Tony Gilroy steps back from Andor season 2 during writers’ strike

Andor season 2 is currently in production but showrunner Tony Gilroy has confirmed he’s not on set. He clarified that he’s not writing or producing on the show during the WGA strike after receiving criticism from a fellow Writers Guild member.

After it was reported on Friday (H/T Variety) that Gilroy had completed his scripts on the Disney Plus show, but was still contributing to music and casting duties, writer Abdullah Saeed called him out in an Instagram post. The showrunner has now set the record straight in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I discontinued all writing and writing-related work on Andor prior to midnight, May 1," Gilroy said. "After being briefed on the Saturday showrunner meeting, I informed Chris Keyser at the WGA on Sunday morning that I would also be ceasing all non-writing producing functions." Keyser confirmed this conversation to THR too.

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Deli Boys writer Saeed posted on Instagram on May 8, writing: "This is scabbing. There’s no way a writer/producer can 'finish' writing and begin solely producing. And if the scripts truly are finished, let’s see ’em. If there’s one word different in the finished product, kick Tony Gilroy out of the WGA."

Following the news that Gilroy has stopped producing, Saeed posted again, writing: "Wow. Thank you Tony Gilroy for halting production on @andorofficial. See you on the picket line!"

Andor season 2 has been in production since November and has a scheduled end date of August 2023. Picking up in the wake of the dramatic season one finale, the new episodes will lead directly into the events of Rogue One.

We got our first look at the new episodes in a special trailer at Star Wars Celebration, which showed Mon Mothma rallying a rebellion and Cassian Andor undercover. "If you know your ending, it really helps," Gilroy said during the panel. "We know exactly where we’re going. You know what you have to deliver emotionally and what the story has to do. It’s a decision borne of survival, but it’s good for us creatively."