Kathleen Kennedy to Lead 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Ceremonies
Kathleen Kennedy will lead production of the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles, Reuters reported on Wednesday, after organisers named the veteran Hollywood producer as head of ceremonies and content for the Games.
The new role
Kennedy replaces Peter Rice, who recently took a job at Netflix, Reuters reported. Her title, head of ceremonies and content, places her at the centre of the creative work behind the two ceremonies, the set-piece moments that introduce the Games to a global audience and bring them to a close.
The ceremonies are among the most watched live productions in sport, and the appointment signals that Los Angeles intends to lean on its film and television talent for them. Reuters did not report further details of the creative plans, performers or venues in its announcement, so those elements remain to be revealed by the organisers.
Reuters separately reported that the Olympic Games are scheduled to open on 14 July 2028, followed by the Paralympics on 15 August 2028, giving Kennedy and the LA28 team a long runway to shape the productions.
A Hollywood career behind the appointment
Kennedy stepped down as president of Lucasfilm, the Star Wars studio, in January, Reuters reported. George Lucas had chosen her to lead the studio when he sold it to Disney in 2012, the outlet reported.
Her producing career stretches well beyond Star Wars. Kennedy co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall, whom she later married, Reuters reported, and helped produce classic films including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List.
A long Olympic connection
The appointment also has a personal thread. Kennedy said she and Marshall have attended nearly every Olympics since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Reuters reported, a run of attendance that stretches back more than four decades.
“Sport remains one of the great unifying experiences we share,” Kennedy said in a statement, according to Reuters. The remark frames the ceremonies not only as entertainment, but as a shared moment — the kind of occasion where a host city tries to speak to its own people and to the world at the same time.
What happens next
For now, the announcement is the story: a name, a role and a clear direction of travel. The creative choices — the themes, the music, the performers and the way Los Angeles itself will be shown — will follow in the months ahead, and Starlight will report them as they are confirmed.
Sources: Reuters, 28 October 2026.