MovieWeb recently attended a press conference that was hosted by Disney for Star Wars: Andor. Series creator Tony Gilroy and lead star Diego Luna both attended the event which was moderated by Joe Neumaier. During the conference, both participating members discussed the development of the series and how Andor stands out from the rest of the currently available Star Wars projects. The series follows thief-turned-Rebel spy Cassian Andor during his 5 years of significant events leading up to Star Wars: Rogue One.
Tony Gilroy on His Inspiration to Create Andor
“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. That was the buy-in, the opportunity to do that.”
He continued: “And to center our story around that. Look, there are a lot of characters in our show. Many of them are here today. But there are others. Everyone is going to be circulating and spinning and intersecting around the Cassian Andor story as we move towards Rogue One. But it's a potent moment in history. And a lot of people are facing a lot of really difficult times and difficult decisions along the way. And that's what the show is about, the opportunity to do that on a large scale, on a big canvas, that's why I'm here.”
Diego Luna on Stepping Back into the Role of Cassian Andor
“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."
"And for me, it's quite relevant today to tell the story of what needs to happen for a revolutionary to emerge, to exist, to come to live, you know. What gives meaning in the life of someone to be willing to sacrifice everything for a cause, you know? What needs to happen? That journey matters to me. And the character says stuff that haunts me in Rogue One. You know that he started to fight since he was six years old. What does that mean, exactly? You know, why a six-year-old would miss his childhood and start a fight?"
"That, to me, is interesting to know. He talks about a dark past. He talks about doing terrible stuff for the Rebellion. What is he referring to? I think that story matters. That story is interesting. And there is a lot of material there for us to play. So, I was really excited to be able to go into that journey and give those answers you know?”
Tony Gilroy on the Star Wars Community
“Well, look, I mean, there's no secret way. The show exists because there's an enormous, arterial, important, passionate Star Wars community. And I know it's not a monolithic community. There are many different versions and factions within it, but there's this huge dedicated Star Wars community that shows up. And that's our whole card. That's what gave us the money and the momentum and the ability to make a show that's this insanely big, I mean, this abundant and this difficult to make. That audience is our primary concern, and we want to bring something to them that is a completely different lane than what they've had before, but we're doing it in a completely uncynical fashion."
"There's nothing cynical about our show. The word we use more every day, and I was at Pinewood today prepping for two, is real. We want to make this real. This place is real to us. And we will bring a lot of things to that community that we hope they're really interested in, and we hope they really appreciate it, and we hope they really appreciate the passion that we've tried to make it real. At the same time, it's no secret."
"And can we at the same time bring something that's so intense emotionally and seems so true and is the smallest domestic dramas and the smallest interpersonal relationships that are dropped down in the midst of the epic tectonic revolutionary historical moments where people have to make huge decisions? Can we attract another audience that's interested in that as well? Can we marry those two things together? That's the gamble. That's what we're trying to do and that's why we're here.”
Diego Luna on How Andor Stands Out from Other Star Wars
“Well, first of all, this one is written by Tony Gilroy, which makes it very special, and I’ll tell you why. I mean, Tony’s not a writer that lives in the language of right and wrong, you know? Or like black and white. He spends of his time in the complexity of the gray areas, you know? In the contradictions of characters. And that’s where I think this real thing comes out of, you know? Because it's full of that, you know, of that experience of just being someone trying to live your life, you know, and having to make choices. And this is a show about people, about real people, you know? It's very dark times in the galaxy, there is no Jedis around, these people having to articulate a reaction to oppression, and it's the most grounded kind of Star Wars you'll get, you know?”
He added: “It is a show about us, it is a show about these people finding the strength to come up with a reaction, you know, to change and bring change to their reality. It's very inspiring, I think. It's huge, it's big as Tony says. And its adventure and action at its best, what you expect from Star Wars, but then it goes very intimate, and it's very subtle, and it takes time to understand each character, and it has time for each storyline. And I just think it's very rich, it's powerful, and people are going to like it, hopefully.”
Star Wars: Andor episodes 1-4 are currently available for streaming exclusively on Disney+ with new episodes arriving weekly on Wednesdays.