Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot developments in the Season 1 finale of “Ahsoka,” currently streaming on Disney+.
There’s a brief moment in the penultimate episode of Season 1 of “Ahsoka” when characters from at least four different eras of “Star Wars” occupy the same scene. The most recent character is Capt. Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), the New Republic ranger first introduced in 2020 on the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” Then there’s the focus of the scene, Gen. Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), first introduced in 2014 on the animated series “Star Wars: Rebels” as voiced by Vanessa Marshall. Presiding over it all is Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who has occupied three different eras of “Star Wars” on her own. She was first introduced (briefly) in 1983’s “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” as played by Caroline Blakiston, then showed up (even more briefly) in 2005’s “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith...
There’s a brief moment in the penultimate episode of Season 1 of “Ahsoka” when characters from at least four different eras of “Star Wars” occupy the same scene. The most recent character is Capt. Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), the New Republic ranger first introduced in 2020 on the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” Then there’s the focus of the scene, Gen. Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), first introduced in 2014 on the animated series “Star Wars: Rebels” as voiced by Vanessa Marshall. Presiding over it all is Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who has occupied three different eras of “Star Wars” on her own. She was first introduced (briefly) in 1983’s “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” as played by Caroline Blakiston, then showed up (even more briefly) in 2005’s “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith...
- 10/5/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
“Ahsoka,” the live-action series starring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, airs its season finale on Disney+ this week.
The character of Ahsoka was originally created for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” by Dave Filoni. Filoni serves as the writer and executive producer of “Ahsoka,” and directed the series premiere.
Dawson first portrayed the dual lightsaber-wielding former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian,” where she battled Morgan Elsbeth. “Star Wars: Ahsoka” picks up shortly after those events, with Elsbeth in custody and Tano pursuing rumors of the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
But if you’re wondering when, how and where to watch new episodes of “Ahsoka,” we’ve got you covered.
When Does “Star Wars: Ahsoka” Premiere?
“Star Wars: Ahsoka” premieres on Tuesday, Aug. 22 on Disney+.
You can read TheWrap’s review of “Star Wars: Ahsoka” here.
What Time Does “Star Wars: Ahsoka” Stream on Disney+?
New...
The character of Ahsoka was originally created for “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” by Dave Filoni. Filoni serves as the writer and executive producer of “Ahsoka,” and directed the series premiere.
Dawson first portrayed the dual lightsaber-wielding former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian,” where she battled Morgan Elsbeth. “Star Wars: Ahsoka” picks up shortly after those events, with Elsbeth in custody and Tano pursuing rumors of the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.
But if you’re wondering when, how and where to watch new episodes of “Ahsoka,” we’ve got you covered.
When Does “Star Wars: Ahsoka” Premiere?
“Star Wars: Ahsoka” premieres on Tuesday, Aug. 22 on Disney+.
You can read TheWrap’s review of “Star Wars: Ahsoka” here.
What Time Does “Star Wars: Ahsoka” Stream on Disney+?
New...
- 10/3/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Episode 7 of “Ahsoka” just dropped on Disney+, and with it, a surprise guest appearance from a Star Wars legend.
The series has featured many characters familiar to franchise fans, including live-action counterparts of the title character, Ahsoka Tano and also Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Genevieve O’Reilly, who portrayed Mon Mothma in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” as well as “Andor,” reprises her role in “Ahsoka.” Mon Mothma has an important role in Episode 7, and facilitates the return of beloved franchise figure.
Read on to find out more about the very special guest appearance in “Ahsoka” Episode 7.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead from “Ahsoka” Episode 7
The episode opens with Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) on trial before a New Republic council, including Mon Mothma.
Hera disobeyed direct orders and aided Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in her search for Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
Had Hera not intervened,...
The series has featured many characters familiar to franchise fans, including live-action counterparts of the title character, Ahsoka Tano and also Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Genevieve O’Reilly, who portrayed Mon Mothma in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” as well as “Andor,” reprises her role in “Ahsoka.” Mon Mothma has an important role in Episode 7, and facilitates the return of beloved franchise figure.
Read on to find out more about the very special guest appearance in “Ahsoka” Episode 7.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead from “Ahsoka” Episode 7
The episode opens with Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) on trial before a New Republic council, including Mon Mothma.
Hera disobeyed direct orders and aided Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in her search for Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
Had Hera not intervened,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
This article contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Ahsoka" episode 5 — "Dreams and Madness."
The penultimate episode of "Ahsoka" sees two stories play out: the potential court martial of Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from the New Republic and the journey of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) to rescue Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) from the machinations of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson) and his allies.
Hera's story is completed before the opening title card, with Senator Leia Organa helping Hera out of the jam. When Senator Xiono wants to strip Hera of her rank, the golden droid arrives to offer proof (albeit via false truth) that Leia sanctioned Hera's mission personally, and as leader of the Defense Council, they can take up any problems with her personally.
Back in the other galaxy, Thrawn continues his preparations to return to the New Republic, loading the secret cargo...
The penultimate episode of "Ahsoka" sees two stories play out: the potential court martial of Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) from the New Republic and the journey of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) to rescue Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) from the machinations of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson) and his allies.
Hera's story is completed before the opening title card, with Senator Leia Organa helping Hera out of the jam. When Senator Xiono wants to strip Hera of her rank, the golden droid arrives to offer proof (albeit via false truth) that Leia sanctioned Hera's mission personally, and as leader of the Defense Council, they can take up any problems with her personally.
Back in the other galaxy, Thrawn continues his preparations to return to the New Republic, loading the secret cargo...
- 9/27/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Ahsoka is finally here and it was developed and written by Dave Filoni. The Star Wars series follows Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi (1983). Ahsoka follows the titular character, a former Jedi Knight as she investigates an emerging threat to a now vulnerable galaxy.
Ahsoka – Episode Guide (When are the Episodes Coming Out?)
The Star Wars series consists of eight episodes in total and it premiered with its first two episodes on Disney+ on August 22, with the rest of the episodes coming out on the streaming giant weekly. Check out every episode’s titles and release dates below:
Credit – Disney+
Episode 1 “Part One: Master and Apprentice” – August 22
Episode 2 “Part Two: Toil and Trouble” – August 22
Episode 3 “Part Three: Time to Fly” – August 29
Episode 4 “Part Four: Fallen Jedi” – September 5
Episode 5 “Part Five: Shadow Warrior” – September 12
Episode 6 – September 19
Episode 7 – September 26
Episode 8 – September 3
Ahsoka – Cast & Characters (Who is...
Ahsoka – Episode Guide (When are the Episodes Coming Out?)
The Star Wars series consists of eight episodes in total and it premiered with its first two episodes on Disney+ on August 22, with the rest of the episodes coming out on the streaming giant weekly. Check out every episode’s titles and release dates below:
Credit – Disney+
Episode 1 “Part One: Master and Apprentice” – August 22
Episode 2 “Part Two: Toil and Trouble” – August 22
Episode 3 “Part Three: Time to Fly” – August 29
Episode 4 “Part Four: Fallen Jedi” – September 5
Episode 5 “Part Five: Shadow Warrior” – September 12
Episode 6 – September 19
Episode 7 – September 26
Episode 8 – September 3
Ahsoka – Cast & Characters (Who is...
- 9/19/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
This Star Wars: Ahsoka article contains spoilers.
So much of Ahsoka‘s third episode feels like classic Star Wars, from Sabine’s blind training nodding back to A New Hope to the space battle that combines elements from both the Original and Prequel Trilogies for one of the best dogfights ever made for Disney+. But that doesn’t mean Ahsoka has skipped out on bringing back a bunch of stuff from Rebels this time around. In fact, one major cameo allows this Disney+ series to pick up exactly where its animated predecessor left off.
Here are all the Star Wars easter eggs and callbacks we spotted in “Time to Fly”:
Evan Whitten as Jacen Syndulla
There was never any doubt that Jacen Syndulla would pop up in Ahsoka, but we definitely didn’t expect to see this little dude so soon. Introduced in the final minutes of the Rebels...
So much of Ahsoka‘s third episode feels like classic Star Wars, from Sabine’s blind training nodding back to A New Hope to the space battle that combines elements from both the Original and Prequel Trilogies for one of the best dogfights ever made for Disney+. But that doesn’t mean Ahsoka has skipped out on bringing back a bunch of stuff from Rebels this time around. In fact, one major cameo allows this Disney+ series to pick up exactly where its animated predecessor left off.
Here are all the Star Wars easter eggs and callbacks we spotted in “Time to Fly”:
Evan Whitten as Jacen Syndulla
There was never any doubt that Jacen Syndulla would pop up in Ahsoka, but we definitely didn’t expect to see this little dude so soon. Introduced in the final minutes of the Rebels...
