. They learned that Star Wars requires filmmakers who are professionally dedicated. Disney desired a product as significant as the movies for the launch of Disney+, so Kennedy first approached filmmaker Jon Favreau, who indicated he had an idea. Following their meeting in Kennedy's office, Favreau began writing without a formal agreement. His concept revolved around a Mandalorian, but Kennedy pointed out that Dave Filoni's Star Wars: The Clone Wars series had already explored Mandalorians in depth. She then arranged a meeting between Favreau and Filoni in Los Angeles, where they combined their ideas for a Mandalorian show. Kennedy served as an executive producer for The Mandalorian.
In October of 2019, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Kennedy as an honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her contributions to the film industry of the United Kingdom. Kennedy served as executive producer for both The Book of Boba Fett and the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series. In January of 2020, she made public the decision to significantly revise the latter series. She temporarily halted production and brought in writer Joby Harold to replace Hossein Amini. Moses Ingram, the actress portraying the Third Sister, received her lightsaber from Kennedy as a gift. Kennedy and the production team frequently discussed the possibility of extending the show, noting that "everybody came together and had such an incredible time." She clarified that any decision to extend the show would require careful consideration of the reasons for doing so.
Kennedy, along with Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna, and Michelle Rejwan, acted as executive producers for the Andor television series. Kennedy and the team expressed their gratitude for Luna's return to the role of Cassian Andor in the show. They all felt that showcasing how Andor's past shaped his character was of utmost importance. Kennedy and Gilroy granted composer Nicholas Britell "total freedom" to create a distinctive soundscape for the series. Upon first hearing Britell's theme for the series, Gilroy contacted Kennedy to inform her that they had found their theme. Kennedy expressed her admiration for how production designer Luke Hull successfully made the Ferrix set appear authentic and grounded, while also maintaining a Star Wars feel. She conveyed her enthusiasm for audiences to experience the diverse genres that Star Wars can encompass. In September of 2022, Kennedy was present at the Andor launch event held in Hollywood, California.