Director Confirms Little Leia Almost Had A Lightsaber

The Boogeyman Director Rob Savage reveals that Vivien Lyra Blair, who also plays little Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi, almost had a lightsaber in the film.

Director Confirms Little Leia Almost Had A Lightsaber

Director Rob Savage treated guests of an early screening of The Boogeyman to a Q&A session afterwards, where he revealed a lot of ins and outs of the film. One of the most interesting reveals came when he admitted the script and storyboards called for Vivien Lyra Blair, who also plays little Leia in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, to have a toy lightsaber.

He recalls that he had a cheap knock-off lightsaber that he slept with as a child to help keep the monsters away. It was always on the fritz, blinking off and on at times. This was perfect for what he needed to accomplish in the film, since the boogeyman hides in the dark.

As any horror fan knows, having a light suddenly go out during an intense situation is your clue that a jump scare is coming. Rob having a toy lightsaber himself as a child is why he came up with idea to use it in this film. 

However, since this is now technically a Disney movie, things did not go according to plan and he had to pivot. “About two weeks out of shooting, Disney came back and said we can’t have Princess Leia using a sh**ty lightsaber,” Rob details.

That meant that Rob, Jamie Maheu the props master, and Jeremy Woodward the production designer had to go back to the drawing board. They spent the wee hours of the night searching for kids light up toys, and eventually found the Moon Ball. 

Now filming is one week out and Rob Savage is forced to rewrite and restoryboard all of the scenes in which Vivien Lyra Blair’s character, Sawyer, had a lightsaber. “They ended up being some of the best scenes in the movie.”

Rob realized there were endless possibilities bringing in the Moon Ball. “You can extend sequences and have her roll it down the hall.” The Moon Ball added so many more connections to the scares in the film, and ultimately is a part of what is probably the most iconic image from The Boogeyman.

Who would have known that taking a lightsaber away from Little Leia and replacing it with a Moon Ball would have led to a very, very happy accident.

Rob also confesses during the Q&A that the role of Sawyer was originally going to be a little boy. However, after auditioning hundreds of kids, he realized that it needed to be a girl. Vivien Lyra Blair was perfect for the part, and she is incredible in the film. He says she takes direction extremely well, which was apparent in her performance as Little Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi as well. 

See for yourself when The Boogeyman comes exclusively to theaters on June 2nd.

NEXT: The Boogeyman First Reactions Say It’s Terrifying

About The Boogeyman

The Boogeyman is a horror-thriller from the mind of best-selling author Stephen King. High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and aren’t getting much support from their father, Will, a therapist who is dealing with his own pain.

When a desperate patient unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

The Boogeyman comes exclusively to theaters June 2nd.