Also wanted to add that I know Abrams was listed as executive producer on TLJ, but to my knowledge I don’t think that relates to being interconnected through all the process aside from being the one who puts up the money for it and then is run mainly by the producers under that funding. Correct me if I’m wrong though!
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EP credits can mean a lot of things. It's both the most important credit, as well as the most worthless as it can be handed out with no needed work report required to be given to the PGA, unlike SAG, DGA and WGA. Kennedy as an EP is because she runs Lucasfilm. Somebody else could be EP because they found financing. Somebody else could be an EP because they brought Rian Johnson a bagel and he owed them a favor.
In JJ's case, TLJ was using characters, situations, locations, and narrative set-ups that he wrote for TFA. I'm sure he was also involved in the very early development as he and Rian had to have had communication for the hand off. But once TFA was out, he wasn't involved day to day.
I also think that Bad Robot still did some of the art and effects work for TLJ as they did for TFA. As the head of that company, he'd also be entitled to an EP credit.
Generally EXECUTIVE PRODUCER tends to be given to the heads of companies involved in production, people at the exec and studio level, the person in charge of the whole shebang, anybody who had significant creative input but were not a writer, or were bought or given as favors. Straight PRODUCER credits tend to be the people who run the various departments of the actual movie production.
Basically, outside of a favor credit, and EP is somebody who helped get the movie into production, and a Producer credit is somebody involved in the actual filming.
...and just to maker it more confusing, TV producer credits are totally different.
I could write a whole thing up on what credits mean if anybody cares.