For decades, George Lucas was the king of all things STAR WARS, but when he sold Lucasfilm to Disney eight years ago, he gave up all control in the franchise he had created. It can't be easy to suddenly have to take a back seat in the world you've been invested in for so many years, but Lucas still serves as something of a mentor to those who are creating a new generation of STAR WARS stories.
One of those new stories is The Mandalorian, the first live-action STAR WARS TV series which is streaming on Disney+. Dave Filoni, who directed several episodes of The Mandalorian and was the main force behind The Clone Wars and Rebels, was asked by THR what kind of feedback George Lucas gave him on the first season of the series.
Not a tremendous amount. We talk about other stuff. When I talk with him, I like to get more knowledge. He'll give me some reminders, especially before I shoot something, about how many setups I should try to get in a day, and I might rack his brain for certain things about how to cover a scene. He's been very complimentary. I think he's enjoyed the show, and he said once [that] now he gets to watch it as a fan and watch it as a viewer. My job is to bring that knowledge forward and pass on what I've learned from him in every discipline to Jon and to the creative departments.
I would imagine that getting to watch new stories of your creation is equal parts thrilling and frustrating, but it's good to hear that George Lucas seems to be a fan of The Mandalorian.
The second season of The Mandalorian will come with a few very interesting additions to the cast, including Michael Biehn (THE TERMINATOR) as "a bounty hunter from The Mando's past," Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) as Bo-Katan Kryze, a Mandalorian warrior, Temuera Morrison (AQUAMAN) as Boba Fett, and Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood) as Cobb Vanth, a character introduced in Chuck Wendig's "Aftermath" series who wears Boba Fett's armour. There have also been major rumours which have pointed to Rosario Dawson (Daredevil) playing Ahsoka Tano, the former Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker who turned into a spymaster for the Rebel Alliance. The second season of The Mandalorian is expected to debut on Disney+ in October 2020.