UPDATE! Dave Filoni Did Not Direct the Big Darth Vader Scene at the End of ‘Rogue One’

'I don't know if people know this, maybe I'm not allowed to say this, but I don't care anymore. [Dave Filoni] directed that scene in Rogue One where - basically, the whole end of the movie, where Vader comes through, and you see basically what's gonna happen in A New Hope. He directed all that. He also recast Darth Vader - they cast another actor, and they asked Dave to watch the movie, to see what he thinks. And I remember him going 'Well, you got some of the buttons wrong, some of the lighting wrong. Why'd you hire an Italian?' And they go 'What do you mean? How'd you know we hired an Italian?' And he'd go 'Well, Darth Vader doesn't talk with his hands, but this one clearly does.''

HAHA, George Lucas' Padawan slipped in a Dark Lord of the Sith in a Jedi free film... well done Dave. You should run LFL. Dave shoot the next trilogy PLEASE

 

"So like there's this real obscure background character, and George and I had discussed this many times, but we never agreed on the best way to use him. My feeling was he was super important. Might even be the key to everything. George wasn't so sure. Thought he should be like the prototype Tie Fighter pilot or squadron leader. Perhaps a throwback to the droidships with its AI dropped into a special suit that is compatible with Imp starship cockpits...I know.... Said I to George. Three words - RIGHT - HAND - MAN - He looked at me for a moment like he was going to shout BOSSKA! and I was going to drop into one of the Rancor pits! You're crazy, he said. And got up to leave. But I pulled out one of the original paintings by Ralph and a red sharpie and I drew a line from the the gloved fist of "Onyks Amurai", as he was known at the time. (Better name than Darth if you ask me.) George looked at it for a minute and said Bring me a maquette... And the rest is history. Seriously. We nearly had Ploh-Koon in that scene!.... Can you imagine?"

 

That's how I imagine it all got started.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand what is being said here... Is Feloni claiming that Ploh-koon is a background character in one of Ralph McQuarrie's concept art pieces? (If so, which one?)

Sorry for being stupid...

 

I'm just riffing on the Filoni putting Vader in Rogue One story and switching it with Filoni's well known desire to put Plo Koon in any Star Wars project (he was the stand in before the shot the Luke for Mando Chpt 16) and suggesting that Vader is in fact the obscure character that he elevated to Emperor's right hand and so on. And how Vader was just a background cyborg in some concept art before Dave vandalised it by drawing a lightsaber blade next to it. "Onyks Amurai" is just Onyx Samurai. An on the nose pun invoking the black stone and Japanese warrior.

 

Ah.... it was a joke... And here I was, thinking I'd stumbled over some fascinating deep cut info that I didn't know beforehand...
So... did I mention that I am stupid?

 

Or maybe my fake story was just way to authentic and convincing sounding. That was my intent so I take that as a great compliment,... stupid.

--- Double Post Merged, Mar 3, 2023, Original Post Date: Mar 3, 2023 ---

Regarding the actual story though, and the part about recasting the, "too italian" actor in the suit during production. Vader definitely talks with his hands a lot in A New Hope. In the opening scene with Leia and in the scenes with Tarkin. There's even shots with his hands gesturing even though it's silent because they edited the looped dialogue and moved it where they wanted it rather than sync it with Prowse's performance.

 

Yep, I believe Freddie 100%. Whether or not he is the director, I hope any future Star Wars movie projects are developed under the watchful eyes of Dave Filoni.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Dave running LFL. Probably not next in line simply because he has so many plates spinning right now, but I've always had a suspicion that GL, and KK were grooming him to run the Whole Enchilada someday.
As far as movies, we need to get out of the trilogy mindset, and I think Filoni and Favreau should be at least in an oversight situation/EP on anything going forward. I found a comment a bit odd during their press tour this week, Jon made a comment about one of the great things about their partnership was that Dave ALSO works over THERE at Lucasfilm... Seemed like an odd point to make, but did he mean on the film side as well? Is Favreau not considered part of LFL? It got me curious to the arrangement.

 

Things may have changed since the change in the Disney CEO. But I seem to recall that Favreau was promoted to having creative oversight over all things Disney and Filoni was promoted to having creative insight over all things Star Wars.

I seriously doubt either one has aspirations of being the new Kathleen Kennedy. I think both men are content to running their own shops without a lot of 'upper brass' interference.

 

I dare say Dave would much prefer writing directing and producing to running a corporation or anything else for that matter. I'd wager he also has ambitions that aren't even Star Wars related at all. If he has any sense. You can have too much of a good thing.

 

Down the road a ways, I can see it. He will deserve an elevated position in the company. He and JF are building quite the powerhouse cabal with Rick, Bryce, Deborah, even Taika and Rodriguez are likely to do more in the Mandoverse. As they beef up the team, it will give them the ability to take more control of the wider Galaxy and assume more executive positions. I don't really see either of them giving up the creative end altogether, but that CEO title is a much more fluid job description than it used to be.

I do completely agree that it would be great to see him try some other things outside of SW. Dude is immensely talented and creative. Maybe that's something Fav could help him ease into, seeing as how widespread and diverse his work has been over his career. Filoni strikes me as a guy with a quirky sense of humor, like he would do well in the style of mid-90s indie film. Like a Kevin Smith/Ed Burns/Guy Ritchie feel.