- 8/30/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
This post contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" episode 3: "Time to Fly."
The latest episode of "Ahsoka," directed by Steph Green and written by Dave Filoni, adds more intricacy to the web of conspiracy surrounding the whereabouts of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and his potential return. Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), alongside close confidantes Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), tries to edge closer to the truth of Ezra's disappearance alongside Thrawn, while weeding out Imperial loyalists hiding among the ranks of the fledgling New Republic. A connective tissue between the animated series, "Star Wars: Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels," and the events of the sequel era are woven here, with familiar faces returning or reintroduced, including Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly).
Amidst the thrilling dogfighting and the tense, slow-burn dynamic between Ahsoka and Sabine, the episode introduces a live-action Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten), who makes...
The latest episode of "Ahsoka," directed by Steph Green and written by Dave Filoni, adds more intricacy to the web of conspiracy surrounding the whereabouts of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and his potential return. Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), alongside close confidantes Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), tries to edge closer to the truth of Ezra's disappearance alongside Thrawn, while weeding out Imperial loyalists hiding among the ranks of the fledgling New Republic. A connective tissue between the animated series, "Star Wars: Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels," and the events of the sequel era are woven here, with familiar faces returning or reintroduced, including Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly).
Amidst the thrilling dogfighting and the tense, slow-burn dynamic between Ahsoka and Sabine, the episode introduces a live-action Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten), who makes...
- 8/30/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "Star Wars: Ahsoka" episode 3 — "Time to Fly"Things are kicking into high gear in part 3 of "Ahsoka." Directed again by Steph Green and written by Dave Filoni, the episode shows the inertia faced by the New Republic when it comes to taking any military action beyond the end of the war. Few seem to believe that Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) could be a threat to the New Republic, and others still think that the specter of Thrawn is just Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) trying to nab all the resources she can get to go on a selfish mission to look for her lost friend, Ezra Bridger (Emen Esfandi). While Hera spends her time arguing with Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), the Chancellor of the Republic, another journey is underway. Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Huyang (David Tennant) travel to Seatos in...
- 8/30/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Ahsoka Tano, the Clone Wars hero played by Rosario Dawson in the new live-action Disney+ series, is coming to Fortnite, Lucasfilms Games announced on Friday.
On Sept. 26, Fortnite gamers will be able to unlock the character by buying the current Season’s Battle Pass.
Previous “Star Wars” characters to appear in the game include Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver in the film franchise, and Boba Fett, who was portrayed by Temuera Morrison in “The Mandalorian” and by Daniel Logan in “The Book of Boba Fett.”
In July, the Matt Groening animated series “Futurama” crossed over with the game, with users able to play as characters Fry, Leela, or Bender. After many years off the air, the fan favorite series debuted its 11th season on Hulu on July 24.
Previously, the game featured crossovers with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Avengers: Infinity War.”
Fortnite was developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. Within the online video game,...
On Sept. 26, Fortnite gamers will be able to unlock the character by buying the current Season’s Battle Pass.
Previous “Star Wars” characters to appear in the game include Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver in the film franchise, and Boba Fett, who was portrayed by Temuera Morrison in “The Mandalorian” and by Daniel Logan in “The Book of Boba Fett.”
In July, the Matt Groening animated series “Futurama” crossed over with the game, with users able to play as characters Fry, Leela, or Bender. After many years off the air, the fan favorite series debuted its 11th season on Hulu on July 24.
Previously, the game featured crossovers with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Avengers: Infinity War.”
Fortnite was developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. Within the online video game,...
- 8/26/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Star Wars fans will now be getting their live-action Ahsoka series a little bit sooner. But also a bit later…?
The Rosario Dawson-led offshoot of The Mandalorian — which was previously earmarked for an Aug. 23 release — will now release its first two episodes on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9/8c.
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Following that double-episode debut, the eight-episode Season 1 will release new episodes weekly, every Tuesday evening at 9 pm Et.
The Rosario Dawson-led offshoot of The Mandalorian — which was previously earmarked for an Aug. 23 release — will now release its first two episodes on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 9/8c.
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Following that double-episode debut, the eight-episode Season 1 will release new episodes weekly, every Tuesday evening at 9 pm Et.
- 8/18/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Disney+ on Sunday dropped the tastiest of teasers for its live-action Ahsoka series — a trailer that hints at a potential reunion between Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano and her former Jedi Master.
The 45-second sneak peek features new dialogue by Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. “In this war, you will face more than just droids,” he says. “As your master, it is my responsibility to prepare you.
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The 45-second sneak peek features new dialogue by Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. “In this war, you will face more than just droids,” he says. “As your master, it is my responsibility to prepare you.
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- 8/13/2023
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
The latest trailer for the Disney+ series Ahsoka just gave us a lot to be excited about: a full look at Lars Mikkelson as a live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn, hints that the mysterious Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) also knew Anakin Skywalker, another glimpse of our favorite chaotic droid Chopper, and a lot of lightsaber action. Plus, we get a bit more time with Mary Elizabeth Winstead as General Hera Syndulla, as she tries to convince Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and the New Republic to aid her in the fight against the Imperial Remnant.
But all of those moments are eclipsed by one of the most unexpected twists yet revealed by the show’s marketing. In the new trailer, fan-favorite Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) calls Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) “master,” and later we see her dueling Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) with a lightsaber, implying that for a time after Rebels,...
But all of those moments are eclipsed by one of the most unexpected twists yet revealed by the show’s marketing. In the new trailer, fan-favorite Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) calls Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) “master,” and later we see her dueling Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) with a lightsaber, implying that for a time after Rebels,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
Disney+’s “Ahsoka” finally has its first trailer as well as its first universally available glimpse of the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll. The series, which will consist of eight episodes, is set to premiere Aug. 23.
The trailer, which you can watch above, starts with Stevenson’s voice ominously saying, “War is inevitable. One must destroy in order to create.” Cloaked in black, Stevenson-as-Baylan then uses the force to send several officers flying and whispers, “We are no Jedi,” before murdering someone with his lightsaber.
The trailer then darts between action shots from the upcoming series and dramatic exposition. One minute Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is warning others of the threatening Thrawn’s return. The next Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) is narrowly skidding on her motorcycle underneath a ship. Add in some lightsaber duels, a couple of droids and some rebel talk and you’ve got yourself a “Star War.
The trailer, which you can watch above, starts with Stevenson’s voice ominously saying, “War is inevitable. One must destroy in order to create.” Cloaked in black, Stevenson-as-Baylan then uses the force to send several officers flying and whispers, “We are no Jedi,” before murdering someone with his lightsaber.
The trailer then darts between action shots from the upcoming series and dramatic exposition. One minute Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is warning others of the threatening Thrawn’s return. The next Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) is narrowly skidding on her motorcycle underneath a ship. Add in some lightsaber duels, a couple of droids and some rebel talk and you’ve got yourself a “Star War.
- 7/11/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The latest ‘Star Wars’ series we watched on Disney+ was the third season of ‘The Mandalorian,’ which concluded last April. Three months later, Disney and Lucasfilm are building up the hype for the upcoming series ‘Ahsoka,’ one of the most anticipated Star Wars projects in the last few years.
Ahsoka Tano is the most-known female Jedi in the entire Star Wars lore. She first debuted in the animated movie ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ in 2008 and the subsequent animated TV show. When she first debuted, Ahsoka was depicted as the 14-year-old Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. She’s one of the few Jedi who managed to survive Order 66, and her development eventually made her one of the most-known Star Wars characters.
During the character’s long history in animation, Ashley Eckstein voiced Ahsoka throughout the entire ‘Star Wars’ franchise. In 2020, Ahsoka finally debuted in live-action, played by Rosario Dawson. She appeared...
Ahsoka Tano is the most-known female Jedi in the entire Star Wars lore. She first debuted in the animated movie ‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ in 2008 and the subsequent animated TV show. When she first debuted, Ahsoka was depicted as the 14-year-old Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. She’s one of the few Jedi who managed to survive Order 66, and her development eventually made her one of the most-known Star Wars characters.
During the character’s long history in animation, Ashley Eckstein voiced Ahsoka throughout the entire ‘Star Wars’ franchise. In 2020, Ahsoka finally debuted in live-action, played by Rosario Dawson. She appeared...
- 7/11/2023
- by Lukas Abramovich
- Comic Basics
Disney+ on Tuesday morning released a new trailer for its live-action Ahsoka series, which will now premiere with two episodes, on Wednesday, Aug. 23.
