Home MÓVEL Chatting with two of the key Canadians behind Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws

Chatting with two of the key Canadians behind Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws

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You probably didn’t know it, but Canadians play a pretty big role in Star Wars Outlaws.

While the lead developer of the Ubisoft open-world action-adventure game is Malmö, Sweden’s Massive Entertainment (The Division), the core narrative team is actually based in Toronto. First, there’s Venezuelan-Canadian Humberly González (Ginny & Georgia, the upcoming Star Trek: 31), who provided the voice and motion-capture for Outlaws‘ scoundrel protagonist Kay Vess. On top of that, narrative director Navid Khavari and lead writer Nikki Foy are both based out of Ubisoft Toronto (Far Cry 6, Watch Dogs: Legion).

Having already had a great chat with Khavari at Ubisoft Forward in June, I eagerly took the opportunity to speak to González and Foy at a recent Outlaws preview event in California. During our chat, we touched on the unique experience of motion-capture, the best part of getting to work on a Star Wars game, the “Canadiana” of the game and what makes the Toronto entertainment space so special.

Nikki — once Massive made the initial Outlaws pitch to Lucasfilm, how did your team at Ubisoft Toronto come on board and add to that?

Nikki Foy: I can speak from my side of it. I know that they reached out to Navid [Khavari, narrative director] and a whole bunch of stuff happening there that I’m not 100 percent on. But once Navid was confirmed as the narrative director, some writing positions went up. And I’d worked with Navid on Far Cry 6 — I loved working with him so much. And I love Star Wars so much. I have said a few times that I feel like when I heard the pitch for this game — I couldn’t know until I applied, I just knew it was a Star Wars project and I instantly applied — and did a bunch of interviews, sent a bunch of samples in. A lot of the team knew my work from working with me previously. And then they told me the pitch for the game. And I was like, “Ah! This is like someone put a chord directly into my brain and said, “What’s the perfect thing that Nikki could ever work on and it was like, “Yeah, it’s this.” So I was, super, super lucky to get that position, and we slowly brought on a whole team that same way.

For you, Humberly, coming onto the project — you’ve worked on several Ubisoft games at this point, but being the lead in a Star Wars project is obviously a different beast entirely. From your perspective, having worked in different media, what was the whole motion-capture process like? What were the benefits and challenges of shooting that way?

Humberly González: Yeah, I think motion capture requires a very specific skill. I think it’s absolutely challenging in its own ways. You might not spend 18 hours on set doing overnights, but the skillset that you need to bring a character to life, fully embodying it, wearing the suit and the helmets, you have a camera on your face… There’s definitely something you have to get used to, wearing almost like this second skin. And then, on top of that, you’re also creating a brand-new character. On top of that, there’s no sets, or makeup or costumes or props; you’re fully creating something out of nothing, almost. It’s a very stripped version of bringing such a full world to life. And not just any world: Star Wars. You know that there’s so much that’s going on around you, but not being able to actually see it means that there’s a responsibility on that actor, the directors, the writers, the story boarders — everybody who is trying to paint a picture for you. And then the actor being open enough, vulnerable enough to really see it in their mind’s eye to say, “Yes, I get you. We’re connected. I’m going to bring this alive.” It’s a beautiful challenge.

Honestly, I feel like doing motion capture and working on video games was one of my very first goals when I finished theatre school because I went to school in Montreal and the National Theatre School there had a collaboration with Ubisoft, where the students got to do mock auditions and wear the suits and go through some scenes of what it meant to do video games. I had zero idea that this existed. I always thought I was only going to work in theatre, and that was it. I hadn’t even done any film at that point. But I knew I wanted to do video games. So when I moved to Toronto, and I got my first agent, that was one of the very first things I said: “I want to work in video games. I don’t know what the audition process is like or what I need to do, but I’m so ready to jump in.”

