For over 40 years, producerKathleen Kennedyhas been at the forefront of some of Hollywood’s most successful movies. As a long-time collaborator with director Steven Spielberg, Kennedy has been an essential addition to his work and has played a central role as producer of everything fromE.T. the Extra-Terrestrialright up to more recent releases likeLincoln. With an incredible talent for producing absolute megahits at the box office, Kennedy has earned her status as a Hollywood legend.
While many will associate Kennedy with her involvement in some ofthe best movies ever, as she executive produced series likeBack to the Futureand even the Best Picture-winnerSchindler’s List, she’s also been a main producer on countless other acclaimed classics. With perhaps the most impressive resume in all of Hollywood,Kathleen’s role as President of LucasFilm saw her oversee allStar Wars-related releases since 2012, but this’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her appeal.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Cast
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a young boy named Elliot who befriends an alien accidentally left on Earth. As the task force searches for the extraterrestrial, Elliot, his siblings, and their newfound friend form a deep connection while attempting to return the visitor home.
After first meeting director Steven Spielberg while working on his 1979 comedy1941, Kathleen Kennedy quickly became the filmmaker’s secretary and by 1981 had taken on a significant role in his professional life. Along with Spielberg, Kennedy co-founded the production company Amblin Entertainment, andKennedy’s first film as a producer wasE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. As the quintessential example of Spielberg’s unique emotional and notalgia-inducing style, this fruitful partnership would continue for decades to come as she produced some of the filmmaker’s greatest releases.
The Money Pit
The Money Pit is a comedy film portraying a young couple’s efforts to renovate a recently purchased dilapidated mansion, only to face escalating challenges and comedic disasters. Through a series of misadventures, the couple navigates unforeseen obstacles, testing their patience and relationship amidst the mounting chaos.
While Kathleen Kennedy was best known for her work with Steven Spielberg, she also produced several acclaimed releases by other filmmakers, such as the Richard Benjamin comedyThe Money Pit. With Tom Hanks and Shelley Long, this hilarious loose remake of the Cary Grant comedyMr. Blandings Builds His Dream Housefeatured plenty of slapstick humor. AlthoughThe Money Pitwas slated by critics and has failed to build a lasting legacy, looking back, it’san early indication of Hanks’ incredible comedic talentand bright future as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia (1990) is a horror-comedy directed by Frank Marshall. The film follows a small-town doctor, played by Jeff Daniels, who discovers a deadly new species of spider that unleashes terror on the community. John Goodman co-stars as an eccentric exterminator brought in to combat the arachnid menace. The film combines elements of suspense and humor to depict the struggle against an unexpected and lethal infestation.
Kathleen Kennedy produced the comedy horrorArachnophobiaalongside Richard Vane to tell the hilarious story of a California town overtaken by a deadly spider species. Asthe directional debut from Kennedy’s husband, Frank Marshall,Arachnophobiafeatured incredible performances from Jeff Daniels and Jeff Goldblum, who excelled in this underrated, fast-paced thriller that’s sure to frighten the lives out of any arachnophobic viewers. Marshall said his intention when makingArachnophobiawas that it would be like “a rollercoaster” (viaNew York Times), and he wanted viewers “to be scared but laughing.”
Hook
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Hook stars Robin Williams as Peter Banning, a harried American lawyer who, after his children are kidnapped by Captain Hook, finds out that he is Peter Pan, having lost his memories of Neverland. In order to rescue his children, Peter must find his childlike spirit of adventure and regain his memories as he does battle with Hook and his crew. Dustin Hoffman stars alongside Williams as Captain Hook, along with Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith, and Charlie Korsmo.
With Amblin Entertainment, Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg tackled J. M. Barrie’s classic story ofPeter Panwith a clever twist as this sequel story focused on the misadventures of his old arch-enemy Captain Hook.Hookfeatured an older Peter Pan who, after forgetting his childhood adventures, returned to Neverland once again. While Spielberg himself has expressed disappointment withHook, it’s remained a beloved favorite among audiences, primarily due toRobin Williams’ incredible characterization of Captain Hook.
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park is a science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on Michael Crichton’s novel. Released in 1993, it follows a wealthy entrepreneur who creates a theme park with living dinosaurs. When security systems fail, experts and visitors experience the perilous reality of the park.
