Ewan McGregor Clears Up ‘Obi-Wan’ Delay Rumors, Says Production Pushed to 2021
Click here to read the full article.
Help us, Ewan McGregor, you’re our only hope. Following reports that production was delayed “indefinitely” on Disney+’s forthcoming “Star Wars” spinoff series “Obi-Wan,” the series’ lead actor has denied rumors that the show is in limbo. The series was set to begin production at London’s Pinewood Studios, when Collider reported that cast and crew members had been sent home. While rumors of the delay appear to be true, McGregor insists that the “indefinitely” part is false.
“The scripts are really, really good. They want to make them better,” the actor told ET at a red carpet event for “Birds of Prey,” in which he stars opposite Margot Robbie. “And they just slid the production to shooting next year.”
More from IndieWire
Disney+ Puts 'Obi-Wan' Series on Hold, Crew Allegedly Sent Home From Set -- Report
Disney Is Cracking Down on Sellers of Unlicensed Baby Yoda Dolls
McGregor added that though production has been delayed, the series is on track to premiere on time.
“So it’s not as dramatic as it sounds,” McGregor said. “I just got here tonight, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god look at all this stuff!’ It’s not that dramatic. I think we have the same — we’re airing on the same day and all that stuff.”
That should allay fears about behind the scenes conflict between Lucasfilm president and “Obi-Wan” producer Kathleen Kennedy and the creative team. According to the initial report, Kennedy was unhappy with the scripts, which come from from “Drive” screenwriter Hossein Amini. Also on board is director Deborah Chow, who’s already contributed two episodes to Disney+’s mega-hit flagship “Star Wars” series “The Mandalorian.”
“Obi-Wan” was originally conceived as a feature film with Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry on board to direct before Lucasfilm pivoted to the six-episode series.
In addition to “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan” is one of three planned live-action “Star Wars” series from Disney+. A prequel series following Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) from “Rogue One” is also in the works.
McGregor previously played Obi-Wan in “The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” and “Revenge of the Sith,” and contributed voice work to “The Force Awakens” and “Rise of Skywalker.” The role of the world-weary, wise Jedi was originally played by Sir Alec Guinness in 1977’s “A New Hope.”
Best of IndieWire
Winter 2020 TCA Press Tour: Apple TV+ Announces Its New Shows
‘The Lord of the Rings’: Everything You Need to Know About Amazon’s Big Money Adaptation
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
