In this interview, “STAR WARS” creator
George Lucas and “CLONE WARS” director Dave Filoni discuss this groundbreaking new
movie from Lucasfilm Animation.
How did the idea of an animated ”STAR WARS” movie come about?
GEORGE LUCAS: The interesting thing about the Clone Wars is that in the normal course of
the six “STAR WARS” films that tell the Skywalker saga, that whole story of what happened
during this time is not told – it’s skipped over. We have a little bit of the beginning in
Episode II and a little bit of the end in Episode III. But, obviously, during a war there are lots
and lots of stories — very exciting action, drama, heartbreak, even humor. The idea of doing
an animated version of the Clone Wars was intriguing to me because it really allows us to
tell other stories, show other Jedi, introduce new characters and even tell stories about the
clones themselves. Some of them have very interesting stories. It allows us to broaden the
canvas of what “STAR WARS” is about.
DAVE FILONI: One of the things that has always surprised me is how many stories there are
to tell in what seems like a small amount of time. The period between Episodes II and III
was only about three years. But we can tell so many new stories and meet new characters
and go new places — places I never imagined we could.
What does animation bring to the “STAR WARS” Saga?
GEORGE LUCAS: Right from the very beginning, we knew we wanted to use CG animation in
a way that hasn’t been seen before. We think we’ve ended up with something that is very
new and different. Stylistically, a CG-animated film is quite different from a live-action
movie. Animation opens up the possibilities of what you can accomplish. Animation is like
a sketchpad.
DAVE FILONI: There is infinite flexibility when we do a scene. We don’t have to go dig for
original props or call actors back to reshoot. With animation, we can look at a scene in
editorial, then go back and redo it completely differently the next day. That would be
impossible in live action. We have all of our sets, all of our actors at our disposal at all
times. We can make things the way we’d like to see them, which is really exciting.
What can you tell us about the newest “STAR WARS” heroine, Ahsoka?
GEORGE LUCAS: Anakin and Obi-Wan have a great relationship, but we’ve seen their
dynamic in the movies.
DAVE FILONI: We always felt it was important to have a character whose temperament is
somewhere between Anakin’s and Obi-Wan’s. Anakin will just jump in anywhere, while Obi-
Wan wants to think things through before taking action. Ahsoka appreciates Anakin’s
brashness but admires Obi-Wan’s patience and thoughtfulness. She has a lot to learn from
both of them, but is strong and capable in her own right, so she sometimes surprises
Anakin with her approach to the kinds of situations they find themselves in. She makes a
great counterpoint to Anakin — visually, in her personality, her attitude. She sort of drives
him crazy, but he grows very attached to her, as you’ll see in the movie.
GEORGE LUCAS: In the “STAR WARS” films, there’s a tradition of someone being taken on
an amazing journey and learning to become a Jedi — Luke was a farm boy swept up in the
Rebel Alliance. Anakin was a little boy on Tatooine. In “THE CLONE WARS,” Anakin is no
longer a Padawan. He’s a Jedi. So Ahsoka takes on that role of the younger person who is
being taught, who adds the dynamic that a “student” brings to the story. We bounced back
and forth on a lot of ideas about her — would she be human or alien, male or female? We
thought a girl would be just more fun to have in the story.
“THE CLONE WARS” gives you a great chance to explore characters outside of the
Skywalker saga. Who are some of your favorites?
GEORGE LUCAS: I’ve always liked Duros – the blue aliens from the cantina scene in “A New
Hope.” They’re a derivation of Neimoidians — Neimoidians are greener. Wrinklier.
