Category Archives: The Direct – Star Wars

Dispatches, Reports, The Direct - Star Wars

Cable TV Release for Andor

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Select episodes of Andor will be shown on cable television channels for Thanksgiving and ahead of the show’s season finale.

While Andor on Disney+ is both a prequel and spin-off to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the series led by Cassian Andor’s Diego Luna has been a Star Wars project like none other.

In addition to its unique formulaic structure, lightsabers and Skywalkers have been noticeably absent; and in their place, Star Wars’ most mature, complex, and intelligent content to date.

Despite being a critics’ darling, Andor has struggled in terms of viewership. But that all could change when the Star Wars series breaks the mold once more in a historic release beyond that of Disney+…

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Lucasfilm Restricted Andor’s Sex & Violence

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Andor has taken a deeper dive into mature content than previous Star Wars stories, though creator Tony Gilroy was restricted by Lucasfilm in exploring two concepts in-depth onscreen on Disney+.

The series made its intentions clear immediately when Cassian Andor visited a brothel in the opening sequence of the first episode. Intimate relationships between characters have been covered in ways more blunt than anything else Star Wars has ever done, like things getting steamy between Bix and Timm on Ferrix and their bedroom discussion the morning after.

Violence has been fairly on-brand for Star Wars, though Andor doesn’t shy away from taking out many of the good guys, too. Blood in large capacities is seen infrequently in the galaxy far, far away, mostly due to the weapons cauterizing wounds. Cassian and fellow rebels have killed their foes heartlessly, but gore has never been extreme.

For a longtime filmmaker like Gilroy, it was imperative that he have free reign to tell his story as he saw fit. Given the histories Disney and Lucasfilm have in media, the producer was uncertain if a partnership would last. Fortunately, he was afforded full creative freedom, with a request to dial it back on two key elements…

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What’s Next for Animated Ahsoka?

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When Rosario Dawson was cast as Ahsoka in live-action, many fans thought that it might mean the end of the much beloved animated version of the character, who was voiced by Ashley Eckstein.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, as she returned to voice the character in three installments of the recently released Tales of the Jedi on Disney+. But where will she pop up next?

Chronologically, the next time Ahsoka is seen after her final episode of Tales is in Star Wars: Rebels, where she’s revealed to be the mysterious Rebel Fulcrum. However, after her final appearance there, the Star Wars timeline catches up to where the live-action content is now.

On the animated side, she could still end up in Star Wars: The Bad Batch at some point, which takes place shortly after Revenge of the Sith—a lot of that time remains unaccounted for. Or could it be an unannounced project? According to the actress, not even she knows…

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It’s Not Just Farmboys That Whine

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Wall-E director Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote the final two episodes of Disney+‘s Obi-Wan Kenobi, has had some challenges with the restrictions working on the Star Wars series regarding the canon storyline.

Lucasfilm and Disney’s series Obi-Wan Kenobi wrapped up its six-episode run some months ago. While it didn’t take the world by storm, it was still a very popular show in its own right.

Kenobi, of course, saw Ewan McGregor’s legendary Jedi Master take on Darth Vader in a high-stakes rematch. The entire season was driving toward the former friends’ fateful lightsaber clash on an unnamed planet.

Now, the Star Wars franchise’s sense of canon has always been somewhat free-flowing, but the live-action properties, at least, are seemingly made to follow a strict sense of continuity. And it seems that Andrew Stanton, who helped write Kenobi’s fifth and sixth chapters, took some issue with these limitations…

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Serkis on His Star Wars Return

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After five years, Supreme Leader Snoke has returned—well, in a way.

Andy Serkis, who brought the villain to life via mo-cap for The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, unexpectedly popped back up in the Star Wars universe recently thanks to the Disney+ series Andor.

However, despite formerly playing Snoke, this time, he plays a man named Kino Loy, who is the floor leader in the work prison where the leading character finds himself trapped.

Currently, the character seems entirely separate from Snoke, which is likely to remain the case. However, that hasn’t stopped some fans from generating wild theories that Kino will one day become Snoke.

