The lore of “Star Wars” always keeps growing, not to mention the revisionism around the Prequels, a trilogy some fans seem to have grown affection for over the years. Regardless, even 25 years after George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” we’re still apparently learning things about it after the fact.

For example, Lucas apparently wanted to include some game-changing twist at the end of ‘Phantom Menace’ that would have flipped the script and altered the lore about the entire franchise.

Continue reading George Lucas Originally Planned ‘Star Wars: Phantom Menace’ Twist Where Liam Neeson Was The Real Obi-Wan Kenobi at The Playlist.

When it was announced that Ewan McGregor was returning to the “Star Wars” universe for “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” fans were elated. Then the series came out and it was generally welcomed by fans, but there were some who weren’t huge fans. Let’s just say, now, the desire to see McGregor return isn’t as rampant as it was before. That isn’t stopping the actor from trying to make it happen.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars’: Ewan McGregor Says There Are “Another Few Stories To Tell” For Him As Obi-Wan Kenobi at The Playlist.

A lot of family moments happen around a couch. The couch is a great place for families to connect and discuss life’s ups and downs. But in Niclas Larsson’s new, beautifully crafted family drama, “Mother, Couch,” the sofa at the center of the film isn’t in the family home. It’s in a closed furniture store. Yes, that deserves an explanation.

“Mother, Couch” follows the story of David (Ewan McGregor), a man struggling in a variety of different ways.

Continue reading ‘Mother, Couch’ Review: Ewan McGregor Shines In Niclas Larsson’s Slightly Surreal Family Drama at The Playlist.

Just when you think you’ve seen just about every setup for a family drama ever, a film like “Mother, Couch” comes out and introduces yet another.

As seen in the trailer for “Mother, Couch,” the film tells the story of an elderly woman who decides she’s not going to get up from a couch she’s sitting on in the middle of a furniture showroom. Her reluctance to remove herself from the couch brings together her three estranged children, as they have to decide a plan to get their mom off the furniture and out of the store.

Continue reading ‘Mother, Couch’ Trailer: Ewan McGregor, Ellen Burstyn & More Star In Niclas Larsson’s Family Drama at The Playlist.

After years of waiting, “Star Wars” actor Ewan McGregor was able to finally explore his lone wolf Jedi Masters character in the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” Disney+ series prequel. Initially envisioned as three films, Lucasfilm eventually pivoted towards a series in 2018, and some of the longer, darker ideas were scrapped. While speaking with Vanity Fair to promote his new series “A Gentleman In Moscow,” McGregor revealed that some of the earlier ideas for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and his exile-in Tatooine story were much darker and involved sequences with a drunk Obi-Wan working in a bar and spiritually lost.

Continue reading Ewan McGregor Says Early ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Ideas Started With A Drunken Jedi; He Had “Really Lost His Way” at The Playlist.

For years, Ewan McGregor was forced to play coy or straight-up lie about a return to the “Star Wars” universe as the Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. But once the 2022 “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series on Disney+ aired, the actor seemingly couldn’t help but talk about it. In fact, despite Obi-Wan getting his due and finally getting to face-off against arch nemesis Darth Vader—seemingly what fans had wanted all along—McGregor still thinks there could be more appearances for the character, even though he’s meant to quietly protect and oversee Luke Skywalker for 18 years on Tattooine as part of the “Star Wars” mythos.

Continue reading Ewan McGregor Says He’s “Sure We Will” See A ‘Star Wars’ Return For Obi-Wan Kenobi Again at The Playlist.

If Nicole Kidman, a massive movie star who pivoted to TV and became known as the “Queen of Peak TV,” perhaps someone like Ewan McGregor is quickly becoming her counterpart. McGregor, like Kidman, enjoyed much success on screen as a leading man, but as the mid-sized drama seemingly vanished in cinemas and shifted towards television, actors like the two of them, with an inclination for human stories, have pivoted right alongside the trend.

Continue reading ‘A Gentleman In Moscow’ Trailer: Ewan McGregor & Mary Elizabeth Winstead Lead Showtime’s Russian Revolution Series at The Playlist.

It’s been about a year since we heard about David Robert Mitchell’s untitled new film starring Anne Hathaway. And since then, it was reported that Mitchell was going to do a new “It Follows” sequel at some point, leaving many to wonder what was going on with the Hathaway collab. Well, it appears that’s next on his schedule, and we know who’s the next A-lister to join the cast.

Continue reading Ewan McGregor Joins Anne Hathaway In New, Untitled David Robert Mitchell Film at The Playlist.

Enough time has passed that Ewan McGregor has fresh eyes to look back at his time making the “Star Wars” prequel films. He needs a new perspective because, apparently, a lot of his memories, specifically regarding the release of ‘The Phantom Menace,’ aren’t very positive. 

Speaking at the Goteborg Film Festival (via Variety), where he received the Honorary Dragon Award (aka lifetime achievement), Ewan McGregor talked about quite a few roles from his career.

