DUBAI: A new “Star Wars” TV spinoff provides the perfect introduction to the sci-fi franchise, according to its creator.
Showrunner Tony Gilroy said his Disney+ series “Andor,” which will be released in the Middle East on Sept. 21, requires no prior knowledge of the film and TV phenomenon that has been delighting audiences around the world for the past 45 years.
“Our show is designed so that this could be your entry point to Star Wars,” he told a virtual press conference.
“We’re doing a show that does not require any prior knowledge whatsoever to get involved. And our hope is that we can also satisfy and electrify and excite the dedicated fans.”
The genesis of “Andor” is the 2016 fan-favorite movie “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which itself was a prequel to the first-ever film in the franchise, 1977’s “Star Wars IV: A New Hope.”
When “Rogue One” wrapped, there was a feeling that there was a lot more to say about the central character Cassian Andor, played to much acclaim by Mexican actor Diego Luna, and the early years of the rebellion that started it all.
The ability to do a series that could explore the untold story of the formative years of the Rebellion and the backstory of the rebel hero who gave his life for it was a big draw for Gilroy.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“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.”