The new footage plays up the dynamic between Ahsoka Tano (played by The Mandalorian‘s Rosario Dawson) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), as well as features much of the late Ray Stevenson (Black Sails) as the power-hungry villain Baylan Skolland.
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The new footage plays up the dynamic between Ahsoka Tano (played by The Mandalorian‘s Rosario Dawson) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), as well as features much of the late Ray Stevenson (Black Sails) as the power-hungry villain Baylan Skolland.
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- 7/11/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Weekly Commentary: Commentary to be added in the coming weeks.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Creative Arts predictions in all categories.
And...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Weekly Commentary: Commentary to be added in the coming weeks.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Creative Arts predictions in all categories.
And...
- 6/20/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Ahsoka, the latest chapter in Star Wars‘ intergalactic saga, will get underway on Wednesday, Aug. 23, Disney+ announced Wednesday.
The new series will follow the former Jedi knight (who made her live-action debut during Season 2 of The Mandalorian and later appeared in The Book of Boba Fett) as she investigates an emerging threat to the vulnerable New Republic.
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In addition to Rosario Dawson, who plays the titular character,...
The new series will follow the former Jedi knight (who made her live-action debut during Season 2 of The Mandalorian and later appeared in The Book of Boba Fett) as she investigates an emerging threat to the vulnerable New Republic.
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In addition to Rosario Dawson, who plays the titular character,...
- 6/7/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Curated by the IndieWire Crafts team, Craft Considerations is a platform for filmmakers to talk about recent work we believe is worthy of awards consideration. In partnership with Disney, for this edition, we look at how costume design and acting reverse-engineered a thrillingly fresh story from what we already knew about “Andor.”
The most iconic shot of the original “Star Wars” is that of a young man gazing into the (binary) sunset, yearning for more out of life. But the galaxy is a big, big place. The first of the many things creator Tony Gilroy does to expand it with “Andor,” the prequel series for one of the core characters in “Rogue One,” was to turn his camera to a young man gazing into the fearful symmetry of the Empire, yearning for family, safety, and a home. Instead, he finds the Rebel Alliance.
“From the beginning, there was something about...
The most iconic shot of the original “Star Wars” is that of a young man gazing into the (binary) sunset, yearning for more out of life. But the galaxy is a big, big place. The first of the many things creator Tony Gilroy does to expand it with “Andor,” the prequel series for one of the core characters in “Rogue One,” was to turn his camera to a young man gazing into the fearful symmetry of the Empire, yearning for family, safety, and a home. Instead, he finds the Rebel Alliance.
“From the beginning, there was something about...
- 6/5/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
With the “Star Wars” universe serving as the DNA for Disney+’s “Andor,” costume designer Michael Wilkinson could honor a legacy while leaning into a new world.
For Diego Luna’s Cassian, Wilkinson draped him in warm, earthy tones with fabrics that were textural.
When audiences first meet him, he’s in “beautiful oilcloth from old leather with iconic details such as a high neckline and a hood.” By the end, the silhouettes become leaner and streamlined.
“He has a tailored long-length linen coat that we made for him that moves beautifully for all the action sequences. It’s a grown-up silhouette.”
To outfit Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, he looked at prominent people, including leading senators and United Nations members, keeping power dressing in mind. “I imagined what the futuristic outer-planet version of that would look like,” he says. “I leaned into the pale neutral tones.”
Her blue senate...
For Diego Luna’s Cassian, Wilkinson draped him in warm, earthy tones with fabrics that were textural.
When audiences first meet him, he’s in “beautiful oilcloth from old leather with iconic details such as a high neckline and a hood.” By the end, the silhouettes become leaner and streamlined.
“He has a tailored long-length linen coat that we made for him that moves beautifully for all the action sequences. It’s a grown-up silhouette.”
To outfit Genevieve O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma, he looked at prominent people, including leading senators and United Nations members, keeping power dressing in mind. “I imagined what the futuristic outer-planet version of that would look like,” he says. “I leaned into the pale neutral tones.”
Her blue senate...
- 5/28/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Great casting is one of the things best defined by what it is not. There’s an alchemy to the assembling of a cast — particularly a larger ensemble — that can only be achieved with luck and a sharp eye. And while the 2022-2023 TV season saw plenty of larger-than-life performances and jaw-dropping transformations, these four first-year series managed, in wildly different ways, the same balancing act of star turns and sharply delineated supporting roles. Here are four series worthy of Emmy Award consideration for their feats of casting.
“Andor”Lucasfilm Ltd. “Andor” (Disney+)
Tony Gilroy’s gritty sci-fi/spy thriller is the adult, character-driven “Star Wars” many of us have been waiting for. But Cassian’s origin story would not have been as brilliant without the talented ensemble cast built around Diego Luna by casting directors Nina Gold and Martin Ware: Stellen Skarsgård as the eccentric antiques dealer organizing...
“Andor”Lucasfilm Ltd. “Andor” (Disney+)
Tony Gilroy’s gritty sci-fi/spy thriller is the adult, character-driven “Star Wars” many of us have been waiting for. But Cassian’s origin story would not have been as brilliant without the talented ensemble cast built around Diego Luna by casting directors Nina Gold and Martin Ware: Stellen Skarsgård as the eccentric antiques dealer organizing...
- 5/24/2023
- by Mark Peikert, Sarah Shachat, Jim Hemphill and Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Family is the most important thing. Apart from the Emmys, of course. Duh. Two performers may be able to combine both of those pillars of life this year as Stellan Skarsgård and his son Alexander Skarsgård vie for “Andor” (Disney+) and “Succession” (HBO) respectively. However, it’ll be a battle between father and son as they will be competing in the same category this year: Best Drama Supporting Actor.
First up, we have the father. Stellan Skarsgård was one of the show’s standout performers — and there were many of those, including Diego Luna, Andy Serkis, and Fiona Shaw. “Andor,” a spin-off TV show of the spin-off movie “Rogue One,” follows Luna as the titular Cassian Andor as the series explores how he came to be such a key part of the rebel alliance. Skarsgård plays a crucial role in the show as Luthen Rael, who is already a high-ranking...
First up, we have the father. Stellan Skarsgård was one of the show’s standout performers — and there were many of those, including Diego Luna, Andy Serkis, and Fiona Shaw. “Andor,” a spin-off TV show of the spin-off movie “Rogue One,” follows Luna as the titular Cassian Andor as the series explores how he came to be such a key part of the rebel alliance. Skarsgård plays a crucial role in the show as Luthen Rael, who is already a high-ranking...
- 5/18/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Amazon Studios has rounded out its cast for the actioner Heads of State with the addition of Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon), Stephen Root (Barry), Carla Gugino (Leopard Skin), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso), Richard Coyle (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore), Clare Foster (Sherlock), Katrina Durden (Doctor Strange) and Aleksandr Kuznetsov (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore).
The actors join an ensemble that John Cena, Idris Elba and Priyanka Chopra Jonas lead, as previously announced. No details as to their roles have been disclosed.
While plot details are also being kept under wraps, the film is being described as Air Force One meets Midnight Run. Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) is directing from a script by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec, who were themselves working from an initial draft by Harrison Query. The Safran Company’s Peter Safran and John Rickard are producing, with Cena, Elba and...
The actors join an ensemble that John Cena, Idris Elba and Priyanka Chopra Jonas lead, as previously announced. No details as to their roles have been disclosed.
While plot details are also being kept under wraps, the film is being described as Air Force One meets Midnight Run. Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) is directing from a script by Josh Appelbaum & André Nemec, who were themselves working from an initial draft by Harrison Query. The Safran Company’s Peter Safran and John Rickard are producing, with Cena, Elba and...
- 5/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
For a decade and a half, Nick Fury has been a pillar of the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature on the show’s, well, secrets.
You’ll find copies on newsstands from Thursday 11 May – but for now, take a sneak peek inside the pages below. Become an Empire member here.
Secret Invasion
Spies. Skrulls. Samuel L. Jackson. The MCU’s next blockbuster series is bringing the MCU back to Earth for a gritty, noir-inspired espionage thriller, pitching Nick Fury into a political, paranoia-fulled mystery – and nobody is to be trusted. Empire gets the full story on a Marvel series like no other, speaking to stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, director Ali Selim and producer Jonathan Schwartz – and a declassified batch of brand new images.
Star Wars Blowout
This year’s Star Wars Celebration brought a swathe of the galaxy’s brightest stars to London,...
You’ll find copies on newsstands from Thursday 11 May – but for now, take a sneak peek inside the pages below. Become an Empire member here.
