We don’t know what role Arnett will be playing in the film, though apparently the amount to be reshot is minimal and the movie is still expected to wrap its production in the coming weeks.
While both Pascal and Gilroy –– thanks to their work in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy –– are used to secrecy, this one is wrapped in even further layers of mystery. But a few details have emerged.
Gilroy has said in the past that it’ll focus on a cellist who moves back to Los Angeles and decides to make music for movies. The film explores why he came back and why he went away, delivered in a nonlinear, music-driven structure.
The whole movie is told through music cues, which trigger flashbacks spanning the last 20 years.
Oscar Isaac had been attached to the main role, but his busy schedule meant that he recently had to drop out. Ironically, Pascal, who might be one of the other busiest actors on the planet, had free time.
Arnett has been drawing some awards buzz for his role in Bradley Cooper’s ‘Is This Thing On?’ though has so far not scored any trophies.
He has a small recurring role on ‘The Morning Show’ and variety of projects in development, including TV series ‘Fish Out of Water’ and ‘Temporary Humans.’
When will ‘Behemoth!’ be in theaters?
Searchlight hasn’t yet said when ‘Behemoth!’ will arrive on its release schedule; the switch between actors is not expected to impact the timing since what needed to be re-shot was relatively small.
While both Pascal and Gilroy –– thanks to their work on ‘Star Wars’ –– are used to secrecy, this one is wrapped in even further layers of mystery. But a few details have emerged.
Gilroy has said in the past that it’ll focus on a cellist who moves back to Los Angeles and decides to make music for movies. The film explores why he came back and why he went away, delivered in a nonlinear, music-driven structure.
The whole movie is told through music cues, which trigger flashbacks spanning the last 20 years.
Oscar Isaac had been attached to the main role, but his busy schedule meant that he recently had to drop out. Ironically, Pascal, who might be one of the other busiest actors on the planet, apparently has free time, and the cameras are rolling now.
And beyond ‘Behemoth!’, she’s also attached to new thriller ‘Monkey Hill.’
When will ‘Behemoth!’ be in theaters?
Searchlight hasn’t made an actual announcement about the release date for this one. Given that it has only just started shooting, that’s not surprising. But with that cast and director, we wouldn’t be shocked if this ended up positioned as an awards contender for later in 2026.
It’s the new movie by ‘Michael Clayton’ writer/director Tony Gilroy.
Searchlight is producing the film.
While it might not have gotten the Emmy love it deserved, the Tony Gilroy-steered Lucasfilm/Disney+ series ‘Andor’ was a magnificent achievement and stuck the landing this year.
But with his small-screen work complete for a while, Gilroy has been focused on gearing up his next movie.
Deadline brings word that Gilroy is developing a new movie currently titled ‘Behemoth!’ (yes, apparently including the exclamation mark).
And he has his eye on someone whose career has been in hyperdrive of late: Pedro Pascal.
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Oscar Isaac had been attached to the main role, but his busy schedule meant that he recently had to drop out. Ironically, Pascal, who might be one of the other busiest actors on the planet, apparently has free time.
While both Pascal and Gilroy –– thanks to their work in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy –– are used to secrecy, this one is wrapped in even further layers of mystery. But a few details have emerged.
Gilroy has said in the past that it’ll focus on a cellist who moves back to Los Angeles and decides to make music for movies. The film explores why he came back and why he went away, delivered in a nonlinear, music-driven structure.
The whole movie is told through music cues, which trigger flashbacks spanning the last 20 years.
Gilroy looks to kick off shooting this one in October.
He’s reprising the role of Reed “Mr. Fantastic” Richards for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which will be in theaters on December 18th, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ in 2027. While he hasn’t been confirmed for ‘Secret Wars’, there’s every chance he’ll be in that movie, too.
Before that, he will be seen –– assuming he takes the helmet off –– in new ‘Star Wars’ movie ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, which flies into cinemas on May 22nd next year.
When will ‘Behemoth!’ be in theaters?
Searchlight hasn’t made an actual announcement about the release date for this one. Given the planned production schedule and people involved, we wouldn’t be shocked if this ended up positioned as an awards contender for later in 2026.
Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2. Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO.
Returning to Disney+ with the first three episodes of Season 2, ‘Star Wars’ series ‘Andor’ once more follows the struggle of the Rebel Alliance as it ramps up its conflict with the Galactic Empire as seen through the lens of rebel agent Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and an assortment of characters of both sides of the battle.
Season 2 has an interesting release pattern –– the 12 episodes are split across four batches of three, and there is a time jump between batches, covering the four years leading up to the events of ‘Rogue One,’ moving from 4 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin, as seen in ‘Star Wars’) to the immediate events of the movie.
With the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the first season of ‘Andor,’ the pressure on Season 2 is naturally huge, the expectation built further by the delay between seasons (the first run of episodes was all the way back in 2022).
But by any real metric, the new season handily maintains the quality level of the first, bringing real stakes, incredibly layered shades of gray and genuine humanity to the galaxy far, far away.
Still a much more mature take on the world of ‘Star Wars’ (which is to take nothing away from the entertainment value of shows such as ‘The Mandalorian’), ‘Andor’ represents top quality television.
Tony Gilroy leads a writing team that also includes Beau Willimon and Dan Gilroy, and the assembled staff has crafted a thrilling, politically astute, emotional and superb second season.
While it has to handle various time jumps to accommodate the sheer breadth of its storytelling, the series does so with aplomb, managing to say a lot about the personal cost of rebellion and the banal efficiency of pure evil.
This is very far from a basic battle of good vs. bad, and if the action quotient is lower than other shows, when it does feature set pieces, they’re of similar quality.
On the directorial front, Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz and Alonso Ruizpalacios bring the same high quality in terms of scope, scale and style to the new episodes. Largely eschewing shooting on a volume stage and bringing many locations to life practically, ‘Andor’s visuals are entirely supportive of its high quality scripts.
Confidently recreating looks and locations we all know and love from the original ‘Star Wars’ while also introducing us to more new worlds, the lived-in feel of the galaxy is entirely present and correct.
Diego Luna is once more the heart and soul of the show, whether he’s on a mission, fighting for his life or spending time with Adria Arjona’s Bix Caleen, figuring out how to make a relationship work with such pressure upon them both.
Arjona is similarly great, handed an impressive PTSD storyline as Bix, still recovering from her treatment at the hands of Imperial torturers, reckons with her place in the resistance.
Also excellent? Stellan Skarsgård, who can turn any speech into a must-watch moment and remains superb as the morally slippery Luthen Rael. And Genevieve O’Reilly, while largely siloed in her own storyline, walks the line of political glad-handing and rebellious plotting without missing a beat.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t praise the contributions of Alan Tudyk, who once more brings the world’s snarkiest droid to life with a combination of performance capture and the most endlessly frustrated attitude this side of ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide’s Marvin the Paranoid Android.
His buddy comedy chemistry with Luna is as great as ever, and he’s got a great line in putdowns.
Also? Ben Mendelsohn sweeps in and steal scenes as Orson Krennic, the hissable, cape-happy villain of ‘Rogue One,’ here an even more petty bureaucrat dedicated to getting the Death Star finished.
Some sequels feel unearned, but ‘Andor’s new run absolutely matches the sterling quality of the first and, even, in a few places, surpassing it. There might not be anything quite as memorable as the prison storyline from the original season, but it’s all still truly impressive.
Our only other gripe? Not enough of sarcastic reprogrammed Imperial Droid K-2SO, but that’s just a personal bugbear.
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What’s the plot of ‘Andor’ Season 2?
The second season takes place as the horizon of war draws near and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance.
Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound.
‘Andor’ sets the clock back five years from the events of 2016’s ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ to tell the story of the film’s hero and his transformation from disinterested, cynical nobody into a rebel hero on his way to an epic destiny.
But, as with the Death Star plans, leaks do occur. Which brings us to ‘Andor’, the Disney+ prequel series that leads into the events of ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, where Death Star plans played a slightly important role.
Season 1 of the show launched in 2022 to great acclaim, and executive producer Tony Gilroy and his team have been hard at work on Season 2.
