Kathleen Kennedy Takes Over LA28 Ceremonies: What the Change Means

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Kathleen Kennedy takes over the LA28 ceremonies: What the change means.

Kathleen Kennedy is taking on a central role at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles: The former head of Lucasfilm will be responsible for the event's ceremonies and content going forward. She succeeds Peter Rice, who had previously taken over the role from Bela Bajaria.

The change is directly tied to Rice's move to Netflix: He was appointed Chief Content Officer of the streaming service earlier this week. For you, that means: The LA28 Games are seeing a leadership reshuffle, while the organizational collaboration with Rice will apparently continue.

Why Kathleen Kennedy Is Taking Over the Ceremonies

Kennedy is not new to the entertainment industry. She previously ran Lucasfilm and is now responsible for ceremonies and content for the LA28 Games. According to Variety, she replaces Rice, who had previously served as executive producer for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Kennedy is therefore responsible for more than just one programmatic element; she is overseeing an overarching area of responsibility. She brings ceremonies and content together — a signal that the Olympic Games are organizing their outward-facing communication as an overarching task.

Rice's role at the Games does not end entirely as a result. He remains involved as Executive Producer for the LA28 Games. The sources therefore clearly distinguish between Kennedy's operational leadership and his continued responsibility as a producer.

What the Change Means for the LA28 Games

The key personnel change is at the top: Kennedy takes over, Rice moves to Netflix, and at the same time remains connected to the Olympic project as an executive producer. This preserves continuity within the project while ceremonies and content leadership is newly filled.

No concrete changes to individual ceremonies have yet been announced for attendees. Variety's report contains no reliable details about programs, artists, or schedules. What is certain: The organizational leadership of the 2028 Olympic Games is being restructured.

Why Peter Rice Is Moving to Netflix

According to Variety, Peter Rice was appointed Netflix's Chief Content Officer earlier this week. This move explains why he is handing over operational leadership of ceremonies and content for the LA28 Games to Kennedy.

His previous work at the Olympic Games does not end as a result: Rice remains involved in the project as an executive producer. The report therefore does not describe a complete departure from Los Angeles, but rather a change in leadership responsibilities.

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