Secret Invasion
Spies. Skrulls. Samuel L. Jackson. The MCU’s next blockbuster series is bringing the MCU back to Earth for a gritty, noir-inspired espionage thriller, pitching Nick Fury into a political, paranoia-fulled mystery – and nobody is to be trusted. Empire gets the full story on a Marvel series like no other, speaking to stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, director Ali Selim and producer Jonathan Schwartz – and a declassified batch of brand new images.
Star Wars Blowout
This year’s Star Wars Celebration brought a swathe of the galaxy’s brightest stars to London,...
- 5/10/2023
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
The Peabody Awards revealed their 2023 winners in entertainment and for a number of programs it’s a welcome boost for their Emmy nomination prospects. Apple TV+ had three programs honored: “Bad Sisters,” “Pachinko” and “Severance.” HBO landed two winners in “We’re Here,” a rare non-fiction selection, and “Los Espookys,” a program the network disappointingly canceled in December.
Read More: “Andor’s” Genevieve O’Reilly: “I don’t think rebellion is pretty” [Interview]
Other winners this year include ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” the Lucasfilm Disney+ series “Andor,” the streamer’s first original program to land the honor, and Netflix’s“Mo.” “Better Call Saul” and “Atlanta” made history as rare double Peabody Award winners.
Continue reading ‘Andor,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’ & ‘We’re Here’ Win 2023 Peabody Awards at The Playlist.
Read More: “Andor’s” Genevieve O’Reilly: “I don’t think rebellion is pretty” [Interview]
Other winners this year include ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” the Lucasfilm Disney+ series “Andor,” the streamer’s first original program to land the honor, and Netflix’s“Mo.” “Better Call Saul” and “Atlanta” made history as rare double Peabody Award winners.
Continue reading ‘Andor,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’ & ‘We’re Here’ Win 2023 Peabody Awards at The Playlist.
- 5/9/2023
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Paul Mescal and Sharon Horgan were among the winners at the Irish Film and Television Awards.
Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.
Read on for the full list of winners.
Film Categories
Best Film
“Aisha”
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner
“God’s Creatures”
“Lakelands”
“Róise & Frank”
“The Wonder”
Director – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes
“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Script – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley
“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...
Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.
Read on for the full list of winners.
Film Categories
Best Film
“Aisha”
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner
“God’s Creatures”
“Lakelands”
“Róise & Frank”
“The Wonder”
Director – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes
“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Script – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley
“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...
- 5/9/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
“It was a gift of a role, to be honest,” reveals Andy Serkis about portraying the charismatic inmate-turned-revolutionary Kino Loy in “Andor.” For our recent webchat he adds that, “the series as a whole, I adored, but then I adored “Rogue One.” When you’re working with someone like Tony Gilroy,” he says, “he is a man who has a lot to say about the world that we live in,” adding, “Tony is one of those writers who just hits the bullseye with character. He just knows the turns and the levels and the layers.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Will ‘Andor’ join its ‘Star Wars’ stablemate ‘The Mandalorian’ in Best Drama Series?
“Andor” is the fourth Disney+ live-action series in the “Star Wars” franchise, serving as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) and also by extension to the original Oscar-winning classic “Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope...
See Will ‘Andor’ join its ‘Star Wars’ stablemate ‘The Mandalorian’ in Best Drama Series?
“Andor” is the fourth Disney+ live-action series in the “Star Wars” franchise, serving as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) and also by extension to the original Oscar-winning classic “Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope...
- 5/8/2023
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
When "Andor" was first announced as the newest "Star Wars" streaming series, it didn't take fans very long to connect the dots and figure out how previously established characters could once again make cameo appearances or even become supporting characters in the prequel show. Anyone from the Alan Tudyk-voiced droid K-2So to Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma were suddenly up for grabs, though only the latter ended up appearing in any significant role in the first season of "Andor." That restraint went a long way towards making this Tony Gilroy-created series as much of a success as it was, putting a clear emphasis and priority on storytelling over fan service. That sense of self-control is apparently set to continue with the next (and last) season of the series if actor Felicity Jones is to be believed.
The lead star of "Rogue One" certainly would've added a huge...
The lead star of "Rogue One" certainly would've added a huge...
- 5/8/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
If Tony Gilroy’s “Andor” was to earn only one acting nomination this Emmy season, it would be extremely difficult to pick the recipient. Golden Globe nominee Diego Luna gives the title character, Cassian Andor, a depth barely hinted at in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Stellan Skarsgard gives an acting master class as Luthen Rael, a rebel organizler who puts on a charismatic face as a Coruscant antiques dealer.
Continue reading ‘Andor’s’ Genevieve O’Reilly: “I Don’t Think Rebellion Is Pretty” [Interview] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Andor’s’ Genevieve O’Reilly: “I Don’t Think Rebellion Is Pretty” [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 5/5/2023
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
With three “Star Wars” series competing for the first time in the same Emmy season — especially in the craft races — how can the critically acclaimed yet underperforming “Andor” hold its own against “The Mandalorian” (which has amassed 14 craft wins in two seasons), let alone the Jedi-infused “Obi-Wan Kenobi” limited series?
Simple: By touting its strengths as one of the top 10 shows of 2022 (per IndieWire’s Ben Travers), as well as the best “Star Wars” since “Rogue One,” which first introduced Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as part of the daring mission to steal the Death Star plans. In the “Andor” prequel, created by Tony Gilroy (who co-wrote “Rogue One”), we find out how Cassian went from world-weary scavenger to conniving Rebel spy.
Beyond sci-fi, it’s a gritty spy thriller that emphasizes politics more than any other “Star Wars” show, slowly filing in the details of this complex loner, who...
Simple: By touting its strengths as one of the top 10 shows of 2022 (per IndieWire’s Ben Travers), as well as the best “Star Wars” since “Rogue One,” which first introduced Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as part of the daring mission to steal the Death Star plans. In the “Andor” prequel, created by Tony Gilroy (who co-wrote “Rogue One”), we find out how Cassian went from world-weary scavenger to conniving Rebel spy.
Beyond sci-fi, it’s a gritty spy thriller that emphasizes politics more than any other “Star Wars” show, slowly filing in the details of this complex loner, who...
- 4/20/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Star Wars Celebration kicked off its opening day in London today with a non-stop series of announcements about some of the year’s most highly anticipated productions—from Disney+ original series including ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ and ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ to upcoming feature films including “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Throughout the day, surprises kept fans’ spirits high as a parade of actors and Lucasfilm luminaries took to the stage to reveal exciting new information about landmark productions.
Taking place at the ExCel London Convention Center, Friday’s activities on the Celebration Stage began with host Ali Plumb welcoming Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to reflect on the success of the highly acclaimed Disney+ original series ‘Star Wars: Andor.’ They were joined by the series’ director/creator/showrunner Tony Gilroy and stars Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair and Joplin Sibtain,...
Throughout the day, surprises kept fans’ spirits high as a parade of actors and Lucasfilm luminaries took to the stage to reveal exciting new information about landmark productions.
Taking place at the ExCel London Convention Center, Friday’s activities on the Celebration Stage began with host Ali Plumb welcoming Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to reflect on the success of the highly acclaimed Disney+ original series ‘Star Wars: Andor.’ They were joined by the series’ director/creator/showrunner Tony Gilroy and stars Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair and Joplin Sibtain,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The big “Star Wars” news was flying at lightspeed out of Star Wars Celebration in London on Friday morning, including a first look at the forthcoming Disney+ series “Ahsoka” with Rosario Dawson in the title role. The character, who was first introduced in animated form in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” appeared in live-action form on both “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.”
“I’m blown away,” Dawson said of the first “Ahsoka” trailer during Star Wars Celebration. “We’ve got some great surprises for all of you, but today is really special because I’m excited to see some footage — finally! I’m like, ‘If it’s not today, when!’”
You can check out the trailer here:
The show additionally stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Eman Esfandi, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Stevenson, and David Tennant. Genevieve O’Reilly and Diana Lee Inosanto also reprise their roles as Mon Mothma and Morgan Elsbeth,...
“I’m blown away,” Dawson said of the first “Ahsoka” trailer during Star Wars Celebration. “We’ve got some great surprises for all of you, but today is really special because I’m excited to see some footage — finally! I’m like, ‘If it’s not today, when!’”
You can check out the trailer here:
The show additionally stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Eman Esfandi, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Stevenson, and David Tennant. Genevieve O’Reilly and Diana Lee Inosanto also reprise their roles as Mon Mothma and Morgan Elsbeth,...
- 4/9/2023
- by Caillou Pettis
- Gold Derby
Ahsoka‘s Grand Admiral Thrawn will sound very familiar, now that it has been confirmed that Lars Mikkelsen, who voiced the villain in Star Wars Rebels, will return to play him on the live-action Star Wars series.
