END OF AN ERA

Lucasfilm Boss Dragged by Musk Is Stepping Down

Kathleen Kennedy, who Musk insulted as “more deadly than the Death Star,” will end her 13-year run as president of the company behind Star Wars.

Star Wars film boss Kathleen Kennedy is to step down by the end of the year, according to a report. Kennedy, who has enjoyed a mixed 13-year stint at George Lucas-founded Lucasfilm, told the studio’s owner Disney that she intends to call it quits, three sources told Puck. News of Kennedy’s impending departure comes after Elon Musk railed against her in June last year, accusing her of being “more deadly than the Death Star” in response to criticism of Star Wars spin-off series The Acolyte. Musk also separately attacked Kennedy by name in another post alleging that she’s “super bigoted against men.” Despite successes like producing the highest-grossing domestic feature of 2015 with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm also saw her preside over tumult between studio and filmmakers. Multiple high-profile projects also ended up being scrapped while others endured dramatic mid-production overhauls, as was the case with the firing of directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from Solo: A Star Wars Story.

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