Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm back in 2012 meant that control of one of the most popular franchises, Star Wars, was now with family-friendly House of Mouse. The more than $4 Billion deal not only affected the pockets of the companies involved, but also sparked concern amongst long-time fans that Disney's target audience could alter the tone of the franchise as a whole.
When we recently spoke to Star Wars veteran Catherine Taber (Knights of the Old Republic, The Force Unleashed) about the subject, she was happy to dig into the changes that came with the acquisition, as she was a part of the franchise both before and after. She not only talks about the cancellation and return of Clone Wars, but also other projects like Forces of Destiny, which are more kid-friendly as a result of Disney's control.
Listen to Taber speak exclusively with us using the podcast player below.
"There were some pretty dramatic changes right off the bat, which there are no spoiler alerts there. Clone Wars was basically canceled, and Detours, which we had done two seasons of, was also shelved. Clone Wars came back, and we got to finish what we had done, which was amazing and unexpected. And I still hold out a lot of hope that Detours will, too, and that audiences will get to see Detours because it's so good. It's different than anything else. It's funny. We need that right now. Those were some changes because I think Dee Bradley Baker and me, and maybe one other person were on both shows. So it goes from, you've got two series regulars, and they're getting producer calls, and then the phone rings, and it's another producer, and you're like, 'Oh crap, it's not good news.' But since then, there have been many amazing things that have happened for the franchise, and a lot more content than we ever thought possible.
I was super excited to work on Forces of Destiny for Disney, which definitely was more kid-oriented and intentionally so. It was one of those things where it takes a good message of Star Wars that normally you would have a whole movie to get to, and it puts it in quickly for kids to understand. And that's one of the things I love about Star Wars, and that's the kind of stuff I want there to be more of for kids. So if I get to be a part of that, I love that. And I think that Star Wars, the thing I always say to everyone, even Forces of Destiny, some adults like it, even these short little things intended for kids, adults like it too. There are going to be parts that adults like and parts kids like. You're not necessarily the target. If you hate it, maybe you weren't the target.
But I feel like Star Wars, in general, is just for everybody. And it seems to be eternal. And so I'm so glad that Disney is making more of it. And there will be things that some of us like and things that some of us don't like, that's also the nature of Star Wars, but it keeps people talking, too, which is fun. And, you know, I will always be partial to Luke and Han and Leia and Padme. That will never, ever, ever change for me. And I would say I also probably couldn't have enough of them. And that's why I love that we get more audiobooks, and I'm hoping for more of that stuff, too; I'm definitely hoping for more multicast radio drama stuff. I think that fans love that. And I know I love working on it, but the more Star Wars, the better, I think."
For those who enjoyed what Taber has to say, we have also included two more of our chats about her role as Padme in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, along with her comments on voicing Penelo in Final Fantasy XII and feelings about playing Mission in Knights of the Old Republic in the audio clips below.
*This interview has been edited for clarity.*
What do you think about the franchise pre and post Disney? Be sure to check out the trailer and synopsis for Taber's recently released film, Haven's End, a live-action sci-fi movie in which she leads the cast. And as always, be sure to share your thoughts in the usual spot!
Major cities across the globe are under attack. A surgeon and her friends flee Atlanta to her family property in the countryside of south Georgia. They arrive to discover her estranged brother and his girlfriend already holed up on the land. As they try to figure out how to work together to survive, strange lights and unusual activity in the surrounding forest lead them to believe they are not alone.
Haven's End is now available on DVD and Digital.