And now, according to an unusual source, we’ve learned that the new season will reportedly see the return of Ben Mendelsohn’s Imperial Director Orson Krennic.
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What was the story of ‘Andor’ Season 1?
Diego Luna plays Cassian Andor in Lucasfilm’s ‘Andor,’ exclusively on Disney+.
‘Andor’ focuses on the character of Cassian Andor (played in ‘Rogue One’ and the series by Diego Luna). It’s the story how a young man went from an orphan whose people were attacked by Imperial Forces to a resistance fighter recruited by the Rebel Alliance to focus his anger.
Along the way, he learns that the fight against the oppressive regime is far from the black-and-white-conflict usually portrayed in the movies, and even ended up spending time in a high-tech Imperial prison.
How does Imperial Director Krennic fit into the story?
Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’. Photo: Lucasfilm.
We first met Krennic at the start of ‘Rogue One’, striding across a windswept plain in a magnificent cape to bring Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), chief designer of the Death Star back from where he has been hiding out to track down an issue with it –– an issue Erso himself created.
The Playlist talked to Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios for his new movie, and he revealed that not only had he been given the chance to direct the last three episodes of ‘Andor’s 12-episode second season, and that he had worked with great actors such as Stellan Skarsgård, Forest Whitaker and Mendelsohn.
It makes sense that since the end of ‘Andor’ Season 2 is designed to directly dovetail into the start of ‘Rogue One’, Krennic would eventually show up. And what of Mikkelsen? We’ll have to wait and see on that front.
Disney and Lucasfilm have of course not confirmed the casting, so keep that grain of salt ready for now, though Luna himself said at the recent ACE Superhero Comic Con that we can expect to see some familiar ‘Rogue One’ faces in the second season.
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When will ‘Andor’ Season 2 arrive on screens?
Disney has yet to officially confirm when the new season will land on its streaming service, but early 2025 would appear to be a possibility given how far along it is in the process.
‘Andor’ season 1 will premiere on Disney+ September 21st.
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
Universal is looking to revisit Jason Bourne.
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ director Edward Berger is in negotiations to develop the new movie.
Though Matt Damon played the character in the past, there is no casting information yet.
If you had told us that ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ director Edward Berger would follow his Oscar-winning war movie with a new iteration of the Jason Bourne film franchise, we’re not sure we would have believed you. Technically, he isn’t –– more on that below.
But according to Deadline, he is also looking into the idea of joining a franchise, as he’s in negotiations to develop a new Jason Bourne movie for Universal.
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What’s the story of the Bourne franchise so far?
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
Adapted from the novels originated by Robert Ludlum in 1980 with ‘The Bourne Identity’ and continued by authors including Eric Van Lustbader and Brian Freeman, the ‘Bourne’ movie franchise kicked off in 2002 with the eponymous original film starring Matt Damon and directed by Doug Liman.
Damon plays the title character, a man who is pulled from the Mediterranean sea with no memory of who he is, but a particular set of skills with which he can protect himself.
As it turns out, he’s a special agent trained by a CIA black ops outfit codenamed Treadstone and must figure out the rest of his background while other Treadstone trainees and agents track him down.
Following those, the franchise took a left turn into spin-off territory, as Jeremy Renner starred as a different character (albeit with a similar background) for director Tony Gilroy in 2012’s ‘The Bourne Legacy.’
Greengrass and Damon reunited to make 2016’s ‘Jason Bourne’, though that didn’t get quite the same rapturous reception as their previous collaborations.
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
How the movie shakes out will depend on certain factors –– what Universal intends for the story to reboot the character for a new take, or whether they can entice Damon back.
If he is considered, he’ll likely wait for the script (no writer is attached) to be written before he commits at all.
As for Berger, he’s also developing a spy series for Netflix based on Christopher Reich’s Simon Riske book series, which have been compared to both Bourne and the James Bond series.
Plus, he’s already in post-production on a film for Universal’s Focus Features arm –– religious thriller ‘Conclave’, about the group of Catholic Cardinals responsible for selecting a new Church leader while one of their number is trying to uncover a secret from the late Pontiff.
