We Finally Have A Star Wars: Andor Update
It's been a few years since fans last got a big screen "Star Wars" adventure — and that's largely down to the fact that the galaxy far, far away is growing bigger on Disney+ thanks to the likes of "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett." Set in the years between "Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" and "Episode VII – The Force Awakens," the two live-action shows explore the grimier side of the "Star Wars" universe through the eyes of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison). "The Mandalorian" has been hugely successful, largely because of the relationship between the titular Beskar-clad bounty hunter and his adopted son, Grogu.
It proved that a live-action "Star Wars" series is worth the time and money from Disney+ and Lucasfilm, and there are many more shows in the pipeline. Not only is "The Mandalorian" Season 3 in production, but Ewan McGregor is returning to lead the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series which premieres on May 27, 2022. The streaming service is also working on "Ahsoka," which follows Rosario Dawson as the titular Jedi, while "The Acolyte" will star Amandla Stenberg and take audiences back to the High Republic era (via Deadline).
Diego Luna will also reprise his "Rogue One" role in "Andor," a thriller that'll explore the spy's early days of working for the rebellion and going up against the Empire. Production has already finished on the upcoming series, though fans haven't seen much from it — but there's a surprising update about what's ahead for the "Rogue One" prequel series.
Andor is reportedly shorter than planned
Although "Andor" doesn't have an official release date yet, the entire show will reportedly be shorter than intended. Don't worry, Disney+ isn't cutting any episodes out of the 12-episode season — but it apparently won't have as many seasons as originally planned. When speaking to the Brazilian outlet TV Cultura, the director of photography Adriano Goldman explained that the show will not have five seasons as expected, saying "The series I worked on was supposed to be five seasons long, but I think it's not happening. It will have three [seasons], maybe."
Goldman didn't explain the reason behind the shorter season length, but it's probably a good thing that Disney+ taking a more succinct approach to the prequel so that it doesn't feel too drawn out. The show has recruited an impressive cast, with iconic star Stellan Skarsgård joining Diego Luna alongside "Killing Eve" alum Fiona Shaw, "Morbius" star Adria Arjona, and Denise Gough. Meanwhile, Genevieve O'Reilly is also set to reprise her "Rogue One" role as the Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma, and Forest Whitaker will return as the insurgent fighter, Saw Guerrera (via The Playlist).
Hopefully, Disney+ and Lucasfilm will announce the "Andor" release date soon with some clarification on its future. According to Skarsgård, Season 2 is already in the works, and production starts in the fall — so Disney is clearly confident enough in the Rebel spy.