Now, the incredible actor behind the new character has spoken about what makes Kino tick and his thoughts on fans’ expectations regarding his past portrayal of Snoke…

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Dafne Keene Reportedly Joining The Acolyte

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Lucasfilm has reportedly cast Logan actress Dafne Keen in the studio’s upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series, The Acolyte.

Anticipation may be high for the return of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka’s solo series, but Lucasfilm’s upcoming slate has more to offer than just familiar faces.

Expected to release on Disney+ in 2024, The Acolyte not only promises to explore the dark side of the Force, but also the High Republic.

Since this period within the Star Wars timeline has never been seen on screen, the list of new stars joining the Lucasfilm family continues to grow, especially now that filming for the series is underway…

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New Funkos For Boba

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After almost a year, the world is finally getting some proper Funko Pops! for Disney+’s The Book of Boba Fett.

The last chapter of the Star Wars series aired back in early February of this year, yet, Funko collectors have only gotten three figures representing the show.

The first two were of Boba Fett and Fennec Shand, with the third, a flocked Krrsantan, being released at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. However, given everyone who shows their face in the seven episodes of the show’s first season, fans felt that there could have been plenty more.

Thankfully, it seems the toy company hasn’t quite left the show behind yet, as Funko officially announced seven more figures for its Book of Boba Fett lineup…

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Lucasfilm Worried About Next Movie?

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For the time being, the next Star Wars film is scheduled for a December 2025 theatrical release. The previously slated move, Rogue Squadron, won’t be meeting its 2023 window and has instead been shelved. Given the current trend at Lucasfilm, the odds of a movie being ready in three years’ time almost seems like an impossibility.

It’s been abundantly clear for years that internal turmoil has stalled the film development process for the company since the completion of the sequel trilogy. This was confirmed last week when Lucasfilm SVP Michelle Rejwan was demoted. The producer was tasked with overseeing Rogue Squadron’s development – in addition to other new films – and was relieved of her duties following too many creative difficulties.

Now three years removed from the last silver-screen experience, Star Wars fans are itching to get back into theaters for a journey into the galaxy far, far away. That time is still a few years away, at best, and it’s not one that Lucasfilm is particularly looking forward to. With so much riding on the next theatrical title, Lucasfilm executives are actually worried about the franchise’s next steps…

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The Acolyte Gets Filming Update

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Star Wars will soon bring the High Republic to live-action as Disney+’s The Acolyte series finally has some exciting news after months of disappointing delays.

Most of Star Wars’ Disney+ endeavors so far have explored familiar faces in the timeline of the famous Skywalker Saga, but that’s all about to change. After seeing a major push on the publishing side, the High Republic will soon be coming to live-action with The Acolyte, a mystery-thriller exploring the emergence of the Sith.

The secretive project – which will star Amandla Stenberg as “Aura,” which may be a codename – has suffered constant delays since its December 2020 reveal. The first timetable that emerged last summer pointed toward The Acolyte getting in front of the cameras this February, but that never came to be.

Further delays went on to push the Lucasfilm production to Summer 2022 and then eventually October 2022 as casting continued. Now, as October comes to a close, more news has surfaced on the series, and things are finally beginning to look up for the first live-action dive into the High Republic….

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Mandalorian Major Crossover Hint

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The Mandalorian jump-started the Star Wars franchise when it was dying, thanks to the reception of The Rise of Skywalker. It’s now become the flagship project in the franchise and has been responsible for several spin-offs set in the same timeframe.

But what fans haven’t seen is any major crossovers between the individual series. The closest audiences have come was the involvement of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, but that was before they both had their own shows—so it doesn’t fully count.

So, when might two series collide in a bigger way?

One possibility could be with the Jude Law-starring Star Wars show Skeleton Crew. Before the project was officially announced, many people thought it was going to be a High Republic-based show—along the same lines as The Acolyte. Instead, this new project has been rumored to be in a similar vein as Stranger Things.

More importantly, the show is also set in the same timeframe as The Mandalorian. Could fans expect a crossover between these two shows sooner rather than later?

According to Jon Favreau, that’s a very real possibility…..

