Shawn Levy Recalls How a Stranger Things Scene Led to His First Contact With Lucasfilm

Careers don’t always intersect with major franchises through formal pitches or long-planned meetings. Sometimes, they cross paths because of a single creative question that needs an answer.

For Shawn Levy, that moment came during the making of Season 1 of Stranger Things, years before he became attached to a new Star Wars project.

The scene that raised a problem

While developing the first season of Stranger Things, the creative team planned a scene in which Eleven uses her telekinetic powers to levitate the Millennium Falcon. It was meant as a brief but recognizable pop-culture reference.

That idea immediately ran into a legal and rights issue.

Levy explained that Netflix informed the production they would need permission to reference the Millennium Falcon. The response came back quickly—and decisively. The answer was no. The show would need to replace the object with something else.

Reaching out directly

At that point, Levy had no personal relationship with Kathleen Kennedy, who was leading Lucasfilm at the time. Still, encouraged by Stranger Things creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, Levy decided to try a direct approach.

He reached out to Kennedy himself and made the case for the scene. By his own telling, it wasn’t a formal negotiation so much as a personal request.

The result surprised everyone involved. The initial refusal was reversed, and the scene was approved.

Why the story stands out

Levy shared the anecdote during an appearance connected to Late Night with Seth Meyers, framing it as a formative experience rather than a turning point he could have predicted at the time.

What makes the story notable now is context. Levy is currently attached as director to Star Wars: Starfighter, making that early interaction with Lucasfilm leadership feel less like a footnote and more like an early point of contact.

A small decision with lasting resonance

The moment wasn’t about changing Star Wars canon or reshaping brand strategy. It was about a single creative choice—and a willingness to listen when the case was made directly.

Looking back, Levy’s story highlights how relationships in the industry often begin informally, long before they turn into official collaborations. One permission request during a Netflix series became his first connection to Lucasfilm.

Years later, he’s preparing to direct a Star Wars film of his own.

Sometimes, that’s how these paths start—not with a pitch deck, but with a question, a conversation, and a no that turns into a yes.

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