James Waugh

As Senior Vice President, Franchise Content and Strategy at Lucasfilm, James Waugh oversees the Franchise Story and Content teams, and has been a member of the Star Wars creative brain trust since 2016. His professional passion lies in building IP through compelling interlocking narrative and experiential content. At Lucasfilm, Waugh leads narrative and creative development across franchise platforms and lines of business including Franchise Animation, Video Games, Theme Parks, Publishing, Immersive Entertainment, Consumer Products, and Digital/Online Content initiatives.

In addition to maintaining a holistic brand and story-world experience, Waugh has led Lucasfilm’s transmedia efforts for Star Wars feature films such as Rogue One, Solo, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, as well as series including The Mandalorian, Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars Rebels, and The Clone Wars. He has also led the story group’s development efforts for multiple video game titles, including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Vader: Immortal. Waugh spearheaded strategic initiatives such as the Star Wars Kids online channel, and provided ongoing stewardship for The High Republic, Star Wars’ first new fictional era since the Disney acquisition. In Animation, Waugh served as the Executive Producer on Star Wars Visions, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, Star Wars: Galaxy of Adventures, Star Wars: Roll Out, and Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales, among others.

Prior to joining Lucasfilm, Waugh served as the Sr. Director of Story & Creative Development at Blizzard Entertainment, leading the company’s Creative Development Department while overseeing narrative and IP for its blockbuster franchises across media. While there, he was a key contributor to Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, StarCraft, and Heroes of the Storm, along with serving as the game Story Director for StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void and StarCraft 2: Nova, Covert Ops. He was the Director of Story Development for the Overwatch franchise from its inception through release and oversaw all transmedia fiction that led to its record-breaking launch. In the games-to-film space, Waugh spearheaded Blizzard’s development on projects with ABStudios and Legendary Films. He played a critical role in the development of Warcraft: The Beginning, the feature film directed by Duncan Jones.

For Star Wars, Waugh strives to build evocative content across media and pioneer new forms of storytelling.