Kathleen Kennedy to run LA28 Olympic ceremonies, replacing Peter Rice
Former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has been named LA28's head of ceremonies and content, taking over from Peter Rice, who recently became Netflix's chief content officer. She will lead the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
LA28, the organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, named producer Kathleen Kennedy its head of ceremonies and content on Oct. 28, Variety reported, after The Hollywood Reporter first reported the move. She replaces Peter Rice, who took the job of chief content officer at Netflix and will stay on as an LA28 executive producer.
Kennedy will oversee all four ceremonies: the Olympic opening on July 14, 2028, and closing on July 30, and the Paralympic opening on Aug. 15 and closing on Aug. 27, according to Variety.
"My husband, Frank Marshall, and I have attended virtually every games since Los Angeles in 1984, and sport remains one of the great unifying experiences we share," Kennedy said. "Peter Rice has laid a terrific foundation, and I can't wait to get to work with Ben Winston, our creative director, and the whole LA28 team." LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman called her "one of Hollywood's all-time greats" and said, "When the stars align ... I can't think of anyone better to conjure the magic of Hollywood than Kathleen."
Why it matters
Opening ceremonies are among the most-watched broadcasts in the world, and Los Angeles is betting on Hollywood talent to make its third Games stand out. The handoff also shows how Rice's move to Netflix, covered earlier by US Brief, is rippling beyond the streamer.
What’s next
LA28 has not announced ceremony venues, performers or creative themes in this announcement; watch for those as the Games get closer.
More context
Context: Kennedy left Lucasfilm at the end of 2025 after 14 years running the Star Wars studio. Her producing credits include E.T., Jurassic Park and Lincoln, and she oversaw The Force Awakens, which grossed more than $2 billion. Her Lucasfilm tenure also included box-office disappointments such as Solo (2018) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Variety noted. Lucasfilm's next film is Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling.
3 listed sources
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Sourcing: LA28's announcement, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the move, Oct. 28, 2026. Ceremony dates are from LA28 as reported by Variety. Photos are file photos: Kennedy at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2015 and the Coliseum in April 2012.
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