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Ashley Eckstein Shuts Down Rumors

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Ahsoka has been a bit of a bridge character for Lucasfilm in recent years. The once-young Jedi made the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian, directly connecting The Clone Wars with this new era of Disney+ streaming. Now, though the character will get a series of her own in the upcoming Ahsoka.

The Rosario Dawson-led streaming project will serve as a sequel series to Rebels, bringing that series’ set of characters into live action for the very first time. The show is supposedly coming soon with a first look having been shown off at the D23 Fan Expo in September.

But with Dawson taking on the role of Ahsoka in live-action, some are asking whether Jedi’s original voice actor Ashley Eckstein will be a part of the series in any way….

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Disney+ Makes Fun of 1 Jedi Death With New Star Wars Easter Egg

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This past week, Star Wars fans were treated to not just another episode of Andor on Disney+, but a whole new animated anthology series titled Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi.

A spin-off of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, Tales of the Jedi is a six-episode event with a special focus on Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku.

While Star Wars fans have seen how The Clone Wars ends, one particular Tales of the Jedi episode revisited a key moment from Anakin’s training of Ahsoka. And in an ironic twist, it featured a grim reminder of another Jedi’s death…

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Did Cad Bane Really Die?

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In “Chapter 6” of this year’s The Book of Boba Fett, Star Wars fans celebrated yet another live-action debut for a beloved animated character with Corey Burton’s Cad Bane shooting his way into the action.

Unfortunately, the series’ first season ended with Cad Bane meeting his untimely end at the hands of Boba Fett, to the surprise of many who were hoping for him to have an extended run on Disney+. But as has been the case for years in the world of pop culture movies, particularly in the galaxy far, far away, nobody is truly dead in these kinds of stories.

The first signs pointing to Cad Bane’s return have already been laid out, although it’s still unclear where or when he could jump back into the story with what Lucasfilm and Disney have planned in the near future. Additionally, the actor behind the blue-skinned alien cowboy recently teased the idea of coming back, looking back at the history of great movie and TV villains in the process….

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Disney+’s Ahsoka Show Reveals Its Intriguing Genre

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When Ahsoka Tano first debuted in The Mandalorian‘s second season, most fans were not only excited but also relieved—it was about time one of  Star Wars’ best characters finally got her due in live-action. Lucasfilm seemed to agree, as it didn’t take long for Rosario Dawson’s former Jedi to get her own streaming series.

It’s not clear what Ahsoka will be about specifically, but it does look to be following the plot threads left hanging by the animated fan-favorite series Star Wars: Rebels. This means that fans can expect to see familiar faces, including Ezra Bridger, who was missing the last fans heard of him.

But how might Ahsoka feel compared to all of the other Star Wars projects out there? Will it be the galaxy-spanning adventure of The Mandalorian? Or maybe something closer to The Book of Boba Fett?

Well, now, thanks to the franchise’s key creatives, fans might have a better idea of what to expect from Ahsoka Tano’s solo project….

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Star Wars Casts Yaddle In Disney+ Show

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Bryce Dallas Howard has become a mainstay in the Star Wars universe as she continues her impressive career in Hollywood. While she’s best known as an actor for roles in movies like Spider-Man 3, Rocketman, and the Jurassic World trilogy, Lucasfilm has allowed her to expand her resume with credits as a director as the galaxy far, far away moved to Disney+.

Her work on the streaming network has been an overwhelming success for Lucasfilm, starting off with Chapter 4 of The Mandalorian in 2019 as she worked herself into the Star Wars family. She was then brought back to direct Chapter 11 the following year along with an episode of The Book of Boba Fett in 2021, and reports have indicated that she already has more on her plate for the Mandoverse’s future.

And now, Howard also gets the chance to flex her acting chops for the first time with Lucasfilm, as she confirmed in her latest post on social media….

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Andor Just Recycled A Last Jedi Scene

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Andor has captured the attention of Star Wars fans across the world. The latest Disney+ series may not have the same gigantic audience as the likes of Obi-Wan or The Mandalorian, but it’s being hailed critically as the best of the bunch.

It certainly came as a surprise to many, seeing as how the show stars a character who wasn’t even the lead of his debut movie. Yet, he’s now managing to lead some of the best storytelling in the franchise.

