Andor is the much anticipated Rogue One prequel series coming soon to Disney+, starring Diego Luna as he reprises his role as Rebel spy Cassian Andor, and no doubt exploring a darker side to the Star Wars universe.
After the mammoth success of The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s no surprise that more live-action Star Wars shows are on the way, and Andor is the one that’s been in the works the longest so far. Here is everything you need to know.
When is the Andor release date?
Disney has confirmed that Andor will arrive on Disney+ from 31 August.
When it arrives, there will be twelve episodes that are expected to air weekly, just as they do for The Mandalorian.
The show is also now confirmed to be getting a second and final season, which will apparently lead directly into the beginning of the Rogue One movie.
“It is a second season, but it’s really, for me, the second half of the novel,” showrunner Tony Gilroy told Vanity Fair. “This first season is about him becoming a revolutionary, and the second 12 episodes take him into Rogue One.”
Watch the trailer
Disney finally dropped a trailer for the show at its Star Wars Celebration event in May, and it’s a doozy:
That’s the only proper trailer so far, but if you’re desperate for more then there is a sizzle reel with plenty of behind-the-scenes shots and concept art that tease what we can expect from Andor:
What’s the plot of Andor?
The new show will be a spy thriller based around Diego Luna’s character, Cassian Andor, and will be set five years prior to Rogue One in the early days of the battle between the Empire and Rebellion.
In a cover story for Vanity Fair, it was revealed that Cassian Andor’s home planet has been destroyed and that initially, he was quite reluctant to join the Rebellion at all. The series will chart his journey into the man he eventually becomes in Rogue One.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Luna expressed his excitement for a prequel story. “You know the ending, but you don’t know how it happened, and we have that challenge in front of us again”.
The series will be character driven, focusing on personal stories rather than big, grand spectacles according to GamingBible. It will draw inspiration from the spy, thriller and adventure genres.
In the second season, series creator Tony Gilroy has confirmed to Empire magazine that the show will jump a year every three episodes, meaning that Andor will cover a large section of the Star Wars timeline.
Who are the cast and crew?
As you’ll have already guessed, Diego Luna will be back as Cassian Andor. Joining him will be Genevieve O’Reilly, who is reprising her role as Mon Mothma, a leader within the Rebellion.
Joining them will be Stellan Skarsgard, Kyle Soller, and Denise Gough according to Variety. The latest addition to the cast is Good Omens actress Adria Arjona, as reported by Deadline.
More rumours have surfaced about who may be joining the cast. Stellan Skarsgard mentioned in a radio interview that he had acted alongside Forest Whitaker, who plays the part of Saw Gerrera. In addition, The Direct reports that villain Orson Krennic (played by Ben Mendelsohn) will be returning also.
Alan Tudyk will also return to voice the Imperial droid, K2SO – but we’re likely not to see him until season two. Luna has also teased that there will be more ‘familiar faces’, so we can possibly expect to see more Rogue One alumni.
In terms of behind the camera, Tony Gilroy (who previously worked on Rogue One) shall serve as the showrunner and director. On the writing team, we’ll have Tony’s brother Dan (known for Nightcrawler), Stephen Schiff (known for The Americans) and Beau Willimon (known for House of Cards).
Deadline has also reported that due to pandemic-related travel issues, Gilroy didn’t direct the first three episodes. Instead, Toby Haynes took over the duties in his absence. Haynes has previously worked on Black Mirror, Sherlock and Doctor Who.
How can I watch Andor?
Andor is a Disney+ exclusive, which means you’ll only be able to watch it on the streaming platform. At the time of writing, Disney+ costs £7.99/$7.99 per month for a rolling subscription and £79.90/$79.99 for an annual pass. You can sign up for Disney Plus here.
