Although his show may have occurred long ago in a galaxy very far away, the creator of Andor, Tony Gilroy, looked forward to a more accessible and down-to-earth Rogue One prequel.
After finding out what Lucasfilm originally planned for the forthcoming Disney+ series, Gilroy – who was not yet involved in the project during that time – states that he happily brainstormed a “long, forensic manifesto” to the studio containing an imaginative storyline.
In an interview with Variety, he said that his idea was “so radical, so out there” that he had simply written it only for entertainment.
However, merely a year after, that exact missive would be what the show’s storyline is based on, per EW.
In its initial version, the show was supposed to be “in the vein of Cassian, and K-2[SO] are like Butch and Sundance, and they’re gonna storm the Citadel,” said Gilroy in an interview with Variety.
Despite it working out, the producer stated that he thought the proposition would be “very hard to sustain over a long haul.”
Gilroy wanted a story that circulated on grounded, everyday individuals living daily lives despite galactic chaos rather than something that depended on the franchise’s existing prominent characters.
“They’ve made all this IP about the royal family, in essence. It’s been great. But there’s a billion, billion, billion other beings in the galaxy,” he elaborated.
“There’s plumbers and cosmeticians. Journalists! What are their lives like? The revolution is affecting them just as much as anybody else. Why not use the Star Wars canon as a host organism for absolutely realistic, passionate, dramatic storytelling?”
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Gilroy Wanted a Film that Doesn’t Rely on Other Movies
The series, which happened five years prior to the Rogue One events, stars Diego Luna returning for his role as the titular hero. Alongside him is Genevieve O’Reilly, who will portray the character of Mon Mothma, Alex ferns, and Adria Arjona, among others.
The final output is something Gilroy guesses everyone can enjoy – despite not seeing the original movies or Disney+ show.
“You should be able to watch the show and not give a s— about Star Wars ever, or [have ever] seen any Star Wars,” he stated. “This show should work on its own.”
But Gilroy claims Andor will provide a lot of thrills.
“We are an adventure story,” he stated.
“The hope, the dream, is that the really hardcore Star Wars community will embrace the show in a new way – that they’ll be thrilled to have someone come in and completely uncynically get down molecularly in their world and treat it like a real thing.”
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