Longtime “Star Wars” universe storyteller Dave Filoni announced he will be the new Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm.
The “Ahsoka” showrunner and “The Mandalorian” producer told Vanity Fair that his new role will be central to the narrative arcs within the overall franchise. Filoni will work directly with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy who will continue to oversee the company. Filoni will collaborate alongside head of development executive Carrie Beck, who is tasked with recruiting other storytellers into the “Star Wars” franchise to helm new shows and films.
“Now I’m what’s called chief creative officer of Lucasfilm,” Filoni said. “In the past, in a lot of projects I would be brought into it, I would see it after it had already developed a good ways. In this new role, it’s opened up to basically everything that’s going on. When we’re planning the future of what we’re doing now, I’m involved at the inception phase.”
Filoni began his “Star Wars” career alongside George Lucas with the animated “Clone Wars” series that debuted in 2008. He was later appointed Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm in 2021 after being with the company for 15 years.
“Literally, hours now of ‘Star Wars’ storytelling I have done,” Filoni said. “See, I even phrased that like Yoda.”
He clarified that his new role will not be about imposing certain restrictions on “Star Wars” filmmakers but rather encourage the “best story” from creatives, akin to being a “Jedi Council” member.
“I’m not telling people what to do,” Filoni said. “But I do feel I’m trying to help them tell the best story that they want to tell. I need to be a help across the galaxy here, like a part of a Jedi Council almost.”
In addition to being the Chief Creative Officer, Filoni will explore a possible “Ahsoka” Season 2.
“To truly help filmmakers, it was really important for me to experience it firsthand,” Filoni said. “I can also lend a perspective on the challenges that telling these stories will present. I feel more capable of actually being helpful outside of just saying, ‘Well, Jedi are like this, and Sith are like this…’”
Lucasfilm president Kennedy confirmed in May 2023 that new “Star Wars” films won’t be out until 2025 at the earliest. “It’s much better to tell the truth: that we’re going to make these movies when they’re ready to be made and release them when they’re ready to be released,” Kennedy told Empire.
Lucasfilm has not responded to IndieWire’s request for comment.
