Disney Has Second Thoughts About Obi-Wan Kenobi Series
by EG
Sources say that Disney is rethinking a Star Wars prequel series starring Ewan McGregor as a young(ish) Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's unclear why Disney was unhappy with the original proposed story, although one source says the plot involved Kenobi traveling around with a baby Skywalker under his protection (cough...The Mandalorian...cough). At any rate, the studio is reportedly asking for script rewrites and has slashed the length of the series to barely more than the length of a feature film. Read on for details.
Disney+ and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars series centered on Obi-Wan Kenobi has been put on hold as the companies attempt a retooling, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. The effort, in which Ewan McGregor is set to reprise his role of the famed Jedi Knight, was in the throes of preproduction.
The project had Hossein Amini writing and a director in Deborah Chow, who became the first-ever female Star Wars director thanks to her work on Disney+’s buzzy series The Mandalorian. Sources say that the show was even screen-testing actors opposite McGregor.
Sources tell THR that the scripts — only two were written — and story became an issue and that the entire package has been jettisoned. Lucasfilm is now on the hunt for a new writer to pen the series. At the same time, sources say the project is being reconfigured from six episodes to four.
It is unclear when the show will ramp up again, although insiders stress that McGregor remains attached to star and Chow remains on as director. Disney had no comment.
The development follows social media rumors a week ago that the series was cancelled. Those posts proved premature, but did expose the project was facing problems.
It is unclear why scripts became an issue so late in the process. One source said the Kenobi story trod similar ground as The Mandalorian, seeing the Jedi master lending a protective hand to a young Luke and possible even a young Leia, perhaps mirroring how the Mandalorian took Baby Yoda under his protective custody.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Do you think Disney should move ahead with its Obi-Wan series? Let us know in the comments below.