And I’ve been building stepping stones working on different games. I worked on Far Cry 6, I did Starlink. I did voiceover for Avatar. And so for me to lead this game, it was definitely the right time. It was the right time, I was open, truly, schedule-wise, I didn’t have anything planned. And so I was like, “Okay, maybe this will be it.” The casting process took months. And I know that they truly looked everywhere for someone to represent Kay. And when I hear stories about what my tape and my initial audition – the impact it had, even from the very start up to the last chemistry read — it’s very rewarding for me as an actor. You don’t often hear how people feel or how it all works behind the scenes. Now, obviously being with the project for a couple years, knowing what it meant for them to find me and then for me saying yes, it was like this reciprocal relationship where we were like, “Oh my gosh, we were both looking for each other.” So it was truly a great match. And it’s so incredible to finally be here and get to see people play it and getting to talk about it. We’ve been holding on to this for so long! I am discovering the character even deeper now and I’m falling in love with her all over again. So it’s been amazing.

Nikki: you’re coming off the likes of Far Cry 6 and Watch Dogs: Legion, and Star Wars is completely different. What did you want to achieve with this story and world? Especially as a woman, given that there haven’t been many women working on Star Wars in a writing capacity — what did you want to bring to the project?

Star Wars Outlaws Kay ND-5

Foy: I always just want to tell the best story I can — that’s always been my goal. It was a piece of advice I got really early in my career from a mentor of mine who really helped shape my outlook on writing, which was that “no matter what project you’re on, no matter what your job is, do the absolute best you can.” That seems really obvious, but people don’t do that. A lot of people will get a job or opportunity that they don’t really care about; they’ll think it’s beneath them, whatever that is, and they’ll phone it in, or they won’t put their whole self into it. And I’ve really tried to do that on every project that I’ve had the opportunity to work on.

For me, I love working with constraints. It’s so fun. It’s like solving a puzzle. It’s probably why I like games so much, in general; I love problem-solving. And to work on these previous games gave me a lot of really great knowledge and experience. But when I got the opportunity to write on this, I remember telling Navid, “Just so you know, I’ve been playing her before this — this is my exact thing.” And working on this, a Star Wars game with a female protagonist who is in a grey area, has a little pal, gets to meet all these background weirdos like Steve [Blank, Lucasfilm director of franchise content and strategy] calls them. It couldn’t be more easy and perfect. And really, every time at the beginning, I would just write scenes that I knew wouldn’t even be in the game because I was just so in love with the idea of it, and it came so easy.

For both of you: To me, something that’s so cool about this game is that three of the key people spearheading the story — you both and Navid — are all based in Toronto. So, I’m curious — what was it like to bring a Canadian stamp to the game? Are there any sorts of Canadian easter eggs in there?

Foy: Oh, interesting question!

González: Right? I’m like, “Is Toronto in Star Wars?”

González and Foy: [laugh]

Foy: What’s funny is that when you’re working on things, you don’t know what you don’t know. So with “Canadiana,” let’s say, there are certain things, like phrases or words, that we don’t recognize as being especially Canadian. We do have a couple of writers in Sweden, but with most of the writing team being in Toronto, I bet there are turns of phrases. And Canadians are saying it, too! [motions to González] So maybe that’s our [in]. [laughs]

González: That’s true! I don’t think it’s intentionally infused in that, but I just love that we got to say that we filmed this in Canada. The story trailer — we filmed most of it in Canada, at the Ubisoft studio in Toronto. So to know that feels really cool. And the stamp is there already just because we are from there. And you wouldn’t think that this little immigrant Latina from Toronto is going to lead this giant franchise of a game, so it’s kind of great. It’s very “Kay Vess” that she comes from this small place to this vast galaxy.

So you never had anyone catching you maybe throwing in too many “ehs” or “buds?”

González and Foy: [laugh]

Foy: I mean, we have vocal coaches who often say, “You said that like a Canadian!” Or even with you [Humberly], “That’s the Spanish way of saying ‘cantina.’”

González: Literally, I wanted to be like, [starts speaking with a Spanish accent] “cantina,” and they’re like, “No, that’s not it.” And I’m like, “Really? What is it?” And they’re like [in unison with Foy, enunciating] “can-tee-nah.”

González and Foy: [laugh]

González: So, yeah, there were certain words that I think my accent would pop out. I’m like, “sorry!” But yeah, it’s such an honour — it’s so cool that there are so many Canadians involved.

Foy: There’s lots of Canadian talent!

González: So much Canadian talent!

Foy: We need to fund it — fund us! [laughs]

That leads into my next question for Humberly. You’ve worked all these different projects, both in the gaming space and also in movies and shows like Ginny & Georgia and Star Trek: Section 31, which are all global, widely recognized properties that shot in Toronto. From your perspective, what is it about the Toronto media space that leads to all this big, popular art being made here, whether it’s a video game or TV show or movie?

