David Filoni

**David Filoni** is an American film and television director, voice actor, television writer, television producer, and animator. He has worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Mandalorian, and on the theatrical film and television series of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He was also the creator and an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels for all four seasons, and served as its supervising director for all but the third season, in which Justin Ridge served as supervising director while Filoni accepted a promotion to oversee all of Lucasfilm Animation projects. Filoni is also credited as one of the writers and executive producers of the web series Star Wars Forces of Destiny, and as the creator of the 2018–2020 animated series Star Wars Resistance and the 2021 animated series Star Wars The Bad Batch.

## Biography

An avid Star Wars fan, particularly of character Plo Koon, Filoni dressed up as the Jedi Master for the opening of Revenge of the Sith, and was dismayed at the character's fate in the film. Filoni left Nickelodeon after George Lucas offered him a job, helping him develop a Star Wars animated series. While on The Star Wars Show Filoni revealed that he originally believed he was being pranked when given the Star Wars job.

Filoni's office, as seen in the extra features on the Star Wars: The Clone Wars DVD, is filled with Plo Koon paraphernalia. He has a bust of Plo Koon's head, a model of Plo Koon's ship, an autographed portrait by the actor who played Plo Koon, a replica of Plo Koon's lightsaber on his desk, and his personal Plo Koon costume on display. Filoni also has a notebook-sized planner on his desk with Plo Koon's picture taped to the outside, and he has written the words "Plo Kool" on concept art designs for the Clone Wars, indicating that he liked those designs. He is most associated with developing the popular characters of Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.

In 2008, he served as director of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated feature film and the supervising director of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series.

Filoni made an appearance at Celebration IV on Sunday, May 28, 2007 with producer Catherine Winder to discuss the beginnings of the new television series and reveal how The Clone Wars is being created. At the time, he announced he would be writing for the Clone Wars monthly comic. Filoni also voices the bounty hunter Embo during various episodes in different seasons. In February 2009, Filoni was inducted as an Honorary Member of the 501st Legion international costuming organization in recognition of his contributions to the continuing Star Wars saga.

Filoni was as an executive producer of Star Wars Rebels, which debuted in fall 2014, alongside Greg Weisman and Simon Kinberg. For the first two seasons he also served as its supervising director. He appointed Justin Ridge as his successor for the remainder of the show, though he still remained as executive producer. Filoni departed as supervising director in September 2016 when he was given the job as overseer of all future and current Lucasfilm Animation projects. Then he returned as supervising director for Season 4.

In 2017, Jon Favreau invited Filoni to work with him to create The Mandalorian, a live action Star Wars television series that appeared on Disney+ in November 2019. Referred to as "a Lucas encyclopedia", he contributes to and consults on many aspects of the series' production. He is an executive producer of the show, as well as director of episodes 1 and 5 of Season 1 and episode 5 of season 2, making it his live action debut.

In mid-2020, Lucasfilm quietly promoted Filoni as executive producer and executive creative director for the studio. His promotion was not announced to the public until Lucasfilm updated its list of their executives on its website with the addition of Filoni in May 2021.