Continue reading ‘The Phantom Menace’: Ewan McGregor Remembers How “Hard” It Was When People “Hammered” The First ‘Star Wars’ Prequel at The Playlist.

If you’re looking for two actors to really embody the roles of a father and a daughter going through an incredibly difficult time in their respective lives, why not just cast a real father and daughter? Well, that’s exactly what happened with the new film, “Bleeding Love.”

READ MORE: ‘You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder’ Review: A Vulnerable Ewan McGregor Can’t Save This Father-Daughter Addiction Drama [Karlovy Vary]

As seen in the trailer, “Bleeding Love” (originally titled “You Sing, I Sing Louder” during its festival run) follows the story of a father and daughter on a road trip to Santa Fe.

Continue reading ‘Bleeding Love’ Trailer: Ewan McGregor & Clara McGregor Star In Addiction Drama at The Playlist.

The 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has concluded yet another wonderful week of cinematic discoveries. Previously announced awards were given to a variety of contributors to global cinema. Russell Crowe received the Crystal Globe For Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, the Festival President’s Award For Contribution to Czech Cinematography was presented to Daniela Kolářová, and the Festival President’s Award was bestowed on Alicia Vikander, Ewan McGregor, and Robin Wright.

Continue reading Bulgarian Drama ‘Blaga’s Lessons’ Takes Top Prize: Full Karlovy Vary 2023 Award Winners at The Playlist.

There’s a fine line between stylized direction and direction that is so fussy that it gets in the way of a film’s actors. Unfortunately for Emma Westenberg’s directorial debut, “You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder,” that’s a line she does not navigate successfully. She’s not helped much by the underdeveloped script by Ruby Caster, who shares story credits with Vera Bulder and star-producer Clara McGregor (“American Horror Story”).

Continue reading ‘You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder’ Review: A Vulnerable Ewan McGregor Can’t Save This Father-Daughter Addiction Drama [Karlovy Vary] at The Playlist.

Ewan McGregor has had decent luck in TV the past decade with shows like “Fargo,” “Halton,” and Disney+‘s “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Now Variety reports he’ll star in a new show in development at Amazon called “Lodi,” based on an Alta online article by Andrew Dubbins.

READ MORE: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2023

So what’s “Lodi” about?

Continue reading ‘Lodi’: Ewan McGregor To Star In FBI Informant Series In Development At Amazon Studios at The Playlist.

How does a filmmaker reinvent stories told time and time again? It’s a challenge Guillermo del Toro undertakes with the legendary character Pinocchio. Far from the fantasy set by Disney — or flawed direct-to-video entries from others — his imaginative take on Carlo Collodi’s 1883 tale promises reinspection of a classic. The Netflix film looks at themes commonly associated with children’s literature, namely obedience without question or reason. “This [movie] is about finding yourself, and finding your way in the world—not just obeying the commandments that are given to you, but figuring out when they are okay or not,” the filmmaker told Vanity Fair.

Continue reading ‘Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio’ Trailer: The Acclaimed Filmmaker Adapts The Classic Tale Using Stop-Motion Animation at The Playlist.

You can bury family, but you can’t bury the past. Your father, whom you hated, dies. His final wish, which seems like some perverse joke from the great beyond, is that you and your half-brother not only attend the funeral but are the two men who actually dig the grave. Oh yeah, this father also named your Raymond and then had a son with another woman and named him Raymond, leaving you to be known as Raymond and Ray to distinguish yourselves from one another, seemingly yet another cruel joke your unknowable father inexplicably gave you at birth.

Continue reading ‘Raymond & Ray’: Ethan Hawke On Finally Working With Ewan McGregor & The Deep Humanism Of Director Rodrigo Garcia [Interview] at The Playlist.

It’s crazy to think that after all these years, actors Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor have never appeared in a movie together. Both of them are terrific character actors, and both of them seem to travel in the same circuit of character-driven independent cinema usually helmed by auteurs. Well, humanist filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia, known for “Last Days In The Desert” with McGregor and films like “Albert Nobbs” and “Mother and Child,” has the inspired idea to put them together as estranged brothers in the new Apple TV+ drama, “Raymond & Ray.”

READ MORE: ‘Raymond & Ray’ Review: Ewan McGregor And Ethan Hawke Funeral Dramedy Is Sam Shepard-Esque [TIFF]

The concept is simple: two half-brothers reunite at the funeral of their father, but if they think burying their father is easy, well, burying the past is not.

Continue reading ‘Raymond & Ray’ Trailer: Ethan Hawke & Ewan McGregor Reckon With Burying Family, But Not The Past at The Playlist.

Arriving at an isolated cabin late at night, Raymond (Ewan McGregor) hasn’t spoken to his half-brother Ray (Ethan Hawke) for many years. Slightly estranged but forever entwined due to their shared parentage, the brothers reconnect as they make an uneasy journey to their late father Harris’ funeral 100 miles away. “Raymond & Ray,” the latest from writer-director Rodrigo García (“Albert Nobbs”), plays a bit like Sam Shepard-lite but features yet another stellar performance from Hawke, who over the past decade has proven himself to be one of the great leading man character actors of his generation.

