Earlier this year, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Star Wars: Andor” fans received some unfortunate news. Ben Mendelson said, or at least suggested, that he would not be returning as the Imperial Director Orson Krennic in Tony Gilroy’s “Andor,” the architect of the Death Star.

“As for being contacted by Lucasfilm for a new project, I can tell you that no, I have not been approached for something like this,” he said around the time “Andor” season two was already well into production, leading many to presume it wasn’t happening.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Ben Mendehlson Will Reprise His Orson Krennic Role In Season Two [Exclusive] at The Playlist.

Gareth Edwards returns to theaters this weekend with “The Creator,” a sci-fi epic that’s his first feature since 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” But is a return to big-budget blockbuster filmmaking for the director? Kind of, sort of, but not quite. “The Creator” boasts an $80 budget, still a hefty price tag these days, but mild in comparison to the estimated $265 million for “Rogue One” and the $160 for Edward’s 2014 film “Godzilla.”

READ MORE: ‘The Creator’ Final Trailer: Gareth Edwards’ Sci-Fi Epic About The War Between Humans & A.I.

Continue reading Gareth Edwards Reflects On ‘Rogue One’ & “The Unstoppable Machine” Of Studio Filmmaking at The Playlist.

So, filmmaker Gareth Edwards is doing the interview round for his latest sci-fi extravaganza, “The Creator,” starring John David Washington. It’s a movie heavily indebted to “Blade Runner,” “Apocalypse Now,” and even “Star Wars” (read our review here). And the question on many people’s minds might be: will he talk about what actually happened during the making of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”?

Continue reading Gareth Edwards Said He Was Offered 2 ‘Star Wars’ Films & Says Lucasfilm May Still Want To Make The One He Passed On at The Playlist.

When you look at the current era of Disney-owned Lucasfilm, it’s difficult to argue that the high point has to be “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The prequel film, still now, feels wholly unique from just about everything else Lucasfilm has released over the last decade. And the one-shot film has already spawned a spinoff, “Andor,” which is regarded as the best “Star Wars” TV show yet.

Continue reading ‘Rogue One’ Writer Teases An Idea For A ‘Munich’-Style ‘Star Wars’ TV Series at The Playlist.

The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.

READ MORE: ‘Andor’ Review: Tony Gilroy Doubles Down On ‘Rogue One & ‘Star Wars’ For Adults In Engaging Thriller About Tyranny

In the latest episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on Episode 11 of “Andor,” entitled “Daughter of Ferrix,” which dropped on Disney+ today.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Diego Luna Talks About Breaking The ‘Star Wars’ Mold, “Getting Away” With ‘Rogue One,’ Teases Season 2 & Much More [Interview] at The Playlist.

OK, by now, if you’re a fan of Lucasfilm’s “Andor” on Disney+, you’re probably well aware that Sergeant Ruescott Melshi (Duncan Pow) recently returned to the series. Who, you ask? Well, as you’re aware, “Andor” is a prequel series to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and in that film, Melshi is one of the Rebel Alliance lieutenants in the film aiding Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the Rogue One squadron.

Continue reading Duncan Pow Says His ‘Rogue One’ Character Melshi Was Added In Tony Gilroy’s Reshoots & Talks Returning For ‘Andor’ at The Playlist.

Spoilers: please read this piece only after you’ve seen “Narkina 5,” the eighth episode of the “Star Wars” limited series “Andor,” on Disney+. You’ll notice we’ve been doing weekly podcasts, ‘The Rogue Ones,’ instead of weekly recaps, but for episode eight, we couldn’t resist.

By now, you’ve hopefully seen “Narkina 5,” the eighth episode of the “Star Wars” limited series “Andor,” centering on the Rebel spy and Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna).

Continue reading ‘Andor’ Radicalization Takes Hold, Andy Serkis Appears & So Do Two Surprise ‘Rogue One’ Characters [Episode 8 Recap] at The Playlist.

Four long years after it was initially announced, “Andor,” the Disney+ series and prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is nearly upon us. Created and showrun by Academy Award-nominated writer/director Tony Gilroy (“Michael Clayton,” “The Bourne Legacy”)—the filmmaker credited with rescuing ‘Rogue One’ after he came on board to write and direct major reshoots and then overseeing the post-production process— the series debuts in September, but we’ve been fortunate to get a little taste.

Continue reading Tony Gilroy Says The Final 3 Episodes Of ‘Andor’ Season 2 Take Place 5 Days Before ‘Rogue One’ Starts at The Playlist.

Tony Gilroy has been working on the new Lucasfilm and Disney+ live-action series “Andor” for over three years. The prequel to Gareth Edwards “Rogue One” follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) during the five years before the events of that particular film. During a Television Critics Association virtual panel, The Playlist asked Gilroy to clarify just how many seasons will cover what was consistently referred to as a “five-year journey.” In doing so, the Oscar nominee provided a revealing breakdown of the show’s second season.

