Entertainment Executive: Kathleen Kennedy Leads 2028 LA Olympic Ceremonies

Kathleen Kennedy, the former president of Lucasfilm, has taken over as head of ceremonies and content for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games. Organizers announced the appointment on Tuesday. Kennedy replaces Peter Rice, who left the role earlier this week to become Netflix's chief content officer. Rice will remain with the LA28 Games as an executive producer.

Kennedy will manage the production of all four major events for the 2028 schedule. The Olympic opening ceremony is set for July 14, 2028, with the closing on July 30. The Paralympic opening follows on August 15, and the closing occurs on August 27. She will work alongside Ben Winston, the creative director, and the broader LA28 team.

Casey Wasserman, the chairperson and president of LA28, praised Kennedy as a legend and one of Hollywood's all-time greats. Wasserman stated that he could not think of anyone better to conjure the magic of Hollywood for the world's attention. He described her as the ideal person to focus global eyes on Los Angeles during the Games.

Kennedy described the Olympics as a touchstone in her life and one of the great unifying experiences shared by people everywhere. She said she was thrilled to be asked to help bring Wasserman's bold vision for the Games to life. She noted that she and her husband, Frank Marshall, have attended virtually every Olympic Games since the 1984 Los Angeles event.

Kennedy stepped down from Lucasfilm at the end of 2025 after 14 years as president. She retains ties to the company behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Her recent credits include the 2025 film The Mandalorian and Grogu and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter, which stars Ryan Gosling.

During her career, Kennedy worked closely with Steven Spielberg on films such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and Lincoln. She also helped select J.J. Abrams to direct 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a film that earned more than $2 billion globally. Her tenure at Lucasfilm included the releases of Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018 and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023.