George Lucas Gave The Mandalorian Director a ‘Hard Time’ on Set, Reveals Producer

On the set of The Mandalorian, director and writer Dave Filoni was given some tough love and guidance from George Lucas when the legend visited the set.

The creator of Star Wars has been minimally involved with the franchise since he sold it to Disney. 

To showcase that point, fans only recently learned Lucas’ true feelings about Rogue One. According to the film’s director and writer, Tony Gilroy, the icon “loved it.”

Lucas offered some “nice little comments” for Dave Filoni about The Clone Wars‘ final season as well.

George Lucas Gives Filoni A Hard Time

In an interview with Empire Magazine, The Mandalorian producer Jon Favreau shared what it was like for Star Wars creator George Lucas to visit the set of the streaming series for its second season.

The filmmaker compared Lucas to “a martial-arts teacher,” adding that “he would give Dave [Filoni] a hard time in a very playful and caring way:”

“George [Lucas] comes in and he’s like a martial-arts teacher… How many set-ups did you get? You’re not shooting fast enough!’ He would give Dave [Filoni] a hard time in a very playful and caring way. He has nothing but tremendous care and respect for Dave. I think he sees Dave’s creative life as an extension of the relationship that they had.”

Rosario Dawson, who portrays Ahsoka, admitted that “it felt so special and so legit” to have Lucas be on set for her big debut:

“It felt so special and so legit and so real to have George [Lucas] be there… And it felt really nice, in this birthing of Ahsoka on screen in live-action, to have both of my creators there. There was a really excited energy to all of it, and George sprinkling his magic dust on it felt like validation and approval.”

The same set visit is where the now iconic image of George Lucas with Grogu was taken.

Why Is There So Little of George Lucas?

Word of George Lucas’ time on The Mandalorian set did previously make its way online back in 2020. At the time, it was Jon Favreau who noted that the Star Wars creator gave Dave Filoni “a hard time” and “urge[d] him to go faster.”

So why does Lucas have so little involvement?

Well, for one, Star Wars is now entirely Disney’s property, so he doesn’t have the same level of creative control he once had—even if everyone treats him like a legend. It’s likely that when Lucas gets too involved, he slips back into that producer, shot-calling mode he once lived in.

He could still harbor a whirlwind of emotions from letting go of the world he created, putting him in a spot where it’s easier to enjoy it all from afar.

After all, with everything the man has done for Star Wars, perhaps he deserves to experience it like a fan.

The Mandalorian Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Disney+.