After ten years as Star Wars' top dog, Kathleen Kennedy may be planning her Lucasfilm departure.
The Walt Disney Company has gone through a turbulent time lately. The firing of Bob Chapek and other executives has given way to a wave of changes for the entertainment giant. A new rumor indicates that the President of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, maybe the next to leave.
After Bob Iger was reinstated as CEO in a shock leadership change in November, executives expected him to make quick changes to the company's strategy. Their estimates were correct when Disney announced a reduced Movies & TV output for 2023.
Now, it seems that Lucasfilm is next to feel the effects of Disney's shake-up, with its long-time President rumored to have signed a severance package, indicating her potential exit from the company.
Kathleen Kennedy's Multimillion-Dollar Exit
Hollywood screenwriter Kamran Pasha appeared on a video for the YouTube channel Valliant Renegade and dropped an interesting rumor regarding Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy's potential multimillion-closing deal:
The claim is, that I’ve been given, is that the severance contract that she has closed with Disney uh would give her between $25-30 million in a severance golden
The screenwriter shared that his sources were surprised about how much of it was tied up in "stock or stock options." However, his interviewer quipped that these arrangements were "pretty normal" in the business.
Still, the rumor indicates that her departure will come after the fanfare for next year's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which stars legendary actor Harrison Ford.
Pasha commented that "she will be allowed to quietly remain the head of Lucasfilm for a few more months" but that her retirement will be announced after the film has been released.
Disney must expect the film to perform well, as Pasha believes any numbers connected to the next Indiana Jones installment will provide a favorable way to frame Kennedy's retirement:
At least present it as her retiring on her golden laurels of… whatever the numbers will end up being with Indiana Jones.
In light of this, he estimated that Kennedy could leave the company as early as July 2023.
Whilst Pasha commented that he could not confirm the rumor with his own eyes, he has faith in the sources that have shared this information. Especially after a second source approached him in the "past few days" and said, they were "talking to a reporter... at one of the trades."
Yet, this one does seem to corroborate with similar reports.
Last month, Youtuber John Campea revealed that, much like Pasha, his sources indicate that Kathleen Kennedy will be removed as Lucasfilm president around the time of Indiana Jones 5's release.
Will Kennedy Leave Lucasfilm in 2023?
Pasha seems confident in his sources enough to share this rumor with the worldwide web.
With an entertainment background himself, he will be well-versed in how the internet can often take a rumor and explode it, leading to industry leaders often stepping in to fact-check.
At the end of the day, it is just one rumor in a sea of many, and Star Wars fans are fatigued with just how often headlines about Kathleen Kennedy's exit have circulated in recent years.
It would certainly be a well-timed exit, and if the new Indiana Jones performs well, it will provide a golden moment to cap off a long and successful career in the industry.
With 8 months until Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theatres, fans will have to wait to see if the rumor is true, and a new president will be stepping into Kennedy's shoes part-way through the new year.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny arrives in theaters on June 30, 2023
