Star Wars: Dave Filoni Elevated To CCO: Kathleen Kennedy Not Fired

Following the end of the strikes, Disney announces Dave Filoni has been elevated to a new position at Lucasfilm which includes that Filoni will have a greater say on Star Wars and other projects.

Filoni confirmed the position in an interview with Vanity Fair titled “Star Wars Undertakes Universe-Shaking Changes After Ahsoka” which offers Filoni’s new position “places him into the development process much earlier and in a much more expansive capacity than his previous advisory duties.”

“Now I’m what’s called chief creative officer of Lucasfilm. 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,” Filono says. “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 not the boss

Filoni continued mentioning he’s not the boss and that he is “now working more closely with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and alongside Carrie Beck, a veteran producer turned head of development, to originate and shepherd the next generation of Star Wars shows and movies.”

“I’m not telling people what to do. 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.”

The article also notes Filoni’s new responsibilities include “understanding the intent of the filmmakers and being a resource to them” and bases it on his mentorship under George Lucas.

 “Literally, hours now of Star Wars storytelling I have done,” he said, before pausing to rethink his syntax. “See…I even phrased that like Yoda.”

Projects in the works

Up first for Filoni includes developing his new Star Wars movie, and Ahsoka Season 2 is on the table.

“To truly help filmmakers, it was really important for me to experience it firsthand,” he says. “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…’”

There have been rumors that the projects from Kathleen Kennedy are on the chopping block but the article says “all the titles from Star Wars Celebration are still on the books, Lucasfilm officials say.”

Those projects include the James Mangold Indiana Jones historical epic about the early origins of the character, the Daisy Ridley new Star Wars movie, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew.

Regarding Kathleen Kennedy, it’s said, “Kennedy will continue leading the overall company.”