Continue reading Tony Gilroy Says ‘Andor’s’ Second Season Will Take Place Over Four Years [TCA] at The Playlist.

The “Star Wars” universe continues to expand on the small screen through Lucasfilm‘s many growing Disney+ shows. On the horizon later this summer, “Andor” centers on Diego Luna‘s Cassian Andor from “Rogue One,” exploring how his character became involved with the Rebellion. The story will be told in the form of a spy and film noir genre rather than the usual action-adventure tone we’ve seen in countless films/spinoffs as the show hopes to become appealing to a wider audience.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Tony Gilroy Hopes ‘Star Wars’ Series Will Appeal To Non-Fans & Teases Mon Mothma Character Getting Her Moment at The Playlist.

The way the world works is strange. In the fall of 2019, I interviewed writer/director Scott Z. Burns about this excellent Amazon political drama “The Report” starring Adam Driver (a movie that was sadly overlooked that season), a type of whistleblower piece about a Senate staffer investigating the CIA’s use of enhanced and illegal torture techniques following the September 11 attacks.

The Report’: Adam Driver & Director Scott Z.

Continue reading Scott Z. Burns Talks Writing On ‘No Time To Die,’ “Pressurized” Blockbuster Writing & Other Projects In The Works [Interview] at The Playlist.

Lucasfilm sure does love its cameos, right? Especially in the Disney era of the “Star Wars” franchise, it’s pretty common to see fan-favorite characters show up in films and TV series just to get that momentary squee reaction from viewers. Well, you’d probably be shocked to know that is likely going to continue with the upcoming “Andor” Disney+ series.

READ MORE: ‘Star Wars: Visions’ Feels Like A Collection Of Anime Cover Songs With Only A Few Hits [Review]

Speaking to Deadline, Diego Luna, the star of the upcoming “Andor,” didn’t talk too much about what fans can expect with his upcoming live-action “Star Wars” series.

Continue reading ‘Andor’: Diego Luna Teases “Familiar Faces” Showing Up In His ‘Star Wars’ Series at The Playlist.

“Save the Rebellion! Save the Dream!” That’s right. “Star Wars” fans are in luck. According to an interview in the Swedish media, fan-favorite character Saw Gerrera, played by Forest Whitaker, is returning to the “Star Wars” universe in the upcoming “Andor” series.

‘READ MORE: Andor’: Diego Luna Says TV Format Is “Amazing” But It Feels Like Shooting “A Very Long Movie”

Stellan Skarsgård plays a role in the “Star Wars: Andor” series, a prequel show to the 2016 movie “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (itself a prequel to “Star Wars: A New Hope“) and in a new interview with Swedish radio station Sverigesradio.se, the actor revealed he had shot a “juicy scene” (the translation is iffy) opposite, Forest Whitaker.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Andor’: Forest Whitaker Returning As Saw Gerrera From ‘Rogue One’ at The Playlist.

Felicity Jones might be the actress that scored the highest praise for anyone who starred in the Disney-era “Star Wars” films. Even more so than Daisy Ridley, who garnered a ton of fans but also a lot of criticisms, Jones starred in a film that is often regarded as one of the best “Star Wars” films and her character seems to be one of the more interesting recent creations.

Continue reading Felicity Jones Is Ready For More ‘Star Wars’ Films: “Reincarnation Is Totally Possible” at The Playlist.

Earlier this year, Brie Larson revealed she had auditioned for a “Star Wars” movie, but didn’t reveal which. Now, in an appearance on Gary Whitta‘s Twitch live stream Animal Talking show she revealed she auditioned for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which Whitta co-wrote.

“Oh yeah! You wrote ‘Rogue One,’ right?” Larson asked Whitta at one point when discussing Disney and the way they hold secrets– she also revealed she knew she was “Captain Marvel” for a year before it was announced.

Continue reading Brie Larson Says She Auditioned For ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ at The Playlist.

America is not okay.

Maybe America has never been okay. Maybe certain members of our society are just now starting to realize this fact. In any case, the Band-Aid of civility has been ripped from our flesh, the fissures and wounds of our great American experiment now exposed for what they are: bruised ideals, a great many of which are built on fallacies.

READ MORE: Spike Lee Releases A Video Showing How George Floyd Murder Mirrors His Film ‘Do The Right Thing’

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is not the only reason that protestors around the country are currently squaring off with police forces and the National Guard.

Continue reading 22 Films About Rebellion, Protests & Civil Unrest at The Playlist.

