Legendary film producer Kathleen Kennedy has been appointed to lead the content for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Kennedy, a renowned figure in Hollywood, will take over from Peter Rice, who recently joined Netflix as its chief content officer.
Kennedy's role will involve assembling a team of producers to design the visual and content elements for both the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, which are set to commence on July 14, 2028. Rice is expected to remain involved as an executive producer for the ceremonies.
The dual events will utilize the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Kennedy's responsibilities extend to conceptualizing the closing ceremony and both ceremonies for the Paralympics, scheduled for the month following the Olympics.
A native of Berkeley, California, and an alumna of San Diego State University, Kennedy has had a significant impact on the film industry. She served as president of Lucasfilm from 2012 to 2026, overseeing major Star Wars productions such as "The Mandalorian," "Rogue One," and "The Last Jedi." She also holds producer credits for "Jurassic Park III" and other acclaimed films.
While Kennedy has been nominated for eight Academy Awards for films including "Seabiscuit," "The Color Purple," "Munich," and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," she has yet to win an Oscar.
Organizers of the LA28 Games stated that Kennedy's appointment "reinforces LA28’s commitment to harness the unparalleled creativity, cultural influence and storytelling power of the entertainment capital of the world." They added that the ceremonies will be "distinctly Los Angeles and leave a lasting impression on the global stage."
Casey Wasserman, Chairperson and President of LA28, described Kennedy as a legend and "one of Hollywood’s all-time greats," expressing confidence that she is the ideal person to "conjure the magic of Hollywood" for the games.
