Disney has been working on an original solo adventure for Star Wars’ Obi-Wan Kenobi for nearly five years now. Today, we know exactly who will be part of that story, as Disney+ has unveiled the cast for the spinoff Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series — and it’s even more stacked than expected.
As previously announced, Ewan McGregor will return as the legendary Jedi Master for the show set 10 years after the end of Revenge of the Sith. Meanwhile, fan-favorite Hayden Christensen will also return as Darth Vader, giving him the chance to fully embody the iconic villain after playing Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy.
Joining them in the cast will be longtime Star Wars fan Kumail Nanjiani; Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse, returning to play Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru from the prequels; and, interestingly, actor-director Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time). The series will also star Moses Ingram, Rupert Friend, Indira Varma, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, and Simone Kessell.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is scheduled to begin shooting in April. Deborah Chow, who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian, is tapped to helm the full series. Back in February, McGregor opened up about Chow’s shooting style during an interview with Eddie Izzard. “We start making it in the late spring and we’re gonna be shooting it here in Los Angeles,” he said. “We’re shooting it much in the way The Mandalorian series was shot. We’re using some of that technology. I really liked it and I liked the format of it. I liked the Western nature of it, it’s an old-fashioned TV Western. It’s brilliant.”
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This is just one of 10 new Disney+ series set in the Star Wars universe. Apart from the Mandalorian spin-offs Ahsoka and The Rangers of the New Republic, Lucasfilm revealed other shows in the works include a Rogue One prequel focused on Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, the aptly titled Lando that follows Lando Calrissian, and a swath of animated series like A Droid Story. Plus, they’re also developing an untitled project by Taika Waititi and a film directed by Patty Jenkins dubbed Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.
Production begins soon on Obi-Wan Kenobi, a special event series coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9z49eW9Vgx
— Star Wars (@starwars) March 29, 2021