While it’s previously been touted that the series is very much telling its own contained story, there have still been plenty of Easter Eggs for fans to uncover. After all, with the show being about the birth of the Rebellion, it’s going to have to connect to some things.

However, now an unexpected connection between the show and a big movie has been revealed—and it involves the polarizing film, The Last Jedi….

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Disney Prevents Kennedy From Announcing New Projects

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It’s no secret that the lack of Star Wars news to come from either Celebration or the D23 Expo has been a major disappointment. The franchise’s television future on Disney+ is relatively clear for the next few years, though the theatrical waters remain murky. Any anticipation for film announcements has been met with Lucasfilm’s trademark secrecy.

Such a tight-lipped approach at Star Wars Celebration was particularly perplexing, given the nature of the event and the lack of positive motion picture developments in recent years. Much of the studio’s main presentation was spent discussing the Willow series and Indiana Jones 5 – a bonus for fans of those properties, but an irritation for people in Jedi cosplay who payed top dollar to attend.

While a more general presentation at D23 is acceptable and unsurprising, the Star Wars segment of Lucasfilm’s time on stage only provided updates for shows that could be done in tweets. The roof was far from blown off the building, and the Star Wars faithful expected nothing less. As head of the company, Kathleen Kennedy naturally draws the most ire for these lackluster episodes… but it may not entirely be her fault…

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Dispatches, Reports, The Direct - Star Wars

An Upcoming Andor Betrayal Spoiled?

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Andor has been quite a surprise for audiences around the world. Cassian Andor, who wasn’t even the lead character of Rogue One, somehow not only has scored his own show but has some fans hailing it as some of the best Star Wars content to date. Yes, even above projects such as The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Viewers are nothing short of enthralled.

Somehow, the series is already over halfway through its 12-episode first season. Time sure does fly by whilst watching engaging political maneuvering and tension-filled heists.

But what might these last few installments have in store for fans? Well, a new trailer seems to potentially reveal a massive betrayal that may happen before the show’s freshman run is complete…..

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Jedi Fallen Order 2 Gets Release Update

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Earlier this year, fans were treated with the first glimpse at Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts’ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order followup, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. The sequel to 2019’s Star Wars epic has fans itching to get back into control of protagonist Cal Cestis as is “challenged in ways that we haven’t seen” before.

Survivor debuted with a teaser trailer back at Star Wars Celebration in May and instantly had fans diving into a flurry of questions. Who was in the bacta tank? Why is Cal bearded? Was that the Grand Inquisitor?

But the biggest question of all was when is this next-gen game coming? No official release date has been announced for the title, but rumors (and internal EA documents) have pointed to it hitting store shelves sometime before March 2023. However, the radio silence surrounding the project has gamers around the world worried that the Star Wars epic could be the victim of a delay, something insiders are saying seems unlikely….

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Bad Batch Season 2 Poster Shows…

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New Star Wars: Bad Batch Season 2 Poster Shows Off 5 Main Characters

Even though Andor‘s 12-episode first season has passed its halfway point, Lucasfilm has more Empire-period storytelling waiting in the wings. Premiering on Disney+ on January 4, 2023, is Season 2 of Star Wars: The Bad Batch which is expected to continue exploring the state of the galaxy post-Order 66.

Apart from it being animated, The Bad Batch stands apart from both Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi in that its cast is made up of clones. While Season 1 focused on how an experimental squad of clones dealt with the aftermath of Revenge of the Sith and the young, female clone, Omega, the trailer for Season 2 not only teased Emperor Palpatine and Commander Cody but a new design for Clone Force 99.

Now, just a few months out from The Bad Batch‘s sophomore season, a new poster is offering a better look at the cast’s new threads….

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Lucasfilm Loses Senior Exec

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Lucasfilm has released a substantial amount of Star Wars series exclusively on Disney+ since The Mandalorian began streaming in 2019. In that time, shows such as The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi have seen a massive amount of success on the streaming platform.

