Kathleen Kennedy Named Head of 2028 LA Olympic Ceremonies

Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy was named head of ceremonies and content for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Wednesday. Organizers confirmed the appointment, marking a leadership change for the upcoming Summer Games.

Kennedy succeeds Peter Rice, who had held the position until now. The transition follows Netflix's announcement that Rice will serve as its new chief content officer. That role oversees scripted and unscripted series, film, and live events globally. Industry insiders had previously questioned how Rice would balance those duties with his work for the Olympics.

Rice will not fully depart the LA28 organization. He remains on the team as an executive producer. Kennedy starts immediately, working from the early development stages through final production and execution. Her responsibilities include shaping the opening and closing ceremonies for both the Olympic and Paralympic events.

The Games will feature four separate events expected to reach an audience of billions. Kennedy leads a team that includes Ben Winston, who serves as executive producer and creative director. Scott Givens, a veteran of Olympic ceremonies, serves as executive producer of production. The group operates under FulFive, a new entity formed by Fulwell Entertainment and FiveCurrents.

Kennedy brings more than 100 credits to the role, a career spanning from the early 1980s to the present. Her films have accumulated 120 Academy Award nominations and 25 wins. Her portfolio ranges from Star Wars blockbusters to character studies and comedies. She produced many of these projects with her husband, Frank Marshall, through their Kennedy/Marshall Company. Kennedy left her leadership role at Lucasfilm earlier in 2026 after 14 years.

Casey Wasserman, the chairperson and president of LA28, praised the selection. He described Kennedy as a legend and one of Hollywood's all-time greats with a rare gift for storytelling. Wasserman stated he could not think of anyone better to conjure the magic of Hollywood for the Games.

Kennedy noted that the Olympics have been a touchstone in her life. She and Marshall have attended virtually every Games since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She acknowledged that Rice laid a terrific foundation for the current planning phase. She expressed enthusiasm for working with Winston and the wider team.

The producer emphasized that the events will extend from Oklahoma City to the six soccer host cities. She noted that this geographic spread allows all of America to host the world's finest athletes. Kennedy previously produced Olympic Glory, a short documentary about the 1998 Nagano Games. Marshall received an Olympic Shield in 2005 for his more than decade of service on the U.S. Olympic Committee's executive committee.

The appointment aligns with expectations Wasserman set when Rice first took the job in 2025. He told The Hollywood Reporter that Los Angeles is the creative capital of the world and that organizers better knock people's socks off. Kennedy recently discussed her time at Lucasfilm at Bloomberg's Screentime event in Los Angeles. She said the challenge with long-running franchises is to create something new and original.

The Olympic Games run from July 14 to July 30, 2028. Venues include the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium. The Paralympic opening ceremony is scheduled for August 15, 2028, with the closing ceremony at the Coliseum on August 27, 2028. Organizers also unveiled the official slogan, Stars Align, on Wednesday. Wasserman called it a call to action for athletes, volunteers, and fans. The slogan debuted in a short promo featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers song Can't Stop.