The true magic of Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy’s creative partnership was encapsulated by the astounding achievement ofJurassic Park. As a spellbinding depiction of dinosaur life, the CGI seen inJurassic Parksignaled a new era in cinemawhere movies could at last depict what had previously been practically impossible. As the most successful movie of 1993,Jurassic Parkled to the development of an entire franchise, and Kennedy returned as an executive producer forThe Lost World: Jurassic Parkand acted as a full producer forJurassic Park III.
The Bridges of Madison County
The Bridges of Madison County is a romantic drama directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars alongside Meryl Streep. The film tells the story of Francesca Johnson, a lonely Iowa housewife, who has a life-changing, four-day romance with Robert Kincaid, a traveling photographer visiting to photograph the county’s historic bridges. Set in 1965, the film explores themes of love, loss, and the roads not taken, as Francesca must choose between her family commitments and her heart’s desire.
Kathleen Kennedy turned her producing talents toward yet another icon of Hollywood for the Clint Eastwood romance,The Bridges of Madison County. With Eastwood and Meryl Streep in the starring roles, this story of an Italian war bride andNational Geographicphotographer was a hit with viewers who turned out to witness their intense, four-day love affair. While Sydney Pollock was originally attached as director,Eastwood soon took over directing duties and co-produced the film himself alongside Kennedy.
Twister
In Twister, Bill and Jo Harding, advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes. Jo’s childhood was stricken by the trauma of losing her father to a deadly F5 tornado, setting her on the path of a storm chaser. Having developed a new technology with her team named “Dorothy,” Jo seeks to make Tornadoes more predictable to give people a chance to make it to safety. Jo’s obsession created a rift between her husband, but new breakthroughs may bring them back together as the two pursue their greatest challenge yet - an incoming system that will produce yet another F5.
The iconic disaster movieTwisterreunited Kathleen Kennedy withJurassic Parkwriter Michael Crichton as, along with Ian Bryce, the trio produced this engaging story of tornado chasers. Taking in almost $500 million at the box office (viaThe Numbers),Twisterwas a major hit for Kennedy, and it showcased that even without Spielberg in the directing chair, she could produce incredible mega hits. The legacy ofTwisterwas so great that a standalone sequel was made nearly 20 years later withthe recent release ofTwistersstarring Glenn Powell.
The Sixth Sense
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller about a young boy who can see and communicate with ghosts. Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist who tries to help Cole, played by Haley Joel Osment, while grappling with his own personal demons. The movie features a twist ending that has become iconic in pop culture.
Boasting one of thegreatest movie twistsof all time,The Sixth Sensewas the psychological thriller that put M. Night Shyamalan on the map and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. With the backing of The Kennedy/Marshall Company, husband-and-wife Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall co-producedThe Sixth Sensealong with Barry Mendel. The success ofThe Sixth Senseshowcased Kennedy’s increasing success away from movies associated with Steven Spielberg.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, featuring a robotic boy named David who is programmed to love. Adopted by a Cybertronics employee and his wife, David faces unexpected challenges that threaten his place in their family.
Steven Spielberg’sA.I. Artificial Intelligencehad a complex production history and was originally intended to be directed by Stanley Kubrick as “a picaresque robot version of Pinocchio” (viaPanteli.) While Kubrick was unable to finish the project before his death in 1999, Spielberg took over along with Kathleen Kennedy and Bonnie Curtis as producers. The result was a sentimental and insightful sci-fi story about a childlike android in need of a mother’s love that stood asone of Spielberg’s most emotionally resonating filmsand a uniquely poignant entry in his vast filmography.
War of The Worlds
As extraterrestrial invaders ravage Earth, divorced father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) must protect his estranged children, Rachel and Robbie. Evading destruction and aliens, they encounter harrowing scenes of devastation in their desperate bid for survival. As the invaders' weaknesses are revealed, Ray fights to reunite his family and find refuge amidst the crumbling world.
Steven Spielberg’s alien invasion adaptation of H. G. Wells' 1898 novelThe War of the Worldssaw producer Kathleen Kennedy returning to the same disaster movie stylings that madeTwistersuch a success the previous decade. Withthe serious star power of Tom Cruisein the leading role, some truly impressive visuals, and well-known source material, it’s no surpriseWar of the Worldstook in over $600 million at the box office (viaBox Office Mojo.) As yet another incredible success for Kennedy and Spielberg,War of the Worldssignaled the continued strength of their collaboration in the 21st century,