Felicity Jones in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
With his latest science fiction movie, ‘The Creator’ out in cinemas, Gareth Edwards probably wishes people would stop bringing up his previous work, ‘Star Wars’ effort ‘Rogue One’.
Not because of the movie itself (which, let’s not forget, earned more than a billion dollars at the box office), but because of all the talk of re-writes and re-shoots around getting it finished.
Infamously, the biggest change happened after much of the movie had been shot and creative dissonance began to happen. Tony Gilroy was brought in to work on the script and ended up reportedly directing re-shoots to help get the movie to its final form.
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Edwards on ‘Rogue One’s tricky finish
(L to R) Diego Luna and Felicity Jones in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
“The stuff that’s out there on the internet about what happened on that film — there is so much inaccuracy about the whole thing. Tony came in, and he did a lot of great work, for sure. No doubt about it. But we all worked together until the entire last minute of that movie.”
And while there was talk that Gilroy completely oversaw the five-week re-shoot for the movie, Edwards disputes that, citing one of its most iconic moments:
“The very last thing that we filmed in the pickup shoot was the Darth Vader corridor scene. I did all of that stuff.”
Darth Vader in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
Despite the ongoing chatter, the filmmaker doesn’t regret the experience, emphasizing to Variety how lucky he was to have worked on a movie set in the galaxy far, far away that once inspired him:
“I got to make a ‘Star Wars’ film. I won the lottery, in that sense. The idea of someone as privileged as me in any way implying that it was anything other than the amazing experience that it was to some extent — like, I don’t have any empathy for that person, and I don’t want to be that person either.”
Two things, however, are telling about Edwards’ time on ‘Star Wars’, both of them after the fact.
‘Andor’ will premiere on Disney+ September 21st.
Gilroy was brought back in to work on last year’s ‘Andor’, a story set in the years before Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor met the ‘Rogue’ squadron. Gilroy was involved from the start and is currently (at least, he’ll be able to once the actors’ strike is over since nothing can be shot right now) overseeing it to competition. Praise for ‘Andor’ has been near universal.
And as for Edwards, he took seven years between movies (though he denies any wounds to lick and instead says he just wanted to make sure he nailed the next film) and with ‘The Creator’ sought a process where he had complete control.
The result launched in cinemas this past weekend and so far isn’t exactly setting the box office on fire the way ‘Rogue One’ did. An original science fiction film was always going to struggle, though so far ‘The Creator’ has earned a little over $14 million domestically (and $32 million worldwide). Still, with a thrifty $80 million production budget, it also doesn’t have to earn on the level of a ‘Star Wars’ to find profit.
With Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni overseeing the ‘Mandalorian’ expanded small screen universe, the company has naturally used the success of that first show to build out others, some created by the main duo, some by different creative teams.
There were new details and looks at a variety of shows, so here’s what was talked about…
In production before any of the other series spotlighted today, the series following the further adventures of the Togruta from the planet Shili, a Padawan turned Jedi known as Ahsoka Tano had the most to show off, including a trailer that is now online.
Led by Filoni behind the scenes, the series follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy –– specifically Grand Admiral Thrawn, a villain created by Timothy Zahn for his novel series. He’s already in screen canon thanks to appearances on Filoni’s animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels’ and will now be live-action, though his casting as yet to be announced.
Also making the leap from ‘Rebels’ (since Ashoka also appeared on that show) are Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and cranky droid Chopper, with the promise of others. It’s worth noting that another Rebels regular, Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios showed up in one scene of last week’s ‘The Mandalorian’.
“It was natural he would make the transition to live action,” Kathleen Kennedy said of Filoni on stage. “He has done a spectacular job.” Favreau concurred: “He cares deeply. He poured his heart and soul into it. Dave is unique in that he doesn’t ever squash your inspiration or idea but finds a way to fit it in, to keep it in the tradition that George Lucas started.” Dawson, for her part, said she had “so many pinch me moments” making the show. “Because if this does well, maybe we’ll get a second season. It’s up to y’all!” she told the 4,500-strong crowd.
The trailer is stacked with action, primarily Ahsoka showing off her trademark double lightsaber skills, plus plenty of starships dogfighting.
