If you sense a disturbance in the Force, you’re not alone. Millions of voices just cried out in excitement because Disney has announced its second live-action Star Wars TV series.
[brightcove video_id=”5859557358001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”rJs2ZD8x”]
On Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed during an investor relations conference call that the House of Mouse will be producing another live-action Star Wars TV series in addition to Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian for its streaming service, which will be called Disney+. This series, which takes place during the formative years of the Rebellion, will focus on Rogue One‘s Cassian Andor, the dashing Rebel intelligence officer played by Diego Luna, as confirmed by a post on StarWars.com. There is no word yet on whether or not we’ll see Alan Tudyk reprise his role as Cassian Andor’s sardonic, perpetually grumpy sidekick, the reprogrammed imperial security droid K-2SO.
“Going back to the Star Wars universe is very special for me,†Luna told StarWars.com. “I have so many memories of the great work we did together and the relationships I made throughout the journey. We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.â€Rogue One was directed by Gareth Edwards and featured a ragtag gang of Rebels, mercenaries, and ne’er-do-wells teaming up to steal the plans for the Death Star from an Imperial research facility on Scarif. This suicide mission ultimately claimed the lives of everyone involved, but not before they were able to transmit the plans to the Rebel fleet orbiting Scarif, and ultimately into the hands of Princess Leia Organa.As we learned in Rogue One, Cassian operated outside the official scope of the Rebel Alliance’s military operations, running black ops missions, and operating in a world of skullduggery, intrigue, and murders most foul. The series is described as a “rousing spy thriller…filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire.” All of that sounds like it will make for a thrilling TV series full of lies, betrayal, and missions that you’d never see a Jedi undertaking.While Rogue One was subjected to intense scrutiny over the reshoots that took place under the stewardship of Tony Gilroy, the film was a smash hit at the box office, earning more than $1 billion worldwide. Given how Rogue One ends, this TV series clearly won’t be a sequel unless it’s a highly metaphysical and ponderous meditation on the afterlife.
Little is known about the series at this time, including when it will launch on Disney’s streaming service, but it seems to indicate that Lucasfilm is planning on going full-steam ahead with television projects for the galaxy far, far away rather than its once-robust slate of spin-off films. This could be a reaction to Solo: A Star Wars Story‘s lackluster performance at the box office, but it’s more than likely a play to ensure that Disney+ can attract as many subscribers as possible. We will keep you updated as we learn more about the series. In the meantime, let us know what you think about this announcement in the comments below!
Images: Lucasfilm
[brightcove video_id=”5474154330001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=“rJs2ZD8xâ€]