In the coming years, the Disney+ release schedule will be even more packed, as nearly a dozen series are confirmed to be released. However, many fans have had complaints about the film side of the franchise, which has been completely bare since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

Disney and Lucasfilm have had plans to keep the galaxy far, far away on the big screen, but that journey has been rocky up to this point.

The first movie to follow the end of the Skywalker Saga was supposed to be Rogue Squadron, which was going to be directed by Patty Jenkins and would’ve released in December 2023. The film was announced all the way back in 2020 but never seemed to have any real developments until it was scrapped from Disney’s release schedule in September.

With the future of Star Wars films still up in the air, a Lucasfilm Senior Executive, Michelle Rejwan, has recently stepped down from her position, adding to the uncertainty that lies ahead….

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Andor Trailer Spoils Return

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When an Andor series was first announced, many fans were confused. What could a show about Cassian Andor from Rogue One be about? After all, he wasn’t even the lead character of that film.

To everyone’s surprise, the series has already been a hit with critics, with many already hailing it as some of the best content from the franchise on Disney+.

Yet, Cassian’s story is still missing one fan-favorite aspect: K2SO. The droid was first introduced in Rogue One and was voiced by Alan Tudyk—however, he has yet to show up. This isn’t too surprising since it was previously confirmed by the actor himself that he wouldn’t be in the series’ first season.

With that said, it hasn’t stopped the most recent episode from blatantly teasing the droid’s eventual involvement….

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Ahsoka Gets Exciting Filming Update

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The upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka will carry forth the story of the Togruta ex-Jedi, presumably as she continues her search for Ezra Bridger.

Along for the ride is none other than Sabine Wren, seemingly making Ahsoka as much of a Star Wars Rebels sequel as it is a standalone project. Actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo will bring the colorful Mandalorian warrior to life alongside Rosario Dawson’s take on the title character.

The show began production earlier this year with a targeted release date set for sometime in 2023, and it seems Bordizzo has very recently fulfilled her commitments to the Disney+ series….

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Data Reveals Andor’s Audience Struggles

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Andor may feature a familiar character from a familiar Star Wars story, but Lucasfilm’s latest series for Disney+ is unlike any other fans have seen on the streamer thus far.

In addition to its 12-episode seasons with time jumps, Andor stands apart in that it’s more for adults than kids in both its content and complexity and is not a continuation of Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau’s ongoing Mando-Verse.

Instead, Andor is a product of Rogue One writer Tony Gilroy, and the first production to forgo The Volume and StageCraft for on-set locations.

But even though it differs from the likes of The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, audience response to these differences has been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, many already consider Andor one of the best Star Wars series to date.

However, while the Diego Luna-led series appears to be winning with fans and critics, it appears to be struggling in terms of audience demand.

How Andor’s Demand Compares to Other Disney+ Star Wars Series

According to Parrot Analytics’ Brandon Katz, data suggests that, despite Andor‘s success with fans and critics, audience demand for the series has been significantly lower than other Star Wars Disney+ series at relative points in their releases, including The Book of Boba Fett:

“The most disappointing trend I’ve come across recently is how audience demand for Andor is overwhelmingly lower than The Mandalorian S1-2, The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi despite the fact that it is easily the best Star Wars series BY FAR.”

Katz’s claim of how the demand for Andor is “overwhelmingly lower” than Lucasfilm’s other Star Wars series when they were airing can be seen in the graph below…

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How Andor’ Will Break Season 1’s Formula

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With half of the first season available to the world, Andor has quickly become one of the most pleasant Star Wars surprises. Lauded by fans for its mature approach and exceptional writing, Tony Gilroy’s series is setting the bar higher for all live-action content to come.

Part of the show’s appeal has been the breaking of new ground with the exploration of various original characters, made possible by a familiar story structure. Fans of The Clone Wars are well accustomed to the arc formula, which devoted three or four episodes to tell a larger, interconnected narrative. Andor has done so similarly, having focused the first three episodes on Ferrix and the subsequent arc on the Aldhani heist.

It’s a format that’s largely here to stay – particularly with Season 2, which will devote an arc per year in the Star Wars timeline leading directly into Rogue One. But there will be a slight shake-up before this approach becomes permanent. While discussing the remainder of the series, Gilroy indicated that the forthcoming episode will stand on its own….

