Star Wars’: Filmmaker Victoria Mahoney Will Be First African-American Woman to Direct for Franchise

By Kate Erbland via http://www.indiewire.com

Director J.J. Abrams has tapped the filmmaker and producer to serve as second unit director on his upcoming film, marking a major milestone for the series.

The “Star Wars” universe is making some changes.

While the ever-expanding movie franchise has been taken to task plenty of times for its repeated hiring of exactly one type of filmmaker — white males, including recent turns from Ron Howard and Rian Johnson — “The Force Awakens” director J.J. Abrams is bringing someone brand new into the fold: filmmaker Victoria Mahoney. The filmmaker and producer (and, fun fact, bit actor in “Legally Blonde”) will serve as the second unit director on Abrams’ upcoming untitled “Episode IX,” marking the first time an African-American woman has served in any directing capacity on a “Star Wars” film.

he news was first announced by fellow Disney filmmaker, Ava DuVernay, who shared a picture of Mahoney and Abrams hanging out at a recent open house …

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