The Star Wars galaxy just got a little more diverse behind the lens. J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm just hired the first woman and first black woman to step behind the camera on a Star Wars film in any capacity. Victoria Mahoney has joined Star Wars: Episode IX as a second unit director.
As a second unit director, Mahoney will lead a movie crew tasked with gathering additional footage for the film. This usually includes stunt work, establishing shots, and working with scenes that don’t include main actors.
The news was broken by Director Ava DuVernay (Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time”) on Twitter with a photo of Abrams and Mahoney together. Mahoney responded with words of thanks and appreciation:
Catt's outta the bag. Thank you @ava for putting my name in the #StarWars #LucasFilm hat. Thank you #JJAbrams for inviting me on your ferocious ride. *This one's for the outliers, dreaming big–in small corners of the Earth.
#MaytheForceBeWithYou https://t.co/G6ckWzCIwt— Vic Mahoney (@VictoriaMahoney) April 17, 2018
If you can’t read the tweet it says:
“Catt’s outta the bag. Thank you @ava [ed: Ava DuVernay] for putting my name in the #StarWars #LucasFilm hat. Thank you #JJAbrams for inviting me on your ferocious ride. *This one’s for the outliers, dreaming big–in small corners of the Earth. #MaytheForceBeWithYou”
Mahoney’s background includes work on the small screen on directing episodes of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” and Star’s “Power.” She wrote and direct a semi-autobiographical feature “Yelling to the Sky” in 2011.
J.J. Abrams returns to the Star Wars franchise after directing Episode VII “The Force Awakens.” Episode IX is currently scheduled for release on December 20, 2019.
(photo courtesy @ava/twitter)