A feature piece in THR yesterday has gone into the issues of ‘succession’ in Hollywood as executive power struggles are going on behind the scenes at major studios, production companies and agencies from Disney and Sony to Lucasfilm and CAA.
A generational shift is coming as Baby Boomer execs currently in their 60s, 70s & even 80s, powerful people who have been holding on long past regular retirement age, are letting go, with some transfers of power expected to be smoother than others.
One of the most interesting parts of the article is Lucasfilm. It’s expected that 72-year-old Kathleen Kennedy will step down sometime in the near future, and the trade indicates that when she does, it’s thought that she’ll promote from within.
Rather than an outside candidate such as the previously rumored former 20th Century head Emma Watts, the ‘current thinking’ is a scenario where CCO Dave Filoni and production head Carrie Beck take co-head roles.
The main complication is neither Filoni nor Beck has much film experience, and Filoni may be too concerned with lore at the expense of alienating casual viewers, as one source puts it – he’s the “Ahsoka” guy and not the “Andor” guy.
Kennedy is expected to have a continued presence as a producer on certain projects to oversee the transition and ensure quality control. At present, there are multiple “Star Wars” movies in development.