The pair have come up with a series set around the same time as ‘The Mandalorian’, which follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home — and meeting unlikely allies and enemies — will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.
Jude Law stars alongside younger actors Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter and Robert Timothy Smith and Ryan Kiera Armstrong. There’s no word yet on when the show will land on Disney+.
‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ will be premiering on Disney+ in 2023.
‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’
‘The Acolyte’ promises to take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.
Series creator Leslye Headland wowed the crowd with a sneak peek at the upcoming show. Headland arrived on stage, escorted by Kelnacca, and previewed footage from the mystery-thriller series alongside several of the stars.
With production underway now, the series won’t hit Disney+ until next year, but that still is likely to be ahead of the new run of another big series set in the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy…
Lucasfilm’s ‘The Acolyte.’
‘Star Wars: Andor’
There was also word from Team ‘Andor,’ with showrunner Tony Gilroy joined by stars Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair and Joplin Sibtain to talk about the successful first season and preview footage from the second and final run of 12 episodes, which have yet to schedule a release date on Disney+.
Oh, and for fans of the show that started it all, there was naturally a ‘Mandalorian’ treat, as the next episode of the series was shown on the big screen for fans.
There is a lot to look forward to on the TV front, and, unlike the big movie announcements, we can be reasonably assured they will all hit screens. Stay tuned for more from the event as it unfolds.
The cast of ‘Andor’ at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
The new series is set five years before the events of ‘Rogue One,’ and features Diego Luna reprising his role as Cassian Andor. The series will explore Andor’s backstory and his role in the birth of the Rebellion.
The result is a dark and bleak ‘Star Wars’ series that has some wonderful character driven moments but may unfold too slow for audience members not familiar with ‘Rogue One.’
The ‘Star Wars’ franchise has always been polarizing. I remember as a kid in the 80s thinking that ‘Return of the Jedi’ was the “bad one.” Then of course came the prequels of the late 90s and early 2000’s when ‘Phantom Menace’ became everyone’s favorite ‘Star Wars’ movie to hate.
Since Disney took over Lucasfilm, movies like ‘The Last Jedi’ and ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ have practically torn the fanbase apart. But most ‘Star Wars’ fans can agree on one thing, they all love ‘Rogue One,’ which is probably why they decided to make it into a Disney+ series.
To be honest, I’m an unusual ‘Star Wars’ fan because I loved ‘Last Jedi,’ and I even didn’t mind ‘Solo,’ but I just don’t love ‘Rogue One.’ Maybe it’s because I always knew that film would be a one-off based on its placement within the ‘Star Wars’ timeline, and I never allowed myself to really get invested in those characters.
Unfortunately, ‘Andor’ is much the same for me, the backstory of a character I’m not that interested in. The first two episodes unfold rather slowly and present a lot of backstory for Diego Luna’s character.
In fact, there are actually two different timelines in this series. The present day, which is five years before ‘Rogue One,’ and an ongoing flashback to Cassian’s childhood. I found the two different timelines to be confusing at times, and again, learning the intricate backstory of a character I’m not that interested in to begin with became tedious at times.
However, something happens between episode 2 and episode 3 that begins to shift the series from a Cassian Andor show to a series about the early days of the Rebellion. The show works best when it is exploring the bureaucracy of the Empire, the politics of the galaxy, and Andor’s relationship to new (to us) characters like Adria Arjona’s Bix Caleen, Fiona Shaw’s Maarva, and eventually, Stellan Skarsgard’s Luthen Rael.
The series was created and written by ‘Rogue One’ screenwriter Tony Gilroy, and it has a very similar tone as the movie, which sets it apart from the Jon Favreau/Dave Filoni led Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ series. In fact, the series was shot entirely on location, rather than the digital volume room used for ‘The Mandalorian’ or the ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ series, immediately giving it a different tone and scope.
Diego Luna is an excellent actor, and clearly has affection for this role. What is nice about the 12-episode series is it does give us time to really get to know Cassian Andor as a character, something ‘Rogue One’ couldn’t do because of his limited screen time. While I’m not sure I need to know as much about his childhood, one can only guess this will pay off fully by the series’ end.
