In Star Wars, “the Force” is a mystical energy field that can be harnessed into supernatural powers by a chosen few. In Hollywood, it’s called “leverage.”
Kathleen Kennedy, president of “Star Wars” creator Lucasfilm, certainly knows how to use the Force — specifically within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The producer-executive has been ardently lobbying members of the group to obtain an Honorary Oscar for her boss, Disney chief Bob Iger, four insiders with knowledge of the matter told Variety.
Kennedy has reached out to select players at the board level inside AMPAS, encouraging them to recommend one of the annual honors go to Iger – the man who secured Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm for Disney’s war chest of intellectual property, selling billions of dollars’ worth of movie tickets in the process. All branches of the Academy have been active in recent weeks, meeting about new membership matters, and Kennedy has used the opportunity to schmooze on Iger’s behalf.
While few in the industry would question Iger’s worthiness of the prize (though he would be the first executive to receive the honorary award), some board members have been squeamish over the optics, sources said. Disney, of course, owns the Oscars’ longtime broadcast partner, ABC. Some of the members pitched feel that’s a conflict of interest.
Moreover, others noted, the Academy happens to be in the middle of negotiations with the network to renew its licensing agreement beyond 2028 (which will mark the 100th Academy Awards ceremony). Iger had no knowledge of Kennedy’s outreach and did not request she pursue the honor, according to two people familiar with the process. It is considered routine for Academy members to lobby on behalf of honorary Oscar candidates, an AMPAS insider said, though some inside the organization are curious about Kennedy’s motives.
Representatives for Kennedy and Iger had no comment. An AMPAS spokesperson declined to comment as well.
Kennedy’s future at Lucasfilm was the subject of rampant speculation in February. Variety reported that she will return to producing when her contract expires in 2025; another dispatch said she’d be out sooner. Those close to Kennedy pointed to an inconclusive interview she gave to a trade publication, where she said she’s been leading her own succession planning but won’t step down imminently.
Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4 billion and tapped Kennedy as leader. On her watch, the label has seen mixed results. The producer successfully transferred the cinematic universe to streaming with the flagship show “The Mandalorian,” awards bait “Andor” and the fan-favorite “Ahsoka” (the less said of “Skeleton Crew” and “The Acolyte,” the better). Film projects such as “The Force Awakens,” “Rogue One” and “The Last Jedi” were big hits, but “Solo” bombed.
More troubling for the studio’s bottom line is that Kennedy has not managed to get a single new Star Wars movie into production since 2019, with the notable exception of the forthcoming “Mandalorian” feature starring Pedro Pascal. Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” with Ryan Gosling is up and running in the casting phase.
The Honorary Oscars are handed out each year in October, at a special ceremony called the Governors Awards. Previous winners of the prize include Jean-Luc Godard, Lauren Bacall, Samuel L. Jackson, David Lynch and Mel Brooks. Recipients for 2025 will be announced by the Academy imminently, another source said.
Kennedy herself received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Governors Awards in 2018, alongside her work and life partner Frank Marshall. The Thalberg prize is not an Oscar statuette, though it hardly matters for the eight-time Oscar nominee. Kennedy has been nominated for producing some of Steven Spielberg’s most iconic films, including “E.T.” and “The Color Purple.” She’s also been a contender in the best picture category for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Sixth Sense” and “Seabiscuit.”
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