Exec Producer and ‘superstar Wars’ Superfan Athena Portillo Leads Disney Channel’s ‘Resistance’

Exec Producer and ‘superstar Wars’ Superfan Athena Portillo Leads Disney Channel’s ‘Resistance’

The force is robust with Athena Portillo, who is an executive producer on the newest animated version of the “megastar Wars” saga, “superstar Wars Resistance,” which premieres on the Disney Channel and the Disney now app on Sunday, Oct. 7, from 10 to 11 p.m. EDT PDT. She’s additionally a “Star Wars” superfan who turned into pulled into the franchise’s orbit in 1977 as a toddler when she noticed the movie that kicked off the franchise with her household.

“the first time I noticed ‘big name Wars’ became on the Coronet Theater on Geary highway in San Francisco. I suppose I used to be five on the time,” she recalls. “the first image I remember seeing changed into the Star Destroyer and being brought to a very different universe.”

Her affection simplest grew from there. “I will be aware of watching ‘Empire Strikes lower back’ and basically falling in love with ‘big name Wars’ at that factor. I needed to know what changed into going on with Luke Skywalker, why he desired to be a Jedi, his strength. I adored the colors. I loved the music. I loved the sounds; every little thing related to it.”

As Portillo grew up, she knew that she wanted “Star Wars” to be a part of her profession. She studied journalism whereas going to college at San Francisco State institution and got her foot within the door at Lucasfilm with an internship for a publication produced by way of the licensing division. After a while she moved into visible consequences, still longing to be concerned in reality producing “megastar Wars” content material. That’s when a chance opened up in Lucasfilm’s new animation division. however, the position wasn’t for a “Star Wars” property; it changed into for the animated feature “Strange Magic.” And that’s when a little “megastar Wars” magic took place.

moreover “bizarre Magic,” Lucasfilm Animation changed into also engaged on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the franchise’s first foray into television animation, spearheaded by Dave Filoni.

Filoni saw Portillo’s interesting registration number plate, “Jedi ninety-six,” teasing her that she become engaged on the corrupt assignment. “He’d tease me about my registration code and requested ‘What does the 96 stands for?’ I’m like, ’96 is when I all started my career in the enjoyment business,’ and he mentioned, ‘you're this kind of nerd. I don’t know why you’re engaged in an exhibit about fairies. you'll want to be engaged on ‘celebrity Wars.’” A while later, an opportunity spread out. “I all started engaged on ‘Clone Wars’ with Dave in January of 2007, and that I was working with him ever considering.”

She all started out as an associated producer, then became a line producer on “Clone Wars.” She received two Emmys for her work on that series. She then became a producer on Disney XD’s “superstar Wars Rebels” earlier than taking over her existing function as “Resistance” government producer.

“Resistance” takes region earlier than the hobbies of the reside-action film “The drive Awakens” and follows a younger pilot, Kaz Xiong, recruited by using Poe Dameron to work undercover for the Resistance. The vogue of the new series is impressed by anime and, besides Poe, will characteristic characters from the higher “famous person Wars” universe sometimes.

“It’s a different look from what ‘Clone Wars’ and ‘Rebels’ had,” Portillo explains. “It’s greater of a 2nd line-drawn seem, besides the fact that it’s finished in 3D. I also consider it’s pleasing to introduce ‘celebrity Wars’ to a new fan base. You don’t basically have to have accepted about ‘star Wars’ to get into the display. however, we do put little issues in there for aficionados.”

Portillo no longer has the “Jedi ninety-six” license plate that started her on this experience, however, she has an edition of it that not best acknowledges “big name Wars,” but her love of different sci-fi franchises that she’s grown to love, like “Alien.” “I had a license plate that referred to ‘Xenomorph,’ but nobody really knew what that supposed and it wasn’t as an awful lot fun.”

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