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Star Wars' Cassian Andor spin-off lands Black Mirror director Toby Haynes

From Digital Spy

Stars Wars' Rogue One spin-off has lined up a new director, amid reports that production is due to kick off next month.

The first three episodes of the Disney+ prequel series, which is set to follow Diego Luna's freedom fighter Cassian Andor, will be directed by Black Mirror's Toby Haynes, instead of writer Tony Gilroy as originally intended.

According to Deadline, Gilroy, who lives in New York, has opted to relinquish some duties early on to Haynes, who is based in the UK, because of scheduling complications and travel logistics around COVID-19.

Gilroy will stay on board as showrunner and executive producer.

Watch The Mandalorian trailer below...

Related: The Mandalorian season 2 releases official trailer ahead of return to Disney+

Fortunately, Haynes is certainly no stranger to the sci-fi genre, having previously directed 'USS Callister', the opening episode of the fourth season in Charlie Brooker's dystopian drama.

The instalment sees Fargo star Jesse Plemons play programmer Robert Daly, who uses a Star Trek-style simulation he created to take out his work-related frustrations. Using his co-workers' DNA to create sentient digital clones of them within the game, Daly adopts the role of captain and bosses them around, and mistreats them if they get out of line.

Haynes' other works include Doctor Who, Sherlock and Amazon Prime Video's Utopia adaption, which will be released this Friday (September 25).

Related: Star Wars' Ewan McGregor says Obi-Wan Kenobi's Disney+ series will 'bridge the gap' for franchise

As for the untitled Cassian Andor show, it's said to focus predominantly on the insurgence of the Rebel Alliance.

Genevieve O'Reilly and Alan Tudyk are expected to reprise their roles as Mon Mothma and Andor's android pal K-2SO, respectively.

Meanwhile, Adria Arjona (6 Underground), Denise Gough (The Fall), Kyle Soller (Poldark) and MCU star Stellan Skarsgård round out the cast.

The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the entire Skywalker Saga are available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now, as well as on Disney+, while Rise of Skywalker is also on Sky Cinema Premiere and NOW TV.


The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it's possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing.

For any concerns and latest advice, visit the World Health Organisation. If you're in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.


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