The Film That Lit My Fuse is a Deadline video series that aims to provide an antidote to headlines about industry uncertainty by swinging the conversation back to the creative ambitions, formative influences, and inspirations of some of today’s great screen artists.
Every installment asks the same five questions. Today’s subject is Kathleen Kennedy. She is most closely associated with steering Lucasfilm and the Star Wars film and TV franchises, coming aboard just before Disney acquired George Lucas’ company for $4 billion. But Kennedy’s credits as producer have to be seen to be believed. Her first full producer credit came on E.T., and others include Jurassic Park, Munich, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Lincoln, Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and The Mandalorian for Disney+. Her exec producer or associate producer credits include Gremlins, Back to the Future, Cape Fear, Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Indiana Jones sequels, Poltergeist and many others. All her credited films grossed over $11 billion worldwide, and as producer, she falls third behind Kevin Feige of Marvel, and Steven Spielberg on the global gross chart, all time.
She began her rise as an assistant for John Milius, and then met and became assistant to Spielberg. She learned much from him, and even met her husband, the producer/director Frank Marshall, when they ran Amblin for Spielberg. Here, she explains how she found her mojo.