The casting was confirmed on Saturday at Star Wars Celebration in London — and in the wake of Mikkelsen repeatedly denying that he would reprise the role. (Just weeks ago, he told a Danish publication, “I haven’t heard anything about it…. [T]hey should have approached me, but they haven’t. So it must be someone else, unfortunately.”)
More from TVLineNew Star Wars Movie...
The casting was confirmed on Saturday at Star Wars Celebration in London — and in the wake of Mikkelsen repeatedly denying that he would reprise the role. (Just weeks ago, he told a Danish publication, “I haven’t heard anything about it…. [T]hey should have approached me, but they haven’t. So it must be someone else, unfortunately.”)
More from TVLineNew Star Wars Movie...
- 4/8/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
The first teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka debuted at the 2023 Star Wars Celebration in London. In addition to Rosario Dawson as the titular character, the teaser features many of the key players and confirmed the series will launch on Disney+ in August 2023.
The minute-and-a-half trailer offers a quick look at Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo) as Hera Syndulla, Natasha Liu Bordizzo (The Society) as Sabine Wren, and Rogue One‘s Genevieve O’Reilly returning as Mon Mothma. Ray Stevenson plays Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno is Shin Hati, Maurice Irvin is Senator Mawood, Jacqueline Antaramian is Senator Rodrigo, Nelson Lee is Senator Xiono, and Erica Duke is Gran Senator.
Disney+ and Lucasfilm also released a batch of photos and a new poster for the Star Wars series.
Dave Filoni is the writer and executive produces along with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck.
The Plot: Set...
The minute-and-a-half trailer offers a quick look at Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo) as Hera Syndulla, Natasha Liu Bordizzo (The Society) as Sabine Wren, and Rogue One‘s Genevieve O’Reilly returning as Mon Mothma. Ray Stevenson plays Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno is Shin Hati, Maurice Irvin is Senator Mawood, Jacqueline Antaramian is Senator Rodrigo, Nelson Lee is Senator Xiono, and Erica Duke is Gran Senator.
Disney+ and Lucasfilm also released a batch of photos and a new poster for the Star Wars series.
Dave Filoni is the writer and executive produces along with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck.
The Plot: Set...
- 4/7/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
London, England – April 07: Ali Plumb, Kathleen Kennedy, James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy onstage durng the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for Disney)
Star Wars Celebration kicked off its opening day in London today with a non-stop series of announcements about some of the year’s most highly anticipated productions—from Disney+ original series including “Star Wars: Ahsoka” and “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” to upcoming feature films including “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Throughout the day, surprises kept fans’ spirits high as a parade of actors and Lucasfilm luminaries took to the stage to reveal exciting new information about landmark productions.
London, England – April 07: (L-r) Ali Plumb, Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly and Andy Serkis onstage during the studio panel...
Star Wars Celebration kicked off its opening day in London today with a non-stop series of announcements about some of the year’s most highly anticipated productions—from Disney+ original series including “Star Wars: Ahsoka” and “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” to upcoming feature films including “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Throughout the day, surprises kept fans’ spirits high as a parade of actors and Lucasfilm luminaries took to the stage to reveal exciting new information about landmark productions.
London, England – April 07: (L-r) Ali Plumb, Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly and Andy Serkis onstage during the studio panel...
- 4/7/2023
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Fans may not be getting any new “Star Wars” movies in the near future, but that’s just because the future of the galaxy — at least for now — is in television. And there are a lot of shows coming to the universe.
But what exactly is there beyond the Skywalker Saga? Let’s run it down. Below, you’ll find all the information we have about the upcoming slate of “Star Wars” TV shows, from “Andor” Season 2 to “Ahsoka.” We’ve got release dates, episode counts and all the names you’ll become familiar with.
Ahsoka Mary Elizabeth Winstead in “Ahsoka” (Lucasfilm/Disney)
Premiere Date: August 2023
Cast: Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Hayden Christensen, Natasha Liu, Ivanna Sakhno and Ray Stevenson
Number of Episodes: Tbd
Ahsoka Tano made her live-action “Star Wars” debut in the second season of “The Mandalorian,” but was originally introduced in the animated “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” series.
But what exactly is there beyond the Skywalker Saga? Let’s run it down. Below, you’ll find all the information we have about the upcoming slate of “Star Wars” TV shows, from “Andor” Season 2 to “Ahsoka.” We’ve got release dates, episode counts and all the names you’ll become familiar with.
Ahsoka Mary Elizabeth Winstead in “Ahsoka” (Lucasfilm/Disney)
Premiere Date: August 2023
Cast: Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Hayden Christensen, Natasha Liu, Ivanna Sakhno and Ray Stevenson
Number of Episodes: Tbd
Ahsoka Tano made her live-action “Star Wars” debut in the second season of “The Mandalorian,” but was originally introduced in the animated “Clone Wars” and “Rebels” series.
- 4/7/2023
- by Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
“Star Wars” fans are enjoying their first look at the latest Disney+ TV series from the franchise, with Rosario Dawson reprising the role of Ahsoka Tano, which she introduced in “The Mandalorian”.
The first trailer for “Star Wars: Ahsoka” was unveiled on Friday, April 7 at Star Wars Celebration in London.
Read More: Hayden Christensen To Revive Anakin Skywalker In New Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘Ahsoka’
“Set after the fall of the Empire, “Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy,” reads the series’ synopsis.
Disney+
In addition to Dawson, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla. The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.
In addition to the trailer, Disney+ also released a series of...
The first trailer for “Star Wars: Ahsoka” was unveiled on Friday, April 7 at Star Wars Celebration in London.
Read More: Hayden Christensen To Revive Anakin Skywalker In New Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ Series ‘Ahsoka’
“Set after the fall of the Empire, “Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy,” reads the series’ synopsis.
Disney+
In addition to Dawson, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla. The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.
In addition to the trailer, Disney+ also released a series of...
- 4/7/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
We have our first look at Disney+’s Ahsoka, and it features many familiar characters.
Series creator Dave Filoni and executive producer Jon Favreau unveiled the trailer Friday at Star Wars Celebration in London, and it gives us a first good look at Natasha Liu Bordizzo (The Society) as Sabine Wren, offers a first glimpse of Grand Admiral Thrawn, and confirms that Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo) is playing Twi’lek rebellion member Hera Syndulla.
More from TVLineObi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Is Officially... Probably Not HappeningAhsoka: Lars Mikkelsen to Return as Grand Admiral Thrawn, David Tennant Will Again Voice the Droid HuyangNew...
Series creator Dave Filoni and executive producer Jon Favreau unveiled the trailer Friday at Star Wars Celebration in London, and it gives us a first good look at Natasha Liu Bordizzo (The Society) as Sabine Wren, offers a first glimpse of Grand Admiral Thrawn, and confirms that Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Fargo) is playing Twi’lek rebellion member Hera Syndulla.
More from TVLineObi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Is Officially... Probably Not HappeningAhsoka: Lars Mikkelsen to Return as Grand Admiral Thrawn, David Tennant Will Again Voice the Droid HuyangNew...
- 4/7/2023
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
This year's "Star Wars Celebration" has officially kicked off, with Lucasfilm's Studio Showcase opening the highly-anticipated event with exciting details about the second season of "Andor." Tony Gilroy's gritty, grounded take on "Star Wars" has a second season in the works, which is aiming for an estimated August 2024 premiere date, per Gilroy himself, who revealed the news during the event's opening panel:
"We started shooting in November [2022]. We're about halfway through. We're going to shoot through August [2023]. We're on the exact schedule. Finish in August, spend another year on post. I suppose we'll come out the following August."
Apart from Gilroy, the entire cast of "Andor" graced the stage during the segment, including the adorable droid B2EMO, who stuttered out a "Hello London! I am so v-v-v-very pleased to meet you all." Diego Luna, who plays the titular rebel spy in "Andor," talked about how happy he is to return to London,...
"We started shooting in November [2022]. We're about halfway through. We're going to shoot through August [2023]. We're on the exact schedule. Finish in August, spend another year on post. I suppose we'll come out the following August."
Apart from Gilroy, the entire cast of "Andor" graced the stage during the segment, including the adorable droid B2EMO, who stuttered out a "Hello London! I am so v-v-v-very pleased to meet you all." Diego Luna, who plays the titular rebel spy in "Andor," talked about how happy he is to return to London,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
The cast and creator of Disney+’s Andor kicked off this year’s Star Wars Celebration on Friday morning in London, where a timetable was revealed for Season 2.
Tony Gilroy — the showrunner for Andor who previously penned the screenplay for its “sequel,” Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — shared at Star Wars Celebration that Season 2, which started rolling the cameras last November, is now halfway done with filming.