Luna certainly has command of the role, showing us a completely different character than we saw in ‘Rogue One.’ This Cassian Andor is a rogue and a bit of a scoundrel, which we discover through his interactions with other characters. This is not the heroic Andor who sacrificed himself to save the galaxy at the end of ‘Rogue One.’ What is intriguing about the series will be watching Luna’s performance as Andor eventually becomes an important part of the Rebellion.
But for me, at least in the opening episodes, Cassian’s story is not as interesting as some of the other characters that inhabit his world. Adria Arjona is a breath of fresh air as Bix Caleen, a strong woman who clearly has a romantic past with Andor and is doing her best to help him and also keep him out of her life.
Kyle Soller is delightful and at times hilarious as Syril, an Imperial officer obsessed with rising in the Imperial ranks. Soller’s performance is fun, and you really feel the character’s insecurities and how he over compensates for them. Syril’s incompetence is very believable, but also adds to the ‘Star Wars’ mythos that the Empire is really run by a bunch of idiots.
A lot of ‘Star Wars’ fans were excited by the announcement that Genevieve O’Reilly would be reprising her role as Mon Montha, now only a senator trying to navigate the politics of the Empire. While she is not in a lot of the first few episodes, I think her character’s arc might be one of the most interesting by the series’ end. Watching this character who we’ve only seen in the past as a leader of the Rebellion, now as a member of the Empire trying to break away and do the right thing, is very intriguing.
Speaking of intriguing, that is a good way to describe Luthen Rael, the character played Stellan Skarsgard. While he only appears in the tail-end of the first four episodes, it’s very clear that his character will have a large role in bringing Cassian into the Rebellion. As Rael, Skarsgard is both mysterious and commanding, and also has some surprisingly fun scenes with O’Reilly.
In the end, ‘Andor’ shows some promise towards the end of its opening four episodes and may turn out to be a great series. But it has a slow start, and those not invested in the characters from ‘Rogue One’ or the idea of the birth of the Rebellion in general, may lose interest after watching the slow and dark premiere episode.
The first four episodes of ‘Andor’ receives 3 out of 5 stars.
‘Andor’ cast at Star Wars Celebration 2022.
To watch Made in Hollywood‘s interviews with the cast of ‘Andor,’ please click on the video player below.
Does knowing the fate of a character diminish our enjoyment of learning about their earlier days?
It’s the challenge that many prequels face, but the team behind new ‘Star Wars’ Disney+ series ‘Andor’ will be hoping that filling in the details of Diego Luna’s rebel spy and fighter Cassian Andor’s life before ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ adds layers to his character.
Even if we do know that – spoiler alert for anyone who might not have seen ‘Rogue One’ – he’s fated to die in the mission to steal the Death Star plans.
‘Andor’ will premiere on Disney+ September 21st.
‘Andor’ turns back the clock to his younger days, living on a planet where the bite of the Empire is really being felt. It’ll show how he is recruited to fight alongside the growing rebellion.
“It’s quite unique, because we know what Cassian is capable of, but we’re going to meet him when he doesn’t know he’s capable of that,” Luna said during a ‘Good Morning America’ appearance to present the new promo. “We’re going to meet him when life is tough, it’s a very dark and interesting life because it’s just a regular guy that suddenly has to become part of something bigger, has to become part of a community that rises. It’s the beginning of the origins of a revolution, and it’s a beautiful story because it reminds us what we are capable of, what we are all capable of. There’s no Jedis around — it’s people having to take control.”
And, somewhat remarkably for the current run of ‘Star Wars’ shows, the series eschewed use of the Stagecraft volume (a huge bank of LED screens on which backgrounds and sets can be projected) for locations and more traditional effects techniques. “I love the whole world,” Luna admitted. “Suddenly I’m a kid on the set, because everything’s real, everything’s there. We don’t work with green screens — the stuff is built. The props work. They make noises.”
Cassian Andor’s fate might be decided, but ‘Andor’ will face its biggest challenge when it arrives on Disney+. In slightly disappointing news, the show has been delayed slightly from its original late August launch to September 21st. But it will launch with the first three episodes on that day, and unlike other recent shows, it will have 12 episodes in its first season.
