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‘Star Wars’ Fails Once Again To Hire A Director Who Isn’t A White Man
Despite promises, Lucasfilm continues to exclusively enlist white men to helm its projects. Did Disney learn nothing from “Black Panther”?
Another day, another white man hired to shepherd a “Star Wars” joint.
This time, it’s Jon Favreau, a blockbuster warhorse who has already directed, produced and/or starred in umpteen Disney titles, including the “Iron Man” and “Avengers” series, “The Jungle Book,” and the forthcoming “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “The Lion King.” Lucasfilm was “excited to announce” Thursday that Favreau will write and produce a live-action “Star Wars” series for the new streaming network that Disney is set to launch in fall 2019.
“Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the ‘Star Wars’ universe,” Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement published on the franchise’s official website. “This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base.”
Kennedy’s words are telling: She has hopes for a “diverse” roster of writers and directors, but that roster will be led by the 12th white man to captain one of the franchise’s movies (or, in this case, live-action series) since George Lucas launched “Star Wars” in 1977. Even as the new trilogy and spinoff installments, including “Rogue One,” bring more women and minorities to the forefront of the galaxy far, far away, the films’ talent behind the camera remains largely white and masculine.
In fact, the only woman who has landed a creative leadership role in the “Star Wars” universe is Leigh Brackett, co-writer of 1980′s “The Empire Strikes Back.” No man or woman of color has held such a position since then....
Despite promises, Lucasfilm continues to exclusively enlist white men to helm its projects. Did Disney learn nothing from “Black Panther”?
Another day, another white man hired to shepherd a “Star Wars” joint.
This time, it’s Jon Favreau, a blockbuster warhorse who has already directed, produced and/or starred in umpteen Disney titles, including the “Iron Man” and “Avengers” series, “The Jungle Book,” and the forthcoming “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “The Lion King.” Lucasfilm was “excited to announce” Thursday that Favreau will write and produce a live-action “Star Wars” series for the new streaming network that Disney is set to launch in fall 2019.
“Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the ‘Star Wars’ universe,” Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement published on the franchise’s official website. “This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base.”
Kennedy’s words are telling: She has hopes for a “diverse” roster of writers and directors, but that roster will be led by the 12th white man to captain one of the franchise’s movies (or, in this case, live-action series) since George Lucas launched “Star Wars” in 1977. Even as the new trilogy and spinoff installments, including “Rogue One,” bring more women and minorities to the forefront of the galaxy far, far away, the films’ talent behind the camera remains largely white and masculine.
In fact, the only woman who has landed a creative leadership role in the “Star Wars” universe is Leigh Brackett, co-writer of 1980′s “The Empire Strikes Back.” No man or woman of color has held such a position since then....
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