Rosario Dawsonreturns as Ahsoka Tano in her own spin-off series, having played the character in bothThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettprior. As established in the animated showsThe Clone WarsandRebels, Ahsoka is a characterwho was trained by Anakin Skywalker(Hayden Christensen) who, until he appeared inAhsoka, was last featured in theObi-Wan Kenobiseries starringEwan McGregor.Star Warsis a family affair for McGregor, whose uncleDenis Lawsonplayed Wedge in the original 1977 film and whose daughterEsther Rose McGregorrecently appeared inObi-Wan Kenobi. Ahsokaadds to the McGregor family roster by casting Ewan McGregor’s wifeMary Elizabeth Winsteadas Hera. But the links don’t stop there. Long beforeAhsoka,this duo teamed up forQuentin Tarantino’sDeath Proof.
InAhsoka, Winstead’s characterHera is a rebel who felt the devastation of the Clone Wars firsthand.Aboard her ship, the Ghost, she assembled her own team of rebels in her fight against the Empire. This included Mandalorian Sabine Wren, Garazeb Orrelios, Ezra Bridger, and the droid Chopper. Eventually, Hera became an agent of Bail Organa (adopted father of Princess Leia) which led to her recruitment into former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano’s network. In order for theAhsokaseries to illustrate theweight of this backstoryand the connection between the two characters, it was important for their chemistry together to imply history. Fortunately, Dawson and Winstead had collaborated on Tarantino’s aforementionedDeath Proofover fifteen years ago in 2007, giving them a history of their own.
Death Proof
Two separate sets of voluptuous women are stalked at different times by a scarred stuntman who uses his “death proof” cars to execute his murderous plans.
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino released his kick-ass exploitation throwback,Death Proof. The black comedy opens with three friends driving through Texas in celebration of Julia’s (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) birthday. As a joke, they make a radio announcement offering a lap dance from Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito) to anyone who visits them at the bar they’re driving to. Little do they know that a mysterious stuntman-turned-serial killer called Mike (Kurt Russell) uses this information to stalk the girls, ultimately killing them with his roll cage-rigged stunt car that he assures them is “death-proof”. Free to kill another day,Stuntman Mikesoon sets his sights on four new victims; real-life stuntwomanZoë Bell, and actors Kim Mathis (Tracie Thoms), Abernathy Ross (Dawson), and Lee Montgomery (Winstead).
The playful backstabbing relationship between Dawson’s Abernathy and Winstead’s Lee comes to the forefront when the girls arrive in Lebanon, Tennessee. They test-drive a 1970 Dodge Challenger, unsupervised after Dawson’s Abernathy tells the salesman that Winstead’s Lee is a porn star and will stay behind with him. Zoë attempts to perform a stunt called “Ship’s Mast” using the car, in which she rides the car’s hood while holding onto fastened belts. When Stuntman Mike catches up with them, though, the girls' lives are put in danger. Although this is considered the worst Tarantino movie by some of his fans, the hangout quality of the story followed by female-driven action sequences actually harkens back to a genre lost in time. In fact, despite its flawsDeath Proofwas successful in introducing a whole new generation to the magic of exploitation cinema.
To many mainstream moviegoers,Death Proofmight feel like nothing that’s ever been seen before, but that’s not the case.The movie is a throwback to the “Grindhouse” or “Action House” movement in cinema, which was an American term for theaters that showed horror and exploitation films. Exploitation films get their name from exploiting current trends and extreme content, such as outlandish violence.Cannibal HolocaustandThey Saved Hitler’s Brainare famous examples, butDeath Proofmost closely resembles a 1965 film calledFaster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Death Proofwas released as part of a double feature calledGrindhouse, in collaboration withRobert Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s installment wasPlanet Terror, a film in which a biochemical outbreak forces a rogue military unit to battle zombie-like creatures.Planet TerrorstarsBruce WillisandJosh Brolinas well asRose McGowanwho also appears inDeath Proofas Stuntman Mike’s first onscreen victim.Both Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are known for reusing actors in several of their movies, andGrindhouse’s Rosario Dawson is no exception. Before reviving the exploitation genre, Rodriguez also revived the hard-boiled noir genre in 2005’sSin City, based onFrank Miller’s comic series and starring Bruce Willis and Rosario Dawson.
‘Death Proof’ and ‘Sin City’ Put Rosario Dawson on the Path to ‘Ahsoka’
Rosario Dawson had previously worked with Rodriguez onSin Cityin another role that - similarly toDeath Proof-climaxes with several powerful women teaming up to take down monstrous men.Sin City, as well asits 2014 sequel, was renowned for its cutting-edge use of green screen and VFX to recreate the look of Frank Miller’s comic panels on screen. Robert Rodriguez' genius creative solutions paid off for the director, who continues to author his own projects likeSpy Kids: Armageddonbut has also become one of Disney’s premierStar Warsdirectors.Rodriguez was the showrunner onThe Book of Boba Fettwhich of course featured Dawson as Ahsoka.
In arecent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rosario Dawson was asked about her success at Disney. She reflected on the technology ofthe “Volume” digital set,relating her own career development with that of the VFX itself.“It’s been a pretty remarkable journey to be at this place now and just working at this scale. We walked into the studio and saw an entire mansion built inside. It was really special. When we walked onto theAhsokaset, I would say, ‘We’ve come a long way fromSin City’s tape on the floor to the Volume,’ and it’s been pretty remarkable watching how all of the tech and the ways we do it change.” For many,Death Proofmarked the first time the phenomenal action star graced their screens, and the same can be said for herAhsokaco-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Dawson reflected, “I just feel so grateful for all the things I’ve graduated to, and it’s been quite the journey.”
Death Proofis currently streaming on FuboTV in the U.S.
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