Beyond Hope
A long time ago…in this galaxy that was this one right here that we’re on right now… ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ hit theaters. At the time, in 1977, the title was simply ‘Star Wars’.
Now, as the 50th anniversary of that original release approaches, the monomyth that gave rise to this great cinematic institution, the original ‘Star Wars’ will be re-released in theaters.
The sole disappointment of the Star Wars fans is that they must wait another 2 years for the event.
The property is approaching its half-century mark, and yet it has not only persevered but flourished- into what many argue is an overly wide and winding expanse. By virtue of the franchise’s sheer lucrativeness, those who were supposedly meant to be its stewards seem to have rejected the idea of a dignified conclusion- a harsh reality that the fans, however reluctantly, however woefully, have long since come to accept.
It’s no longer about if the saga will continue- because that much is certain. Instead, the pressing concern is who will be entrusted with guiding this sprawling universe into the future.
Among the legion of fans and insiders, I count myself among those who look to one name with particular hope: Dave Filoni.
But for those unfamiliar, the name might still raise questions. Who exactly is Dave Filoni, and why does his vision inspire such faith among Star Wars devotees?
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That Guy in the Big Hat In the Picture Above?
Who’s sitting next to George Lucas.
That’s Dave Filoni.
Great. That’s done. Now you know what Dave Filoni looks like.
Now, here’s who he is.
In the mythology of the Jedi, there are always two: the master and the padawan apprentice. This timeless relationship embodies not only mentorship but the passing down of wisdom, tradition, and responsibility. Such it seemed was the case with George Lucas and Dave Filoni.
When Filoni arrived at Skywalker Ranch as a young animator eager to prove himself, he carried a portfolio that caught Lucas’s attention. But it wasn’t just about showcasing artistic talent. Almost immediately, Lucas began engaging him in the deeper philosophy behind the universe he had created. He spoke to him about how a Jedi handles a negotiation.
Lucas didn’t just hand him a script or a storyboard; he began infusing Filoni with the world that they would expand together through their animated hit, ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars.’ This wasn’t just a job; it was an apprenticeship in mythmaking, a passing of the torch from master to padawan, shaping Filoni’s understanding not only of the narrative but of the very soul of Star Wars.
Yet, as The Hollywood Reporter recently noted, some critics argue that Filoni’s deep immersion in Star Wars lore could be a double-edged sword, risking a drift “into dense mythology that loses a broader audience.”
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Let the Wookie Win
That’s exactly what we need: someone who lives and breathes Star Wars. The original saga’s pull comes from its deep mythology– the intergalactic Arthurian sweep, the space magic- and that’s the point of it all.
Movies and TV are hard; sci-fi at this scale makes them harder by a million. So, the person running the franchise had better love it- and, more importantly, be a storyteller. That’s why Filoni belongs at the helm: not merely steeped in the universe but saturated by it.
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Lore & Order
According to Mark Harris’s biography Mike Nichols: A Life, while developing his debut film- an adaptation of Edward Albee’s play ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’– Mike Nichols insisted that the movie needed to be in black and white. Since the play (and Albee’s own adapted screenplay) was high poetic drama, black and white cinematography, Nichols argued, instantly signals metaphor.
In this same way, I think animation lends itself to ‘Star Wars’.
Of course, this touches on a much larger- and hotter- conversation about the franchise, so I’ll try not to digress far enough to trigger a flood of well-argued emails from the ever-diligent ‘Star Wars’ fan (who, for some reason, unlike their Trekkie counterparts, still lack a collective moniker).
However, if we look at the origins of ‘Star Wars’, it becomes clear: Lucas conceived it as an intergalactic space opera for teenagers, built on pulp pacing and his own admittedly subpar dialogue. But what he was always aiming for- sometimes clumsily- was the tone of Shakespearean epics mixed with Arthurian legend. And frankly, cartoons feel like the natural home for that world- a galaxy of strange creatures, mythic archetypes, and sweeping interstellar agriculture and invention.
Lucas’s heavy-handed, melodramatic dialogue- full of platitudes and sentiments that often border on the didactic- makes more sense in animation. The prequels feel stiff in live action, but in animated form, that same seriousness feels earned. It works because animation, like black-and-white cinematography in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’, operates in metaphor by default. Everything is heightened, and so nothing feels out of place.
There’s also an argument to be made for aesthetic consistency. In animation, everyone- humans, aliens, droids- exists in the same visual world. There’s no uncanny dissonance like there is when a CGI Jar-Jar Binks shares a frame with a flesh-and-blood actor trying to play it straight.
So that leaves the question: is Filoni’s magic touch tied to animation itself? Or is it simply that animation is the only medium that takes the galaxy as seriously as he does?
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Where Myth Meets Medium
While working on the prequels- at least during ‘The Phantom Menace’– Liam Neeson recalls that Lucas “didn’t really like directing actors.” In a recent interview during his press tour for ‘The Naked Gun’ (2025), Neeson, who played Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in ‘The Phantom Menace,’ revealed that Lucas was quite open about being more interested in post-production than in the on-set details of capturing performances. According to Neeson, Lucas’s primary notes were usually just “a little faster” or “a little slower.” And honestly, I worry that Filoni might face that same challenge- only multiplied by a million.
Before being hired for ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars,’ Filoni worked on ‘King of the Hill,’ ‘Kim Possible,’ and directed episodes during the first season of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender.’
Which brings up the same concern I’ve faced every time I’ve applied to a restaurant: experience.
Kathleen Kennedy apparently gave Dave the chance to shadow the production of the Disney ‘Star Wars’ sequels– whether that inspires confidence depends on who you ask.
Filoni at least has a film vocabulary that was, quote-unquote, “uploaded” into him by George Lucas during ‘Clone Wars.’ Lucas revived a technique from the legendary rough cut of the original ‘Star Wars,’ where he intercut live-action World War II plane footage into the space fighter sequences. During ‘Clone Wars,’ Lucas would show the team classic 1960s war films like ‘Battle of the Bulge’ and ‘Battle of Britain’ to inspire one particularly challenging episode.
It is Filoni’s work on beloved live-action series like ‘The Mandalorian’ that at the very least placates the naysayers.
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The Jedi Whisperer
At the core of it…this franchise means a whole lot to a whole lot of people. And it’s nice, the idea that there’s somebody up there looking out for us. It appeals to the legendary aspect that drew in fans to Star Wars in the first place; the legend of the padawan- whose master was the man who created the Star Wars universe- leading us into a brighter, entertaining future.
Vanity Fair did a profile on Dave Filoni back in 2019, and in it there is a section where George tells Dave what he likes most about working with him. It’s that Dave listens. This is a sentiment that is shared throughout his collaborations in the Star Wars universe, and we would like to think, maybe he’ll listen to us. To the fans.
By Joseph Tralongo
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I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc.
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Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
