Kathleen Kennedy to Lead LA28 Ceremonies and Content
The former Lucasfilm president replaces Peter Rice, who left for Netflix. She will shape the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Kathleen Kennedy will lead production of the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
Organizers announced the appointment on Wednesday. Kennedy, the former president of Lucasfilm, was named head of ceremonies and content for LA28. She replaces Peter Rice, who recently took a job as Netflix's chief content officer.
Kennedy will serve as executive producer for the Games. Her job is to shape the opening and closing ceremonies for both the Olympics and the Paralympics.
She joins executive producer and creative director Ben Winston and executive producer of production Scott Givens. FulFive, a joint venture from Fulwell Entertainment and FiveCurrents, will produce the ceremonies.
"The Olympics have been a touchstone in my life. My husband, Frank Marshall, and I have attended virtually every games since Los Angeles in 1984, and sport remains one of the great unifying experiences we share," Kennedy said in a statement. "Peter Rice has laid a terrific foundation, and I can't wait to get to work with Ben Winston, our creative director, and the whole LA28 team."
LA28 president and chairperson Casey Wasserman called Kennedy "one of Hollywood's all-time greats" and said he could think of no one better to "conjure the magic of Hollywood" when the world's attention turns to Los Angeles.
Kennedy stepped down as president of Lucasfilm in January after 14 years at the studio. Founder George Lucas chose her to lead it when he sold the company to Disney in 2012. During her time there she oversaw the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the streaming series The Mandalorian and Andor.
She co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall. Her producing credits include E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park and Schindler's List. She has more than 100 film credits and eight Academy Award nominations for best picture, including five for Spielberg films: E.T., The Color Purple, War Horse, Lincoln and Munich. The other three were for The Sixth Sense, Seabiscuit and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
"These games are rooted in Los Angeles, but with events from Oklahoma City to LA28's six incredible soccer/football cities, all of America gets to host the world's finest athletes, and I'm honored to help celebrate every Olympian and Paralympian who come to compete," Kennedy said.
