Kathleen Kennedy to succeed George Lucas atop Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy has been named co-chair of Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm / June 1, 2012 By Richard Verrier and Ben Fritz June 1, 2012, 11:07 a.m. Kathleen Kennedy has been named co-chair of Lucasfilm, positioning her to take over the legendary San Francisco studio, home of the "Star Wars" movies, as its founder George Lucas prepares to retire. Lucas plans to remain chief executive and will become co-chairman, working alongside veteran producer Kennedy as she assumes her new role as Lucas' replacement. "I've spent my life building Lucasfilm and as I shift my focus into other directions I wanted to make sure it was in the hands of someone equipped to carry my vision into the future," Lucas said in a statement. It was important that my successor not only be someone with great creative passion and proven leadership abilities, but also someone who loves movies. Kennedy is a seven-time Academy Award nominee who is best known for her many partnerships with Lucas' close friend and collaborator Steven Spielberg. Along with producing partner Frank Marshall, she produced the "Indiana Jones," "Jurassic Park" and "Bourne" series, as well as Spieberg's recent film "War Horse" and upcoming biopic "Lincoln." "George and I have talked about the opportunities that lie ahead for the company and as George moves toward retirement I am honored that he trusts me with taking care of the beloved film franchises," Kennedy said in a statement. I feel fortunate to have George working by my side for the next year or two as I take on this role -- it is nice to have Yoda by your side. Lucasfilm scraps plans for new studio in Marin County Feds and Lucasfilm settle probe into recruitment practices 'Star Wars' producer Gary Kurtz speaks out about split with Lucas