ILM Exec Says Female 'Star Wars' Director is "Going to Happen"

One of the biggest joys of the Star Wars saga is seeing a diverse cast of characters and creatures [...]

One of the biggest joys of the Star Wars saga is seeing a diverse cast of characters and creatures embarking on incredible adventures. In recent years, many fans have grown frustrated by the lack of diversity behind the camera, particularly when Lucasfilm has selected directors, producers, and writers for its variety of projects. General Manager of Lucasfilm and president of ILM, Lynwen Brennan, claims the studio hiring a female director is an inevitability.

"I think it's certainly something we're keen on and there are some fantastic directors out there," Brennan shared with WalesOnline. "It's going to happen!"

Lucasfilm as a whole might have a large number of women in high-ranking positions, such as president Kathleen Kennedy, though fans continue to push for women being hired in key filmmaking positions in hopes of offering a different perspective of the galaxy far, far away.

"Kathy's leadership team has always been 50 percent women because they happen to be the best at their job," Brennan pointed out. "We haven't had a quota at that leadership stage, however we are getting a lot more pragmatic and specific about not accepting the level we have regarding women in visual effects and technology."

One frustration of the studio is that a majority of positions in the special effects field are held by men, with ILM able to find a healthier gender balance.

"At the moment 75 percent of the people in visual effects are men and that's unacceptable," Brennan expressed. "Our ratio at ILM is better than that, but it's still not enough."

Brennan isn't the only one promising there's change coming to the series, with filmmaker Rian Johnson, who will be creating a trilogy of Star Wars films unrelated to the Skywalker Saga, claiming that change was a necessity.

"We need some directors who aren't white dudes," Johnson shared with the L.A. Times. "And [Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy] knows it, too. It just has to happen. I mean, come on. It has to happen."

The filmmaker went on to imply that the studio is aware of the frustrations of fans and aim to correct the issue.

"The thing is, I don't feel that the powers that be are pushing back on new or unprecedented stuff," Johnson pointed out. "Quite the contrary. I feel like Disney and Lucasfilm and Kathy are actively looking for filmmakers and voices that are going to push it forward because they know that's the only way it can stay alive."

The next Star Wars film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, hits theaters on May 25th, followed by Episode IX on December 20, 2019.

Do you have hope that Lucasfilm will hire more female filmmakers? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

[H/T WalesOnline]

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