With “Andor”, a new “Star Wars” series starts on September 21 on the Disney streaming service. The Mexican actor Diego Luna (42) embodies the main character Cassian Andor in the prequel show. Luna previously played the character in the 2016 prequel film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which follows the prequel to Star Wars (1977). The series “Andor” is now the prequel to this prequel. The story begins five years before “Rogue One”.
At the start of the series, the evil empire rules the “Star Wars” galaxy. “Andor” is set “in the darkest of times,” lead actor Luna revealed to “Rolling Stone.” It shows how ordinary people gradually defend themselves against the oppression by the empire that they have to endure in their everyday lives. “We emphasize that change and revolution happen when ordinary people decide to do something,” Luna said.
Showrunner Tony Gilroy (66), who was responsible for crucial reshoots in the film “Rogue One”, wants to show “the training and evolution of a revolutionary” with his new “Star Wars” series. So “Andor” is an origin story of its title character. In addition to this development, however, it is also about the emergence of the rebellion in a broader sense, which later in the films “Episode IV-VI” from the years 1977-1983 brings down the evil empire around the Emperor and Darth Vader.
That promises a more political “Star Wars” series. In fact, “Andor” explores whole new corners of the galaxy far, far away. The desert planet of Tatooine – last seen on the shows ‘The Mandalorian’ (since 2019), ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ (2021-2022) and ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ (2022) – is featured in the first four episodes of ‘ Andor” no scene.
The famous Jedi Knights do not appear in “Andor” either. “If you think about it, most beings in the galaxy don’t know the Jedi and have never seen a lightsaber,” said showrunner Gilroy. “This topic and the royal ‘Star Wars’ family” had “been chewed around for a long time”. “Andor” breaks new ground here – and thus brings a breath of fresh air into the widely ramified series and film universe.
“It’s unfair that the series is called ‘Andor’ because it’s quite an ensemble work,” star Luna says of his new “Star Wars” series. In fact, a number of actors make up the show’s acting ensemble. In addition to Luna, the Swedish character actor Stellan Skarsgård (71) plays the revolutionary Luthen Rael. Fiona Shaw (64), known from the series “Killing Eve”, embodies Cassian’s adoptive mother Maarva Andor. Irish actress Denise Gough (42) plays Imperial officer Dedra Meero and American Kyle Soller (39) plays the particularly stubborn Imperial officer Syril.
But “Andor” wouldn’t be a “Star Wars” series if some familiar faces didn’t also appear. In addition to the title character, this is Genevieve O’Reilly (45), who again embodies Senator Mon Mothma – as before in “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” from 2005 and “Rogue One”.
On September 21, Disney will release the first three “Andor” episodes at once. After that, it will continue on a weekly basis, so that the finale of season one will be released on November 23rd.
The show’s second season will start production in November and will likely be released on Disney in fall 2024 at the earliest, series creator Gilroy revealed to The Wrap. The second will remain the final season of the show and will lead straight into the events of Rogue One, Deadline confirms.
During the first “Andor” season, a year passes in the galaxy far, far away. Season two will again consist of twelve episodes, with three episodes each covering the events of a year.
