Star Wars: The Clone Wars Creator Still Gets Storytelling Advice From George Lucas

George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney back in 2012 and, despite not having an official hand in how the company develops new stories with the material, Star Wars: The Clone Wars creator Dave Filoni confirmed he still uses Lucas as a resource when he’s developing stories for the galaxy far, far away. While it’s safe to assume that Lucas acts more as a database of information in regards to the lore of the franchise he created, fans will surely appreciate Filoni’s devotion to ensuring his storytelling decisions take the creator’s perspective into consideration, serving somewhat as a passive contribution to the franchise.

“We still talk and if I’m stuck I will bug George for ideas, because he is the canon,” Filoni confirmed to IndieWire. “He created it and I respect that. One of my jobs and purposes is to keep things as intact to what George laid down as possible. It is for kids — George would always say that over the years — but the beauty is that everyone can watch and enjoy it if you get the show right.”

Given that Lucas created the franchise more than 40 years ago, it’s hard to overstate how important his vision of the franchise is, with many fans considering Filoni to be the next most important visionary for the galaxy far, far away. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has even said that she doesn’t make any decisions about the saga without at least consulting Filoni.

“There isn’t a thing that we do in the storytelling space that I don’t check with Dave,” Kennedy confessed to Vanity Fair. “What I find about Dave is you don’t just sit down and have a discussion about plot or review characters inside the Star Wars world. You end up having meaningful, thoughtful discussions about what it is we’re trying to say inside the storytelling. He has a lot of empathy.”

Filoni’s most recent project, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is one of the last direct connections to Lucas’ plans for the saga.

The series launched with a feature film back in 2008, with the continued adventures unfolding in a Cartoon Network TV series. While Lucas was involved in developing the series, Filoni was more directly involved with bringing the series to life, up until the series seemingly concluding with its sixth season.

All films and TV series that have been released since Disney purchased the studio might have been somewhat influenced by Lucas’ vision, though none of them had his direct involvement.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is available now on Disney+.

Are you surprised that Filoni still consults Lucas? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!