Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Star Wars TV

  • Tony Gilroy Explains the Inspiration Behind ‘Andor’

    Tony Gilroy Explains the Inspiration Behind ‘Andor’

    When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story debuted in theaters in 2016, no one expected to see the series continue years down the line. Especially not leading man Diego Luna. However, Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, had an idea on how to expand upon Cassian Andor’s story. During the virtual press conference for Andor, Gilroy was asked about his inspiration behind the Disney+ series, and the showrunner explained he wanted to be able to showcase the complexities of the character before the events of Rogue One.

    I think the main idea is we have a character in Rogue One.  And we know where he ends up.  And we know how accomplished and complicated he is.  And the idea that we can do a story that takes him literally from his childhood origins and walk him through a five-year history of an odyssey that takes him to that place, during a revolution, during a moment in history in a place where huge events are happening and real people are being crushed by it, the fact that we could follow somebody as an example of a revolution all the way through to the end, that was the walk-in for me. 

    Being able to showcase Andor and his life leading up to the revolution was ultimately the selling point for Gilroy. While the series has a ton of characters, including some we’ve already met previously, the series ultimately focuses on Andor and the difficult times and decisions that are made leading up the events of Rogue One – just on a “big canvas.”

    And Gilroy isn’t the only one excited to be expanding upon the character of Andor. Luna was quick to note how much he enjoys working with Gilroy, who he calls someone he admires, and how exciting the prospect of Andor is because it’s not just about a specific event.

    First of all, just the chance to be back working with this family, getting to do more stuff with Tony, which is someone I admire, and I love his company and, and collaborating with him is amazing.  So just being back felt great.  But I think Rogue One is a film about an event, you know?  You don’t get to know those characters.  You don’t get to understand exactly where they come from, what needed to happen. 

    Luna

    Star Wars: Andor will debut with three episodes on September 21st. The remaining nine episodes will then drop weekly on Disney+.

  • D23: Idea of ‘Skeleton Crew’ Came Together on ‘Spider-Man’ Set, First Look at Jude Law’s Character

    D23: Idea of ‘Skeleton Crew’ Came Together on ‘Spider-Man’ Set, First Look at Jude Law’s Character

    While Jon Watts was originally set to direct Fantastic Four after his success with Spider-Man: No Way Home, he suddenly pulled back on the project. Shortly after he’d announce his involvement with a new Star Wars series titled Skeleton Crew. It wasn’t until Star Wars Anniversary that we’d find out about it but it turns out the idea was actually going back and forth between Jon Favreau and Jon Watts during their time on the set for Spider-Man as revealed during the D23 Expo panel.

    During the panel, we also got our first look at Jude Law‘s mysterious character, as shared by our own Charles Murphy attending the event.

  • D23: ‘Tales of the Jedi’ Gets October Release

    D23: ‘Tales of the Jedi’ Gets October Release

    It looks like we finally have a release date for the anthology series Tales of the Jedi. The continuation of the animated side of Star Wars ever-growing lore will take the look at different and familiar characters from the franchise’s history and give them a bit more time. We’ll explore the origins of Ahsoka Tano, and Qui-Gon Jin and maybe even find out what led Count Dooku down the right of what turned him evil. It now has received an October 28th release date during the D23 panel by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

  • D23: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Arrives in January with 2 Episode Premiere

    D23: ‘The Bad Batch’ Season 2 Arrives in January with 2 Episode Premiere

    We’ve got our first new release dates as finally will know when The Bad Batch season 2 releases. While it’s been a back and forth on its release date, at one point even a mistake on Disney+ setting it for late September, it’s now confirmed for a release in January, on the 4th to be exact. It’ll consist of 16 episodes and come with a two-episode premiere, which is a nice trend from the series.

  • D23: ‘Andor’ Season 2 to Start Production Soon, Described as 24-Episode Spy Thriller

    D23: ‘Andor’ Season 2 to Start Production Soon, Described as 24-Episode Spy Thriller

    D23 has finally kicked off its second day with a big showcase starring some of their biggest additions, Lucasfilm, Marvel and 20th Century. While they are strategically keeping some of the big announcements for later, Kathleen Kennedy kicked off the event to tease the upcoming Andor series and teased that Season 2 is set to start production soon and described it as a 24-episode spy thriller. So, we can expect a very different type of Star Wars show. She teased that showrunner Tony Gilroy has also added his usual Bourne “tension” during thee event which sounds quite promising.

    Source: Twitter

  • REPORT: ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ Adds 2 Young Leads to Disney+ Series Cast

    REPORT: ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ Adds 2 Young Leads to Disney+ Series Cast

    We’ve long been waiting for news for Lucasfilm and it seems that shortly before the big event arrived a few tidbits have already found their day online. In this case, two cast members that’ll join Jon Watts‘ upcoming Skeleton Crew. According to Cinelinx, they have cast Kyriana Kratter and Ravi Cabot-Conyers for the series that is rumored to explore four kids on an unlikely adventure throughout space. They may be likely officially confirmed later today during the panel. They’re the first hint at the lead cast that we’ve gotten besides the only confirmed casting of Jude Law from Star Wars Celebration.