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Andor Season 2’s Crossovers Teased By Cast

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Andor has been packed with one of the biggest Star Wars ensemble casts ever put to screen, with characters new and old tagging along for the Rebel adventure. Sitting at the heart of it is Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, exploring his Rogue One hero years before joining the Rebel Alliance as he evades the wrath of the Empire.

At the crux of the mission to arrest Andor is Kyle Soller’s Syril Karn, a Deputy Inspector working for Preox-Morlana under the Empire. He may be the one with his heart set on hunting down Andor right now, but he isn’t the only Imperial in the picture, with Denise Gough’s Dedra Meero also trying to climb the ranks.

Between the two Empire stories, Cassian’s own travels across the galaxy, flashbacks to his youth, and the inception of the Rebel Alliance, Andor has plenty of stories working separately and simultaneously. Now, two of the series’ villainous stars have opened up about how they will all connect in the future….

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Disney Confirms 10 Actors For Tales Of The Jedi

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In just over two weeks, Lucasfilm Animation will return with a new Star Wars project in Tales of the Jedi. A series of six anthology shorts, Dave Filoni wrote the stories to kill time during flights to Los Angeles for the production of The Mandalorian; with the beautiful animation work being done for The Bad Batch, the Man in the Cowboy Hat had to get his hands on more of that medium himself.

Officially revealed at Star Wars Celebration in May, Tales of the Jedi will dedicate three episodes each to two figures who strayed from the Jedi path: Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. A trailer shared at the event and now available to view online features the leads alongside other Star Wars icons, like Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, and Darth Sidious.

For a generation of fans, every Saturday morning saw these heroes and villains appear on TV screens in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While the journeys of Ahsoka and Dooku in that era were largely believed complete, the anthology series will delve into more of what the characters’ lives were like before and after the war. As part of Lucasfilm Animation’s latest effort, an ensemble of voice actors are returning for their roles….

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Unsurprising Actor Reportedly Cast For Ahsoka

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She’s no Jedi. But she’s also not the only star of her 2023 Disney+ series, Ahsoka.

When Rosario Dawson brought Ahsoka Tano into live-action in The Mandalorian, her mission was made clear: she’s on the hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn and likely Ezra Bridger as well.

Since it’s confirmed that Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren would be joining the Disney+ cast, it appears that Dave Filoni’s Ahsoka is shaping up to be a Star Wars: Rebels live-action reunion. But ever since Dawson’s Ahsoka namedropped Thrawn, the question has been who Lucasfilm will cast to play the iconic antagonist.

Despite the fact Ahsoka is currently filming, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni kept Thrawn’s casting under wraps throughout Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo.

But now, a new rumor just may have the answer….

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Star Wars Acolyte Release Date: New Updates

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The Acolyte is one of the many small screen entries of Star Wars on its Disney+ slate. Although the anticipation of fans has been mostly directed at Ahsoka and The Mandalorian, there’s a lot to be excited about in the upcoming series, such as its exploration of the dark side of the Force.

Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland will serve as showrunner of the series. In addition, The Acolyte is being described as an action thriller with martial arts elements and it is said to be female-centric.

While a release date has not been set in stone, behind-the-scenes photos from The Acolyte revealed that the Star Wars series is beginning preparations for its production.

Now, a more concrete update has emerged….

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Christian Bale Has 1 Star Wars Role In Mind

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Christian Bale is back in the public eye thanks to his run with Marvel Studios in July 2022, where he played the villainous Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder. He became one of the highlights of a film that was largely seen as a critical disappointment, getting the chance to deliver a terrifying performance opposite Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman’s Gods of Thunder.

Bale is also highly praised for his performance on the DC side of things, with his run as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy still earning acclaim a decade after it concluded.

Even for everything Bale has accomplished in his career, one franchise he hasn’t yet joined is Lucasfilm and Disney’s Star Wars saga, which continues to expand on Disney+ while its theatrical return is still some time away. Recently, Bale looked at the idea of joining the galaxy far, far away, although the role he would want to play isn’t exactly the one that most fans would expect from the Oscar-winner….

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