Rogue One: A Star Wars Story appeared to be the conclusion of Cassian Andor’s story. However, this is not the last time we will see Diego Luna in Star Wars. With all the latest reports and developments doing the rounds, we now officially know that Disney+ will release an all-new, 12-episode series called Andor, which gives us a detailed backstory of Cassian’s origin.
The new show will be set five years prior to the events in the Rogue One storyline. It will explore what Andor, the rebellion’s foremost secret agent, was up to before becoming a part of the Rebel Alliance. Series showrunner Tony Gilroy, who helmed the reshoots on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as well, said that Andor’s storyline would be divided into two seasons. The show was renewed for season two ahead of its premiere, and the second season will go into production sometime this fall.
The new Disney+ series is set to premiere on the streaming platform on August 31, 2022. Like the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series, this show will also have a two-episode premiere. There will be a total of 24 episodes overall, and each season will have 12 episodes. While we still have over two months for the show to release, Disney+ did release the first official trailer for the show during the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, which you can check out below. The trailer has done an excellent job showcasing what’s in store for us in the upcoming series. So, let’s go deep into the show's first look and break down some important aspects of it.
Channeling Greig Fraser's Iconic Style
We see a figure dubbed the “Time Grappler” when the trailer begins. The Time Grappler seems to be banging away on a giant bell at a place we can assume to be Cassian Andor’s home planet. We see this being followed by shots of people in groups ducking while they look up to the sky slowly, only to find a scary sight of a spacecraft up in flames while it plummets across the sky. Right after, we see a factory worker completely dressed in white along with a droid rolling casually along in a scrapyard. The shots after depict people anticipating the worst due to Galactic Empire’s forces and thus, scrambling to find arms.
One big takeaway from this trailer is the use of earth tone-heavy and muted color palette. Adriano Goldman and Jonathan Freeman are the cinematographers for the first season of this show. However, it’s evident that they have channeled the legendary Greig Fraser, the director of photography of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, for their approach to Andor. This series' grungy texture and handheld camera make it quite consistent with the work we’ve seen in other Star Wars films and shows.
Mon Mothma Plays a Significant Role
We will see Mon Mothma, played by Genevieve O’Reilly, once again in Andor. We last saw her take on a brief role in Revenge of the Sith and a much more significant role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. She’s best known as one of the leaders and founders of the Rebel Alliance. However, since Andor is set in the past, this time, Mon Mothma will be a member of the Imperial Senate on Coruscant. According to showrunner Tony Gilroy, the senator will play a significant role in this series and be the main focus alongside Cassian’s adventures. However, Andor and Mothma are not trusted associates yet.
“It is a huge, orchestral, Dickensian ensemble cast, with Diego at the middle of it, and Genevieve at the middle of another part of it,” Gilroy said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “They intersect. I’m not going to get into how they intersect. They do have intersections — but they do not meet. They will not meet until [season two].”
He also teases an important moment for Mon Mothma in the first season, saying, “I bet that when episode 104 plays, when Mon Mothma finishes the episode, that there’ll be people tweeting about Mon Mothma.”
Cassian’s Adopted Home Planet
We see Cassian’s home planet falling under the oppressive control of the Empire, which is why he is forced to look for a new place to build a life. According to Gilroy, it is this second world where most of the season one’s action will take place. “His adopted home will become the base of our whole first season, and we watch that place become radicalized, then we see another planet that’s completely taken apart in a colonial kind of way. The Empire is expanding rapidly. They’re wiping out anybody who’s in their way,” Gilroy mentioned in the same Vanity Fair interview.