He's been helping to shepherd the Star Wars universe on the small screen for years now –– stepping up further following the launch of The Mandalorian, and Dave Filoni is now being recognized for his hard work. The man who began his journey as a mentee of George Lucas, bringing Clone Wars to screens, has been made the Chief Creative officer at Lucasfilm.
“Now I’m what’s called chief creative officer of Lucasfilm,” Filoni tells Vanity Fair. “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.”
The new position will see him work more closely with Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy and head of development Carrie Beck, overseeing not just the TV galaxy but also the movies. "In this new role, it’s opened up to basically everything that’s going on," Filoni says. "When we’re planning the future of what we’re doing now, I’m involved at the inception phase."
All of the movies announced at Star Wars Celebration are still in development, and Filoni will be deeply involved. But not micromanaging. "I’m not telling people what to do,” Filoni explains. “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. Literally, hours now of Star Wars storytelling I have done… See… I even phrased that like Yoda."
And while season 2 of Ahsoka — which was Filoni's brainchild – has yet to be officially confirmed, it's certainly looking a lot more likely now. For more from Filoni and co., head to Vanity Fair's site.