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U.S. Edition Est. 2026 Oct. 28, 2026

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Kathleen Kennedy to Lead Production of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Ceremonies

Kathleen Kennedy, the former Lucasfilm president, will head ceremonies and content for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, organizers said Wednesday. She replaces Peter Rice, who recently moved to Netflix.

An empty outdoor stadium with a running track and grass field lit by floodlights at dusk
An empty outdoor stadium with a running track and grass field lit by floodlights at dusk

Kathleen Kennedy will lead production of the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, organizers said Wednesday. Kennedy was named head of ceremonies and content for the Games, replacing Peter Rice, who recently took a job at Netflix.

From film sets to stadium ceremonies

Kennedy is a veteran Hollywood producer and the former president of Lucasfilm, the “Star Wars” studio. She stepped down as president of Lucasfilm in January. George Lucas had chosen her to lead the studio when he sold it to Disney in 2012.

A film camera on a crane on a soundstage with lighting rigs overhead and crew members in the distance

Kennedy co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall, whom she later married. She helped produce “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park” and “Schindler’s List.”

Kennedy said she and Marshall have attended nearly every Olympics since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. “Sport remains one of the great unifying experiences we share,” she said in a statement.

A large flame burning in a metal cauldron in a stadium at night

The 2028 Games will be held in Los Angeles, the city that hosted the Games in 1984. Kennedy’s new role covers ceremonies and content for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The downtown Los Angeles skyline with palm trees in the foreground in warm evening light

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.