Continue reading ‘Raymond & Ray’ Review: Ewan McGregor And Ethan Hawke Funeral Dramedy Is Sam Shepard-Lite [TIFF] at The Playlist.

Not many directors would follow an Oscar Best Picture win with a genre remake of a film with a mixed reception on its release almost 75 years ago. But that’s what Guillermo del Toro did with last year’s luxurious noir “Nightmare Alley,” his follow-up to 2017’s “The Shape Of Water.” “Nightmare Alley” didn’t quite catch on despite a great case, but maybe del Toro’s next film will bring a real shot of life.

Continue reading ‘Pinocchio’: Guillermo Del Toro’s First Animated Feature Film Hits Netflix This December at The Playlist.

After its final episode last night, the long-anticipated Disney+ limited series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” comes to a close. But not without a nice little surprise (spoiler alert for those who haven’t watched yet!). As if Ewan McGregor‘s return as Kenobi wasn’t enough, Liam Neeson showed up in force ghost form in the show’s final moments as Obi-Wan’s master, Qui-Gon Jinn. It’s Neeson’s first appearance in a “Star Wars” vehicle since 1999’s “The Phantom Menace,” where Darth Maul killed Jinn in front of Obi-Wan.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars’ Actor Opens Up About His Surprise Return In ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ at The Playlist.

While whispers of young Princess Leia coming to the “Star Wars” universe goes back years (we even mentioned it on a podcast last year), it wasn’t really until an “Obi-Wan Kenobi” casting reveal from a few months later that seemed to truly cement the fact we’d see the other Skywalker twin make a return after the passing of Carrie Fisher. Actress Vivien Lyra Blair (“We Can Be Heroes,” “Bird Box “) took over the role after previous attempts from Lucasfilm to use digital versions in “Rogue One” and “The Rise of Skywalker” was met with mixed reactions.

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: Writer Joby Harold Explains Why Lucasfilm Chose To Use Little Leia In ‘Star Wars’ Series at The Playlist.

Last week, one of the “Star Wars” galaxy’s most beloved characters made his return when “Obi-Wan Kenobi” premiered on Disney+. And Ewan McGregor back onscreen as the Jedi master should be the most newsworthy item from the show’s first two episodes. But instead, racist messages sent to series star Moses Ingram took centerstage over Memorial Day weekend, including threats that her days were “numbered” and calling her a “diversity hire” for the “Star Wars” universe.

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: Ewan McGregor Comes To Defense Of Co-Star Moses Ingram Amid Racist Backlash at The Playlist.

“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope,” is obviously a quintessential line in the “Star Wars” canon and one that echoes out in so many ways in the new Lucasfilm limited series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” For those troubled, disturbed even, by the post-Disney acquisition era force, er, direction of “Star Wars” these last few years— the disjointed Skywalker Saga sequels, the hit and miss efforts on Disney+, including the dreadfully dull “Book Of Boba Fett”— hope springs eternal for ‘Obi-Wan’ and by proxy, the future of “Star Wars.” But as this fascinating, occasionally thrilling, and yet sometimes deeply frustrating series quickly proves—at least in the two episodes available on Disney+ so far—perhaps resting all our hopes on one character is too big a burden for the aging Jedi Master.

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Review: Perhaps It’s Too Big A Burden For The Jedi Master To Be Our Only Hope at The Playlist.

This week is not only “Star Wars Celebration” week, but the debut of the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” event limited series. And while many will be excited for the show, “Star Wars” fandom can be deeply unfortunate, and some slinging hate because the series features women and non-white characters in the cast. “Star Wars” fandom has been notoriously toxic (see horribly racist reactions to actors John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran), and how sad is this?

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: Lucasfilm Warned Actress Moses Ingram About Racist Backlash Online at The Playlist.

Later this month on Disney+, we’ll get our latest live-action “Star Wars” fix with Ewan McGregor reprising his Jedi knight character in “Obi-Wan Kenobi” who hasn’t appeared since 2005’s “Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith.” The show features prequel characters such as Hayden Christensen‘s Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Joel Edgerton‘s Uncle Owen, and Bonnie Piesse‘s Aunt Beru.

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: Deborah Chow Teases More Film/Prequel Cameos Rather Than Ones From Other Shows at The Playlist.

Although the show will be missing the month’s famed “Star Wars” celebration day of May 5th, the grand return of one of the franchise’s most beloved characters is almost here. Directed by Deborah Chow of “The Mandalorian,” written by Joby Harold of “Army of the Dead,” with cinematography from frequent Park Chan-wook collaborator Chung Chung-hoon, and music from Natalie Holt and John Williams, the second trailer for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” has arrived for its eagerly-anticipating fans.

Continue reading ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Trailer: The Jedi Master Cannot Escape Darth Vader On May 27 at The Playlist.