Dave Filoni talks directing the pilot episode of The Mandalorian

Dave Filoni is responsible for creating beloved animated Star Wars shows like The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. He created the fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano and crafted gripping storylines that turned cartoons into shows any adult Star Wars fan could watch and enjoy. But he’d never worked on a live-action Star Wars project…until Jon Favreau asked him to direct episodes of The Mandalorian, about a lone bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) making his way on the edge of the galaxy after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi.

Speaking with IGN, Filoni — who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian — talked about transitioning from animation to live-action television, and what it’s like working so closely with Favreau. “[I]t was the first time in a long time that I was working on a Star Wars script that I hadn’t written or been deeply involved with the writing process,” he said.

"I really appreciate that he brought me into this process and that he values my point of view because I’ve been with Star Wars so long. but I really wanted to accomplish the story that he set out to make. It was wonderful. I was very flattered that he was willing even to have me direct the pilot. So that was a great honor and responsibility."

We interrupt this interview to show you an all-new photo of the titular Mandalorian in this ship, the Razorcrest:

Favreau isn’t the only mentor Filoni learned from. He also worked side-by-side with George Lucas in the early days of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “I was taught by George and there are a lot of things that I want to do with Star Wars, that I feel make something feel like Star Wars and very classic,” Filoni said, “but of course everything I was doing was the first time I was doing it, in a way, because it’s live-action.”

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Understandably, going from exclusively creating animated shows to directing live-action episodes was challenging, but Filoni had a support structure to help him get over any hurdles. “[W]hile it’s a world that’s familiar to me, it was a medium that was not as familiar to me – though George had prepared me well over the years with his training,” he said. “I was fortunate to have Jon, people like Greig Fraser [director of photography on The Mandalorian and Rogue One] on board to help guide me through the process and help realize what I was trying to do shooting-wise and performance-wise. So that was all a challenge, but an exciting one.”

"I really appreciate that he [Favreau] brought me into this process and that he values my point of view because I’ve been with Star Wars so long, but I really wanted to accomplish the story that he set out to make. It was wonderful. I was very flattered that he was willing even to have me direct the pilot. So that was a great honor and responsibility."

With people like Filoni on board, Disney’s first-ever live-action Star Wars series is poised for success. The Mandalorian premiere drops on November 12, along with Disney+ itself.

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