More from TVLineObi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Is Officially... Probably Not HappeningFirst Ahsoka Series Trailer Features Sabine, Hera, Grand Admiral Thrawn and an 'Heir to the Empire' NodStar Wars: The Acolyte Casts Solo...
Tony Gilroy — the showrunner for Andor who previously penned the screenplay for its “sequel,” Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — shared at Star Wars Celebration that Season 2, which started rolling the cameras last November, is now halfway done with filming.
More from TVLineObi-Wan Kenobi Season 2 Is Officially... Probably Not HappeningFirst Ahsoka Series Trailer Features Sabine, Hera, Grand Admiral Thrawn and an 'Heir to the Empire' NodStar Wars: The Acolyte Casts Solo...
- 4/7/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Luscasfilm unveiled its first look at Season 2 of its Disney+ series “Andor” on Friday as part of the Star Wars Celebration fan convention in London.
The 12-episode first season of “Andor,” created and executive produced by “Rogue One” co-writer Tony Gilroy, debuted in September to wide acclaim for its sprawling, ground-level depiction of the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Set five years before the events of “Rogue One,” the first season tracks a year in the life of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he transforms from a cynical, small-time criminal into a man ready to join the fight against the Galactic Empire.
Gilroy explained on Friday that the team is working as quickly as possible to get Season 2 done. Shooting began in November and is expected to wrap in August. The creator predicted the show will hit Disney+ in August 2024.
“If you know your ending, it really helps,” said Gilroy.
The 12-episode first season of “Andor,” created and executive produced by “Rogue One” co-writer Tony Gilroy, debuted in September to wide acclaim for its sprawling, ground-level depiction of the formation of the Rebel Alliance. Set five years before the events of “Rogue One,” the first season tracks a year in the life of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he transforms from a cynical, small-time criminal into a man ready to join the fight against the Galactic Empire.
Gilroy explained on Friday that the team is working as quickly as possible to get Season 2 done. Shooting began in November and is expected to wrap in August. The creator predicted the show will hit Disney+ in August 2024.
“If you know your ending, it really helps,” said Gilroy.
- 4/7/2023
- by Adam B. Vary and Amon Warmann
- Variety Film + TV
“Andor” is a strong contender to crack the Emmy Best Drama Series lineup this year, earning favorable reviews and awards buzz after its Disney Plus premiere last fall. But is there room on the nominees list for two ‘Star Wars’ shows, with the sophisticated sci-fi noir competing against “The Mandalorian,” its comrade from a galaxy far, far away? That show’s third season (currently streaming weekly) is in the hunt for a third consecutive nomination in the top category after its breakthrough in 2020 and follow-up nomination in 2021.
“The Mandalorian” became the third space-set drama ever nominated in Best Drama Series after “Star Trek: The Next Generation” three decades ago in 1994 and the original “Star Trek” almost three decades before that in 1967 and 1968. There’s a real possibility that “Andor” will be the fourth.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Diego Luna (‘Andor’)
The latest live-action series in the Disney-era “Star Wars” franchise,...
“The Mandalorian” became the third space-set drama ever nominated in Best Drama Series after “Star Trek: The Next Generation” three decades ago in 1994 and the original “Star Trek” almost three decades before that in 1967 and 1968. There’s a real possibility that “Andor” will be the fourth.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Diego Luna (‘Andor’)
The latest live-action series in the Disney-era “Star Wars” franchise,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, led the nominations for the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) as the full list of nominees was unveiled on Monday night local time, picking up 11 nods in the film category.
“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.
Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”
“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...
“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.
Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”
“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...
- 3/7/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
The "Star Wars" series "Andor" is a bit of a unicorn within the franchise. After so many hits and misses in recent years, "Andor" felt like a completely different take on the galaxy far, far away. For a lot of fans, it's kind of a flawless show, and it's got a lot of us wishing it could go on forever. It is, after all, meant to explore the last five years of its titular hero's life, before he (tragically) dies at the end of "Rogue One." Given the projected timeline, one would expect "Andor" to span five seasons, one for each year. But from the very beginning, "Andor" was slated for just two seasons, not five — and in spite of our hopes for an extension, showrunner Tony Gilroy is pretty adamant about working with what he's got. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Gilroy explained why the conventional formula...
- 2/27/2023
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
The current state of the "Star Wars" franchise is a bit strange. There hasn't been a feature announced or released in four years, with the Disney+ shows giving us the only depctions of a galaxy far, far away. "The Mandalorian" kicked this new era into high-gear back in 2019, introducing us to both the titular anti-hero (Pedro Pascal) and his companion, a 50-year-old Force-full baby named Grogu. Combining big bombastic action with fan service, it proved to be a big hit, spawning other similar series like "The Book of Boba Fett" and "Kenobi." However, what was once entertaining quickly became boring, making these series feel less urgent to watch weekly.
And then "Andor" came around. The first season of Tony Gilroy's two-part exploration of rebel fighter Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to the other three "Star Wars" series. Not only did it...
And then "Andor" came around. The first season of Tony Gilroy's two-part exploration of rebel fighter Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to the other three "Star Wars" series. Not only did it...
- 2/27/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
For two decades, the SAG Awards all but ignored science fiction on TV. There were exceptions, of course — the ensembles of “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “The X-Files” and “Lost” were all nominated, and John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson earned individual recognition. It wasn’t until the 2016 SAG Awards — when the first seasons of “Westworld” and “Stranger Things” both earned nominations for their ensembles and their respective stars Thandie Newton, Millie Bobby Brown and Winona Ryder — that the guild began to regularly consider sci-fi performances as worthy of recognition alongside other series.
Even then, however, nominated shows “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Lovecraft Country” and “Squid Game” sit on the fringes of what most people even consider to be science fiction. This year, the SAG Awards have the opportunity to nominate ensembles and performances on multiple shows that sit enthusiastically at sci-fi’s center.
Most obviously, there’s multiple-Emmy nominee “Severance,...
Even then, however, nominated shows “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Lovecraft Country” and “Squid Game” sit on the fringes of what most people even consider to be science fiction. This year, the SAG Awards have the opportunity to nominate ensembles and performances on multiple shows that sit enthusiastically at sci-fi’s center.
Most obviously, there’s multiple-Emmy nominee “Severance,...
- 12/28/2022
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
From subsequent installments of fan-favorite series to breakout debuts, 2022 featured a host of shows across genres, worlds and themes that dominated conversations, engaged our senses and thrilled us to our cores.
Whether it was the plethora of memes that came out of “The White Lotus” Season 2 finale, the numerous analyses about what “Severance” says about our relationship to work-life balance or the collective Twitter fervor over the budding romance between Janine and Gregory in “Abbott Elementary,” we were entertained, shaken, enthralled and captivated by these excellent TV shows.
As we look toward 2023 — and the many, many series (returning and new) that are sure to grace our screens — members of TheWrap staff and TV team took a moment to reflect on some of the standout shows we loved this year. “Pachinko” moved us, “Bad Sisters” made us cackle, “The Bear” stressed us the f— out and “The Rehearsal” pushed the boundaries of our understanding of television.
Whether it was the plethora of memes that came out of “The White Lotus” Season 2 finale, the numerous analyses about what “Severance” says about our relationship to work-life balance or the collective Twitter fervor over the budding romance between Janine and Gregory in “Abbott Elementary,” we were entertained, shaken, enthralled and captivated by these excellent TV shows.
As we look toward 2023 — and the many, many series (returning and new) that are sure to grace our screens — members of TheWrap staff and TV team took a moment to reflect on some of the standout shows we loved this year. “Pachinko” moved us, “Bad Sisters” made us cackle, “The Bear” stressed us the f— out and “The Rehearsal” pushed the boundaries of our understanding of television.
- 12/26/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan, Loree Seitz, Dessi Gomez, Lucas Manfredi, Drew Taylor, Adam Chitwood and Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
“I love ‘Star Wars,’ I’ve watched ‘Star Wars’ for my whole life,” reveals Diego Luna, the star of the latest and most critically acclaimed live action “Star Wars” project since the film it presages, the 2016 spin-off “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” For our recent webchat he adds about the thrill of being a part of this universe, “now I have kids I’m glad there’s room for new things, for something different to this universe and I am happy to be part of that.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See dozens of interviews with 2023 awards contenders
“Andor” is the fourth Disney+ live-action series in the “Star Wars” franchise, serving as a prequel to “Rogue One” (2016) and by extension also to the original Oscar-winning classic “Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope” (1977). Luna, who serves as an executive producer on the series, reprises his role from...
