With the second volume of Star Wars: Visions out in the world, Lucasfilm sit down with LeAndre Thomas, the director of the penultimate episode The Pit to chart his journey to directing this harrowing but hopeful Star Wars short.
A decade into his Lucasfilm tenure, Thomas found himself working remotely during the 2020 pandemic. One afternoon at home, a conversation with his partner resulted in an unusual piece of inspiration. “In 2020 there was a lot of tension with everything happening in the country,” Thomas explains. “
I remember just expressing myself about what it felt like. We were just having a frank, casual conversation about everything that was happening. I literally said that it feels like we’re in a pit yelling and no one can hear us because everyone else is far above on the surface, and this pit is something we’ve been pushed into.”
“I just said that as a metaphor,” Thomas continues. “I was actually in the shower, and the thought just popped into my head, is that the idea? Is ‘the pit’ the idea? I came rushing out like a madman and asked my partner, ‘Is that an idea for a movie?’ She didn’t know what I was referring to because this was hours after our conversation! [Laughs.] I rushed over to my friend Akash Kumar’s house. He works here at Lucasfilm, as well. He said, ‘That’s a great idea.’ I said, ‘I wish I brought my laptop here so I could start writing notes down.’ And Akash said, ‘What do you need your laptop for?’ and he threw a notepad at me. So I started writing it with a pen and paper, which I still have!”
Be sure to read the full interview which gives a fascinating insight into the creation of the episode.