González: Absolutely. I mean, I’ve had my entire career be based out of Toronto. This is actually my very first time in California, and I get to come here with work. I really believe in Canadian talent — there are incredible artists there that maybe sometimes get overlooked because we’re on the other side of the border. But the reality is that they come to us and they cast locally because there is talent. Sometimes the odd one makes it out and they go, “Oh, my goodness,” or when I meet fans and I tell them that I’m based out of Toronto and that we shot the show here, or the movie here, or the game here, and they go, “Really?” And I go, “Yeah! A lot of our cast is actually Canadian.”

There are a lot of opportunities there. There’s people who are such creators, especially in Toronto — there’s a very creative indie scene, and there’s people who go to school there and stay there and live there. And I think it is such a melting pot of so many different cultures and languages and food. I love Toronto, I love living there. And it’s amazing that I get to come to this other side and kind of be in Hollywood, which is like every actor’s dream. I got to come on my own terms when I was ready with confidence, with contacts, with a project. And now I’m in this next level of it, but I didn’t have to just run to the other side to “make it,” because I think the secret there is, “If you have your art form, and you believe in yourself and you try really hard and you’re constantly working towards a goal, it’s going to happen no matter where you’re located, but I think Toronto does have a lot of opportunity. And you can carve out a space there, absolutely. Me being case in point — I never left. Now I get to, but it’s been nine years of me pursuing a career and being really successful at it.

For both of you — the Star Wars universe is so vast, from the the weird and cute aliens, the criminal syndicates and planets and the Force and all of this stuff. So, from your perspectives, writing it and then acting in it — if you had to pick something, what was maybe your favourite part of the whole experience?

Star Wars Outlaws

Foy: It’s so hard to pick one thing, which, of course, you know I’m going to say that. [laughs] But really, working on this game — it’s unbelievable. I still often catch myself like, being, like, “Wait, this is what I wake up and do? Someone gives me money to do this? That’s crazy!” I think in that vein, the thing I’ve always loved about Star Wars, the thing that always drew me to it, were these like big, colourful characters. So for me, writing scenes between these characters, both new and old, and having like, “We made this, and now this is talking to Jabba the Hutt.” It’s unbelievably fun.

I remember off the rip when I first got hired just writing scenes of Kay talking to Jabba over and over and over again — like, “How would this go? What if she said this? What if she said that?” So I think that if I’m picking a very distilled, one single moment, it’s Kay and Jabba the Hutt together in the game. That’s my favourite thing.

González: I love that! We have an incredible team. I love the days where we had like a full roster of actors on the ground in The Volume with all of our mo-cap suits. You have the sets built out of wood and metal and markers and they’re taping out what it’s going to look like. And we are literally like kids being let out for recess, and we got to play out scenes from Star Wars! It truly feels like a playground; you go back to your roots of playing with these toys that you grew up with. It’s like being in the Barbie movie! It’s like, I’m the toy now! I get to rule me!

Foy: [laughs]

González: And truly, it’s those relationships between the characters and getting to know each of them and growing this family. We truly have become such a tight-knit group, and it’s so fun to go to work with your friends and then get to play in Star Wars — that in itself. And I love wearing the suit. It feels like this armour — like you put on the second skin and suddenly you know that this isn’t the final result. And we never get to really see all of it. We see conception art, we see some drawings and some of the animation that comes through. But cut to years later, we get to be here today and watch people play it. I got to play it. I got to see all of the scenes of the hard work — the voiceover, the world that they kept describing to us, seeing it fully fleshed out. It’s so fun. It doesn’t feel real! It’s still hitting me every time. I’m like, “We’re here. We made this!”

Foy: I keep crying! [laughs]

González: [laughs] I keep crying as well!

Foy: It’s remarkable.

This interview has been edited for language and clarity.

For more on Star Wars Outlaws, check out our extensive hands-on preview and interview with game director Mathias Karlson and narrative director Navid Khavari.

Star Wars Outlaws will launch on August 30th on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. It should be noted that one of Jabba the Hutt’s missions is locked behind the more expensive versions of the game.

Image credit: Ubisoft

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