See dozens of interviews with 2023 awards contenders
“Andor” is the fourth Disney+ live-action series in the “Star Wars” franchise, serving as a prequel to “Rogue One” (2016) and by extension also to the original Oscar-winning classic “Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope” (1977). Luna, who serves as an executive producer on the series, reprises his role from...
- 12/22/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
This story about “Andor” star Diego Luna first appeared in the Guild & Critics Awards / Documentaries issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
“Andor,” the latest Star Wars series for Disney+ and a prequel to 2016’s big screen spin-off “Rogue One,” feels unlike anything that has happened in a galaxy far, far away. It’s a methodical, intricate look at how one man, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), becomes radicalized after a lifetime spent oppressed by systematically evil forces he once thought were too big to resist. His wins aren’t the flashiest and at the end of the first season he’s still a character in flux — but what an adventure and what a performance from Luna.
Luna, who also serves as an executive producer, had been on the project through earlier attempts at a streaming series from “The Americans” writer Stephen Schiff and “Encanto” director Jared Bush. But then “Michael Clayton” writer/director Tony Gilroy,...
“Andor,” the latest Star Wars series for Disney+ and a prequel to 2016’s big screen spin-off “Rogue One,” feels unlike anything that has happened in a galaxy far, far away. It’s a methodical, intricate look at how one man, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), becomes radicalized after a lifetime spent oppressed by systematically evil forces he once thought were too big to resist. His wins aren’t the flashiest and at the end of the first season he’s still a character in flux — but what an adventure and what a performance from Luna.
Luna, who also serves as an executive producer, had been on the project through earlier attempts at a streaming series from “The Americans” writer Stephen Schiff and “Encanto” director Jared Bush. But then “Michael Clayton” writer/director Tony Gilroy,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
"He is a new kind of hero for a new age. His name is Andor." This is where that ol' phrase "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" makes sense - a long time ago in 1975, a Star Wars series aired on television. Ha ha. A YouTube channel created this glorious fan-made TV intro for the Andor series replicating the 70s TV intro style. It's kind of amazing! Set five years before the events of Rogue One, the series follows rebel spy Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion. It's showrun and created by writer Tony Gilroy. Diego Luna returns as Andor, with a cast featuring Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, as well as Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma; plus Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera. "It's 1975. A New Hope won't be released for another two years, and George Lucas is...
- 11/28/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Warning: The following interview has spoilers of Andor‘s Season 1 finale “Rix Road” on Disney+
Star Wars creator George Lucas once wrote about “the taxation of trade routes” in the opening prologue of Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menance, and if Disney+’s Star Wars series has given die-hard fans anything, it’s the binary, granular look at how such universe politics come to be.
While The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett have been intoxicated by callbacks to legacy characters and all-things atmospheric from Lucas and even Star Wars animation architect Dave Filoni’s imaginings, Gilroy has focused on the smaller conversations — the clerical details if you will, of how a bureaucratic Imperial force rises and how a rebellion among disparate factions comes together —.
One such jaw-dropping detail revealed in the epilogue: Those big steel wheels that Cassian and the Narkina 5 prisoners were assembling a few episodes ago were parts for the Death Star’s firing cannon. Duh. It’s those type of Easter eggs that Andor has thrived on, versus, say deep universe cameos from the Filoni animation shows.
(L-r): Corv (Noof Ousellam), Lieutenant Keysax (Nick Moss), Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Captain Vanis Tigo (Wilf Scolding)
Season 1 completes the first year in rebel-to be Cassian Andor’s life. He returns to Ferrix for his adoptive mother Maarva’s (Fiona Shaw) funeral, but he can’t exactly be out in the open. The Imperials are sniffing out something is about to go down, and it does, as droid B2Emo projects a hologram of Maarva before the crowd, and in Obi-Wan style, encourages them to fight the power (“Fight the Empire!”). At which point, there’s an outburst worse than a drunk Mardi Gras with pipe bombs going off. Let the Star Wars begin. Andor escapes through furnace tunnels, and Imperial Security Bureau supervisor Dedra Meero (the sublime Denise Gough) is trampled by protestors, only to be rescued by her twin flame, anti-Andor, uber-Imperial wannabe Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). It was just a few episodes ago, she was playing hard to get. Now it looks to be a romance steamier than anything on Grey’s Anatomy.
All things end on Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) Fondor, where he’s confronted by Cassian.
“You came to kill me,” Andor says. “You don’t make it easy,” answers Luthen.
“I will now,” Andor says, giving up. “Kill me… or take me with.”
Luthen grins, knowing that Andor is part of the Rebel cause.
Here’s our interview with Andor creator Tony Gilroy, who was taking a break from shooting season 2 over in England:
Maarva (Fiona Shaw) in a scene from Lucasfilm’s Andor, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & Tm. All Rights Reserved.
Deadline: Was there something in history that the Season 1 finale was inspired by? Especially with everything that is going on in Ukraine.
Tony Gilroy: It’s just so incredibly sad how easily available all of the things that seemed contemporaneously sad are through history, and that they just continue to repeat themselves.
There are things all the way through the show, and I don’t want to go through and quote chapter and verse, but this is the Russian Revolution. This is the Montagnard. This is something interesting that happened in the Haitian Revolution. This is the Anc. Oh, this is the Earth Gun Building, Palestine. This is the Continental Congress. This goes all the way…I mean, you could drop a needle in the last, I don’t know what is recorded history, 3,000 years, legitimate recorded, I mean, slavery, oppression, colonialism, bad behavior, betrayal, heroism, I mean, it’s a continuum.
Deadline: The fleshing out of Rebel cofounder Mon Mothma – she feels like a nod to Nancy Pelosi. She’s this upper class person who knows she’s a catalyst to make a difference and right wrongs.
Gilroy: Her job description is Senator, longtime politician, power player, doesn’t get everything she wants, doesn’t get everything he wants. I certainly wasn’t thinking about the American Speaker of the House when I was writing the scripts.
Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) in Lucasfilm’s Andor
Deadline: The cliffhanger where Cassian lays his life on the line and faces off with Luthen Rael — were you always planning that?
Gilroy: I said we take 12 episodes, across a year, we’ll take this entire expanse of time, and we’ll take somebody who’s completely disillusioned and completely self-interested and really having the worst day of their life, and just someone who’s turning into a roach, and we’re going to turn that person in one year, we’re going to make the first turn to being the guy who’s in Rogue One, and we’re going to make him sign up.
And so, yeah, the final moment of this is a blood out. It took us this long to do it. It is what it is, the road to Damascus, or it’s 12 stations of the cross, or whatever context you want to put it in. He’s gone through everything to become: To sort of give a blood out at the end of the show and say, ‘That’s it, I’m in.’ His commitment to the Rebellion and to fight the Empire and to dedicate his life to that, we’re not going to put that in doubt now. Going forward, we have a whole bunch of new issues that we’re going to deal with. But that final line was on the table before many other things were worked up.
Deadline: Mapping out next season, how many episodes per each year of Cassian’s life?
Gilroy: We’re going to cover in the next 12 episodes, we’re going to cover the next four years. So, each block of three episodes that we shoot, and that happens to be our organizing principle for production.
So, when we come back for our second half, it’ll be a year later. An entire year will have gone on. All kinds of things will have happened, and we’ll pick up the show; sometimes we’ll do a week, we’ll do three days, we’ll do four days, whatever, and then we’ll drop a year in between.
The last one will be the last, I don’t know what it is, three, four days before the beginning of Rogue One, and then our final scene has always been known, which will be walking him into the first scene of Rogue One. So, we will be dealing with time in a different way, but it’ll be blocks of three. That’ll be our principle.
Deadline: Can you tease Season 2?
Gilroy: We will be dealing with, by the time you get to Rogue One, you have the Rebel Alliance, which is a whole bunch of different disparate factions and people that have arrived at Yavin and have coalesced into what will become an organized rebellion. Well, we have four years to examine how difficult it is to put a revolution together, how difficult it is to become a leader, how difficult it is to be a victim.
But what happens to the original gangsters? What happens to the outliers? What happens to the people who were…every revolution consumes people and glorifies people, and not always the people that did the thing that mattered. How do you scale up something that essentially does not thrive in sunshine? How do you that? And those issues and all the chaos of that is going to be of great interest to us going forward.
Duncan Pow, who plays Melshi, will be back. Obviously, we’re playing there with that, because he’s going to be in Rogue One.
Deadline: The Imperials seem to be making Cassian a more notorious guy than he really is. They seem to be giving him this larger than life reputation. Do you agree?
