Kathleen Kennedy is the new head of ceremonies and content for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, replacing Peter Rice. Hollywood loves a good casting change, and this one arrived with the timing of a perfectly placed plot twist. One producer is stepping into a stadium full of cameras, while another is heading for a corner office with a very large streaming library. Both moves landed within days of each other.

While Hollywood was still digesting the Netflix news, Los Angeles quietly made a casting call of its own.

Kathleen Kennedy now leads ceremonies and content for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, taking the seat Peter Rice vacated. She left Lucasfilm in January 2026 after 14 years as president. Her new job covers all four ceremonies, from opening to closing.

“A touchstone in my life,” Kennedy described the Games, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

She then added that the Games are “one of the great unifying experiences we share.”

The Hollywood Reporter first revealed that Rice will stay on as executive producer, so this is a baton pass rather than a goodbye. Kennedy will team up with creative director Ben Winston, with the Olympic opening set for July 14, 2028, and the closing on July 30. The Paralympics open on August 15 and close on August 27. Kennedy and her husband, Frank Marshall, have attended nearly every Games since 1984.

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While Los Angeles lines up its opening act, Peter Rice has stepped into a bigger production, with Netflix as the set.

Peter Rice was named Netflix chief content officer on October 15, 2026, with the role effective October 26. He replaces Bela Bajaria after her nearly decade-long run. His remit covers scripted and unscripted series, film and live events across every region. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos praised him as an operator who excels at scale, pointing to his business sense, talent relationships and experience across television and film.

Rice brings a long résumé from the studio side to the job. He joined 20th Century Fox in 1989 and rose to run Fox Searchlight, home to Slumdog Millionaire and Juno. He later led Fox Networks Group and then Walt Disney Television, overseeing ABC and FX until June 2022. Under a nonexclusive A24 deal, he produced Saturday Night and 28 Years Later. He now turns his focus to Netflix, while Kathleen Kennedy takes over the 2028 Olympic ceremonies.

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What are your thoughts on Kathleen Kennedy running the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics while Peter Rice reshapes Netflix? Let us know in the comments.