    Source: Cinelinx

  • Mena Massoud Confirms He Initially Auditioned for ‘Ahsoka’s Ezra

    Mena Massoud Confirms He Initially Auditioned for ‘Ahsoka’s Ezra

    It feels like yesterday when rumors flooded the internet that Aladdin‘s Mena Massoud would be playing Ezra Bridger in Star Wars‘ upcoming Ahsoka series. Many were quite hyped about the actor getting the role but it wasn’t until earlier today that it was confirmed that actor Eman Esfandi has gotten the role for Ezra. Of course, it left the door open to how the rumors started in regards to Massoud.

    As it turns out, the actor took to Twitter to share his relief that the rumors were finally losing steam. Still, he did highlight that he actually auditioned for the role with a self-tape months ago and simply didn’t get further along in the casting process.

    https://twitter.com/menamassoud/status/1568320638733139968

    It’s a shame he didn’t get the role but the actor shared that he’s excited to see what Esfandi can bring to the role. Plus, he also highlighted how similar he looks to the Star Wars Rebels character. Given his performance in Aladdin, it’s a shame he hasn’t found a new role in the Disney playhouse again but perhaps there’s another one just on the horizon waiting for him.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ Has Found its Ezra Bridger

    ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ Has Found its Ezra Bridger

    If there’s been one casting that everyone is talking about with Ahsoka it is whoever may end up playing Ezra Bridger. The popular Jedi padawan was first introduced in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and when first hints with Ahsoka’s arrival in The Mandalorian hinted at a continuation of where that series left off, it seemed obvious he’d make his eventual live-action premiere as well. Now, it seems we finally know.

    While we got a tease of Ezra in Ahsoka back during Star Wars Celebration, it was still the one casting that has never been confirmed. As it turns out, we just had to wait until just ahead of D23 for the confirmation Eman Esfandi will take on the role of Ezra Bridger in the live-action spinoff heading to Disney+.

    He joins a stacked cast that already consists of Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno, Ray Stevenson, Hayden Christensen, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo. We’ll see what the project will look like and how it will potentially tie in all open points in regards to Star Wars Rebels, as well as set up a future for these characters in this new post-The Mandalorian universe.

    Source: Cinelinx

  • Jodie Turner-Smith Joins ‘The Acolyte’

    Jodie Turner-Smith Joins ‘The Acolyte’

    Announced during Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, The Acolyte was one of many Star Wars projects that went dark for a while with virtually no updates on the series. That was until it had been announced that Amanda Stenberg was set to lead the cast of the Sith-based prequel series for Disney+ and it looks like the project has secured yet another cast member.

    Deadline is reporting that actress Jodie Turner-Smith, best known for her work in projects like After Yang, Queen and Slim, and Anne Boleyn, has joined the cast of the Disney+ series. The trade report didn’t have any details on who Smith will be playing in the series as details on the project still remain under wraps.

    The series, developed by Netflix’s Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland, is said to take viewers into the last days of the High Republic as the Dark Side grows in power and will follow a young Sith apprentice, known as an Acolyte. The project is reportedly set to begin filming sometime this Fall.

    Fans can most likely expect to hear more on the project at the upcoming D23 expo set for September 9th and 10th where anything and everything under the Disney umbrella will have time to shine during two major Studio Showcase panels.

    Smith can be seen in multiple upcoming projects such as White Noise alongside Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, directed by Noah Baumbach and Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2.

    SOURCE: Deadline

  • ‘Andor’ Creator on the 3-Episode Premiere and How it Inspired Their Season 2 Approach

    ‘Andor’ Creator on the 3-Episode Premiere and How it Inspired Their Season 2 Approach

    We were caught off-guard when the first season of Andor was going to premiere in September with not one, not two but three episodes. While we’ve had a two-episode premiere in the past, this was quite the surprise for many when it was first revealed. Most assumed it might be to make way for what else is released on Disney+ throughout the rest of the year, but it seems that there is even a story reason for this decision.

    In an interview with Variety, Tony Gilroy revealed that the reason they decided to release three episodes is that they were written and directed by the same team. Not just that, but it also is a single story arc that unfolds throughout these three episodes. So, they purposefully didn’t want to break it up in its premiere which also became their base structure for how they attempt the second season. It is also why the first and second seasons each consist of 12 episodes, as three episodes would cover a certain amount of time in the next season.

    They want to explore five years in this story, but their original plan to have it unravel with one season per year just wouldn’t make it, as production would take too long. So, Andor‘s first season covers one year broken into story arcs while the second season will have three episodes cover a specific amount of time. So, it’ll be interesting to see how it balances multiple years in a single season with this same approach.

    Source: Variety