In a recent interview with The Guardian, Star Wars Jedi series director Stig Asmussen confessed that he almost walked away from the project after Lucasfilm pushed back against developer Respawn’s initial idea to create a game featuring Jedi. Asmussen stated that Lucasfilm was understandably “very protective” of Jedi as they are considered to be the “holy grail” of Star Wars canon, rivaling only Baby Yoda in terms of importance to the franchise.
Lucasfilm’s Push for a Change
Lucasfilm’s reservations led them to push for a change in Respawn’s game’s characters, with the company suggested that they would be called “Force users” instead of Jedi. However, Respawn’s team made the case that the game should feature Jedi, leading to a lengthy process of explaining their vision to Lucasfilm.
A Potential Turning Point
According to Asmussen, at that point, Lucasfilm was considering changing the game’s focus to center around a bounty hunter or a smuggler. The director stated that he considered dropping out at that point, believing that he was the wrong person for the job. Asmussen believed himself too focused on God of War to handle a shooter like Respawn’s game. He even compared the job to making a racing game, which required a different set of skills altogether.
Building Trust and Pushing Forward
Despite hesitations from both sides, Respawn eventually built trust with Lucasfilm, and the franchise was renamed “Jedi.” The series focused on a Jedi character named Cal Kestis and continued in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which is set to release on April 28th for consoles and PC.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, this situation is a prime example of the reliance on intellectual property in modern media. With pre-existing franchises more valuable than ever, companies like Lucasfilm and Respawn need to work together to ensure that these characters stay true to the source material while also evolving to fit the latest updates in gaming technology.
In conclusion, the Star Wars Jedi game franchise’s rise and victory over Lucasfilm’s reluctance is proof of the power of collaboration between media companies in a post-digital world. Only time will tell how these partnerships may evolve as more and more franchises become recognized as intellectual property behemoths.
