New Star Wars show Andor is just weeks away – and the great news for franchise fans and converts alike is that Andor season 2 already has the green light, with production set to kick off in November. Hailed by showrunner Tony Gilroy as "the second half of the novel", season 2 will again be 12 episodes, but covering a longer time span.
"We have four blocks of three [episodes] coming up [for season 2]," he reveals. "And each block will move you one year closer to Rogue One. And because it's a year [each time], we can do something really fascinating narratively that you would never have the chance to do in a film. It's exciting."
To say star Diego Luna – who you can see in new exclusive images above and below – is stoked too would be an understatement. His wrap-chewing almost seems to speed up as he looks ahead. "It's a beautiful moment," he states. "We're getting ready. Things are being written and questioned, going back and forth... it's beautiful to live that process from beginning to end, you know?"
If season 2 fills in the last gaps on the Andor timeline, it's surely inevitable that we'll see the return of Cassian's right-hand droid, reprogrammed Imperial unit K-2SO. Won't we? Luna smiles. "Our next season ends where Rogue One starts, so I think that answers everything!"
The series will marry up with the movie, but also offer some stark, startling contrasts. "It says a lot that his best friend [in the movie] is a droid, you know?" muses Luna. "Or his only friend, I should say. But in the show we're going to start with someone who is very different from the quiet, lonely man we meet in Rogue One. We're so far away from that in this first season; there's a whole journey for us to explore..."
Andor launches on Disney Plus with a three-episode premiere on September 21. For much more on the show, check out the new issue of Total Film magazine, which is on sale from Thursday, August 18.
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