Gilroy: One doesn’t even really know who he really is. They don’t even really know how bad he is. They don’t know. I mean, they think he might have been in Aldhani, but the reason that Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero is trying to get him so bad — it’s a great hunter and hunted relationship. It’s a desperate thing and she’s right to be chasing him. She’s thinks enough like him that she’s the first person who realizes that Aldhani isn’t a robbery, it’s an announcement. And she’s going to be chasing him for a long time, and you know, Cassian is the link. That is the only viable link that she can find. If she can find him, she might find Luthen. Stellan’s Luthen doesn’t know who Cassian is.
Deadline: That epilogue with the building of the Death Star, was that always in the cards?
Gilroy: Yeah, when we came up with the prison and then we started saying, ‘What are we making?’ and then we built the thing. It’s like, ‘Oh, my God. Well, let’s have it do that. How ironic and how potent and how round and synchronicitis that is.’
And then, Mohen Leo and Tj Falls, who are visual arts department, who are just amazing and they were on Rogue One, they were like, ‘Oh, let us play with that.’ And you know, six months later you go into a visual master deal and it’s like, oh, we have a special gift to launch today and it’s like, the raw version of that, it was so cool. They did all that and we helped refine it, but it’s their piece as well.
The Q&a was edited for length and clarity.
Star Wars creator George Lucas once wrote about “the taxation of trade routes” in the opening prologue of Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menance, and if Disney+’s Star Wars series has given die-hard fans anything, it’s the binary, granular look at how such universe politics come to be.
While The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett have been intoxicated by callbacks to legacy characters and all-things atmospheric from Lucas and even Star Wars animation architect Dave Filoni’s imaginings, Gilroy has focused on the smaller conversations — the clerical details if you will, of how a bureaucratic Imperial force rises and how a rebellion among disparate factions comes together —.
One such jaw-dropping detail revealed in the epilogue: Those big steel wheels that Cassian and the Narkina 5 prisoners were assembling a few episodes ago were parts for the Death Star’s firing cannon. Duh. It’s those type of Easter eggs that Andor has thrived on, versus, say deep universe cameos from the Filoni animation shows.
(L-r): Corv (Noof Ousellam), Lieutenant Keysax (Nick Moss), Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and Captain Vanis Tigo (Wilf Scolding)
Season 1 completes the first year in rebel-to be Cassian Andor’s life. He returns to Ferrix for his adoptive mother Maarva’s (Fiona Shaw) funeral, but he can’t exactly be out in the open. The Imperials are sniffing out something is about to go down, and it does, as droid B2Emo projects a hologram of Maarva before the crowd, and in Obi-Wan style, encourages them to fight the power (“Fight the Empire!”). At which point, there’s an outburst worse than a drunk Mardi Gras with pipe bombs going off. Let the Star Wars begin. Andor escapes through furnace tunnels, and Imperial Security Bureau supervisor Dedra Meero (the sublime Denise Gough) is trampled by protestors, only to be rescued by her twin flame, anti-Andor, uber-Imperial wannabe Syril Karn (Kyle Soller). It was just a few episodes ago, she was playing hard to get. Now it looks to be a romance steamier than anything on Grey’s Anatomy.
All things end on Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) Fondor, where he’s confronted by Cassian.
“You came to kill me,” Andor says. “You don’t make it easy,” answers Luthen.
“I will now,” Andor says, giving up. “Kill me… or take me with.”
Luthen grins, knowing that Andor is part of the Rebel cause.
Here’s our interview with Andor creator Tony Gilroy, who was taking a break from shooting season 2 over in England:
Maarva (Fiona Shaw) in a scene from Lucasfilm’s Andor, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & Tm. All Rights Reserved.
Deadline: Was there something in history that the Season 1 finale was inspired by? Especially with everything that is going on in Ukraine.
Tony Gilroy: It’s just so incredibly sad how easily available all of the things that seemed contemporaneously sad are through history, and that they just continue to repeat themselves.
There are things all the way through the show, and I don’t want to go through and quote chapter and verse, but this is the Russian Revolution. This is the Montagnard. This is something interesting that happened in the Haitian Revolution. This is the Anc. Oh, this is the Earth Gun Building, Palestine. This is the Continental Congress. This goes all the way…I mean, you could drop a needle in the last, I don’t know what is recorded history, 3,000 years, legitimate recorded, I mean, slavery, oppression, colonialism, bad behavior, betrayal, heroism, I mean, it’s a continuum.
Deadline: The fleshing out of Rebel cofounder Mon Mothma – she feels like a nod to Nancy Pelosi. She’s this upper class person who knows she’s a catalyst to make a difference and right wrongs.
Gilroy: Her job description is Senator, longtime politician, power player, doesn’t get everything she wants, doesn’t get everything he wants. I certainly wasn’t thinking about the American Speaker of the House when I was writing the scripts.
Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) in Lucasfilm’s Andor
Deadline: The cliffhanger where Cassian lays his life on the line and faces off with Luthen Rael — were you always planning that?
Gilroy: I said we take 12 episodes, across a year, we’ll take this entire expanse of time, and we’ll take somebody who’s completely disillusioned and completely self-interested and really having the worst day of their life, and just someone who’s turning into a roach, and we’re going to turn that person in one year, we’re going to make the first turn to being the guy who’s in Rogue One, and we’re going to make him sign up.
And so, yeah, the final moment of this is a blood out. It took us this long to do it. It is what it is, the road to Damascus, or it’s 12 stations of the cross, or whatever context you want to put it in. He’s gone through everything to become: To sort of give a blood out at the end of the show and say, ‘That’s it, I’m in.’ His commitment to the Rebellion and to fight the Empire and to dedicate his life to that, we’re not going to put that in doubt now. Going forward, we have a whole bunch of new issues that we’re going to deal with. But that final line was on the table before many other things were worked up.
Deadline: Mapping out next season, how many episodes per each year of Cassian’s life?
Gilroy: We’re going to cover in the next 12 episodes, we’re going to cover the next four years. So, each block of three episodes that we shoot, and that happens to be our organizing principle for production.
So, when we come back for our second half, it’ll be a year later. An entire year will have gone on. All kinds of things will have happened, and we’ll pick up the show; sometimes we’ll do a week, we’ll do three days, we’ll do four days, whatever, and then we’ll drop a year in between.
The last one will be the last, I don’t know what it is, three, four days before the beginning of Rogue One, and then our final scene has always been known, which will be walking him into the first scene of Rogue One. So, we will be dealing with time in a different way, but it’ll be blocks of three. That’ll be our principle.
Deadline: Can you tease Season 2?
Gilroy: We will be dealing with, by the time you get to Rogue One, you have the Rebel Alliance, which is a whole bunch of different disparate factions and people that have arrived at Yavin and have coalesced into what will become an organized rebellion. Well, we have four years to examine how difficult it is to put a revolution together, how difficult it is to become a leader, how difficult it is to be a victim.
But what happens to the original gangsters? What happens to the outliers? What happens to the people who were…every revolution consumes people and glorifies people, and not always the people that did the thing that mattered. How do you scale up something that essentially does not thrive in sunshine? How do you that? And those issues and all the chaos of that is going to be of great interest to us going forward.
Duncan Pow, who plays Melshi, will be back. Obviously, we’re playing there with that, because he’s going to be in Rogue One.
Deadline: The Imperials seem to be making Cassian a more notorious guy than he really is. They seem to be giving him this larger than life reputation. Do you agree?
Gilroy: One doesn’t even really know who he really is. They don’t even really know how bad he is. They don’t know. I mean, they think he might have been in Aldhani, but the reason that Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero is trying to get him so bad — it’s a great hunter and hunted relationship. It’s a desperate thing and she’s right to be chasing him. She’s thinks enough like him that she’s the first person who realizes that Aldhani isn’t a robbery, it’s an announcement. And she’s going to be chasing him for a long time, and you know, Cassian is the link. That is the only viable link that she can find. If she can find him, she might find Luthen. Stellan’s Luthen doesn’t know who Cassian is.
Deadline: That epilogue with the building of the Death Star, was that always in the cards?
Gilroy: Yeah, when we came up with the prison and then we started saying, ‘What are we making?’ and then we built the thing. It’s like, ‘Oh, my God. Well, let’s have it do that. How ironic and how potent and how round and synchronicitis that is.’
And then, Mohen Leo and Tj Falls, who are visual arts department, who are just amazing and they were on Rogue One, they were like, ‘Oh, let us play with that.’ And you know, six months later you go into a visual master deal and it’s like, oh, we have a special gift to launch today and it’s like, the raw version of that, it was so cool. They did all that and we helped refine it, but it’s their piece as well.
The Q&a was edited for length and clarity.
- 11/24/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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