LA28 ADDS LEGENDARY PRODUCER KATHLEEN KENNEDY AS HEAD OF CEREMONIES AND CONTENT
Creator and producer of iconic global films and franchises joins the team shaping the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the greatest stage in sports
LOS ANGELES (October 28, 2026) – Today, LA28 has named globally-renowned film producer Kathleen Kennedy as Head of Ceremonies and Content for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Kennedy, an eight-time Academy Award® nominee, will lead the delivery of all four Ceremonies across the Olympics and Paralympics, bringing the stories and spirit of Los Angeles to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 2028 Stadium and billions of viewers around the world.
As Executive Producer of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Kennedy will help shape how LA28 welcomes the world and delivers an unforgettable farewell to athletes and audiences around the globe. This appointment reinforces LA28’s commitment to harness the unparalleled creativity, cultural influence and storytelling power of the entertainment capital of the world to deliver Ceremonies that are distinctly Los Angeles and leave a lasting impression on the global stage.
“Kathleen is a legend. She is one of Hollywood’s all-time greats, with a rare gift for storytelling,” said Casey Wasserman, LA28 Chairperson and President. “When the stars align to focus the world’s attention on Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I can’t think of anyone better to conjure the magic of Hollywood than Kathleen.”
Kennedy’s work has inspired and transformed cinema through the years, earning her films and franchises 120 Academy Award nominations and 25 wins across more than 70 feature films. As President of Lucasfilm from 2012 to 2026, she guided Star Wars into a new generation. Kennedy leads The Kennedy/Marshall Company alongside her husband, Frank Marshall, with whom she founded the company in 1992 and received the Academy’s prestigious 2018 Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award alongside. Her leadership in production stretches back to the creation of the phenomenally successful Amblin Entertainment which she co-founded alongside Marshall and Steven Spielberg.
“Casey Wasserman has a bold vision for what these Games can mean for Los Angeles and the world, and I'm thrilled he's asked me to help bring it to life. The Olympics have been a touchstone in my life. 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,” said LA28 Head of Ceremonies, Kathleen Kennedy. “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. These Games are rooted in Los Angeles, but with events from Oklahoma City to LA28's six incredible Soccer/Football cities, all of America gets to host the world's finest athletes, and I'm honored to help celebrate every Olympian and Paralympian who come to compete.”
From the big screen to streaming, Kennedy has built stories that connect with audiences wherever they watch, expertise that will be essential as the LA28 Games reach audiences across an evolving media landscape.
Kennedy takes over as Head of Ceremonies and Content from Peter Rice, who continues as Executive Producer. As the Ceremonies move from early development toward production and execution, she joins a team that also includes Executive Producer and Creative Director Ben Winston and veteran Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies producer Scott Givens, Executive Producer of Production. The production of the Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies will be supported by FulFive, a new entity composed of Fulwell Entertainment and FiveCurrents.
The Olympic Opening Ceremony of the 2028 Olympic Games will take place on July 14, 2028, and the Olympic Closing Ceremony will be on July 30. The Paralympic Opening Ceremony on August 15, with the Closing at the Coliseum on August 27, bookending LA’s first Paralympic Games and creating a lasting legacy for both venues and the City of Los Angeles.
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ABOUT THE LA28 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
LA28 will bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Los Angeles in 2028, uniting more than 15,000 of the world's greatest athletes in a celebration of sport, culture, and human potential. Set against a diverse collection of venues only Southern California can deliver, from the Pacific Ocean to Hollywood stages to world-class arenas, Los Angeles will become the third city ever to host three Olympic Games, following 1932 and 1984, and will also host its first ever Paralympic Games. The LA28 Games will celebrate historic milestones including the most gender balanced Games in history, the first time all Olympic team sports will feature at least as many women's teams as men's, the debut of new Olympic and Paralympic sports, and becoming the first Games since 1948 to not build any new permanent infrastructure. Operating as an independently funded, non-profit organization, LA28 has built a strong foundation of successful commercial partnerships alongside licensing, hospitality, ticketing, and with the support of the International Olympic Committee.