Some news that’s been bubbling for months, we mentioned a few months back, that’s been verified: there’s been changes in the world of the “Star Wars” spin-off, “Cassian Andor,” a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” It’s good news if you’re Tony Gilroy (writer/director of “Michael Clayton“), lesser so, if you’re Stephen Schiff. Schiff, known for his work as a writer and producer on the FX television series “The Americans,” was originally announced as the showrunner of the still-untitled “Cassian Andor” show starring Diego Luna.

Continue reading ‘Cassian Andor’: Tony Gilroy Takes Over As ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off Showrunner; Dan Gilroy & Beau Willimon Are On The Writing Team at The Playlist.

Many movies go through dramatic story changes during production. “Star Wars” went through several major changes before it became the movie we know and love today (though it is still going through changes all the time), including Darth Vader originally being a bounty hunter, Skywalker being a title, and Han Solo being an alien. This tradition was apparently kept through the years, as we know “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” originally had a much different third act.

Continue reading ‘Rogue One’ Writers Reveal The Story Changes Made During Production, Cassian Used To Be A Double Agent at The Playlist.

While “Solo: A Star Wars Story” gains all the notoriety since it fired its directors, and ‘Rise Of Skywalker,’ which parted ways with its filmmaker under reportedly similarly contentious circumstances, also receives attention for its early problems, Lucasfilm’s first troubled “Star Wars” movie was “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Directed by Gareth Edwards, while Lucasfilm did a great job of mitigating the drama publicly, the reality was they brought on another filmmaker to essentially take over the project midway, to rewrite half the film, direct all the new scenes and supervise all of the post-production edit: Oscar-nominated “Michael Clayton” writer/director Tony Gilroy, also responsible for writing the essential films in the ‘Bourne’ franchise.

Continue reading ‘Cassian Andor’: Tony Gilroy Re-Recruited By Lucasfilm For New ‘Star Wars’ Series As Writer & Director at The Playlist.

With the ubiquity of CGI in films and the advent of incredibly realistic de-aging techniques and whole digital characters, technology has not only made movie-making more interesting (and some might argue better) but is also ushering in a new era of uncomfortable questions and issues that Hollywood has yet to fully grasp. And this is something that actor/filmmaker Andy Serkis knows all too well.

As the man at the forefront of motion capture, Serkis is someone who understands the true power of what the technology can do.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Says De-Aging Tech & Fully CGI Characters “Raises Some Serious Issues” For Actors at The Playlist.

Over the last several years, there have been a few high-profile blockbuster films that have had historically troubled productions. In 2017, there was all the behind-the-scenes drama with the finishing of “Justice League.” A year prior, David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” went through its fair share of issues. But perhaps the most troubled of them all is 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” And thanks to a new interview with one of the writers, we are finally getting a sense at what all changed between all the drafts, reshoots, and the final product that was presented for fans and earned over $1 billion at the box office.

Continue reading ‘Rogue One’ Writer Chris Weitz Talks Differences Between Script & Tony Gilroy’s Final Cut at The Playlist.

After a starring role in the hit rom-com “Crazy Rich Asians,” and subsequently her first Golden Globe nomination this morning, Constance Wu is on the verge of becoming a force in Hollywood. The actress, who before ‘CRA’ was probably best known for her TV work, is going to have a lot of offers come across her desk. And thanks to a new interview, we know one job she’ll likely turn down.

Continue reading Constance Wu Doesn’t Want To Work On A ‘Star Wars’ Film: “It’s Golden Shackles” at The Playlist.

The behind-the-scenes story of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is almost legendary and likely one day will fall into the “What if?” category of film lore with people dying to read some of the original scripts, drafts, or watch footage that was cut.

READ MORE: Tony Gilroy, Not Christopher McQuarrie, Is Working On The ‘Rogue One’ Reshoots

While the problems on ‘Rogue One’ weren’t as publicly bad as, say, “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” where directors Chris Lord and Phil Lord were fired from the production with only three weeks of the film left to complete and replaced with Ron Howard, there was major, major upheaval as well.

Continue reading Chris Weitz Says Christopher McQuarrie, Scott Z. Burns & More Wrote On ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ at The Playlist.

Is “Star Wars” in trouble? I’m very much on the same page as Forbes box office reporter Scott Mendelson of late who recently said, “‘Star Wars’ fatigue is not real. Audiences just didn’t think ‘Solo‘ was worth racing out to see in theaters over Memorial Day Weekend.” The evidence suggests as much. Every “Star Wars” movie under the Disney era, even ‘Rogue One’ has grossed over a $1 billion worldwide, so it’s a bit of a ridiculous stretch to suggest one disappointing movie (which will end up as a financial flop mind you) has killed a mega-franchise like this one.

Continue reading ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ & The Inherent Problem With Prequels at The Playlist.

You know, I tend to think of myself as a pretty big “Star Wars” fan. Now, I can’t claim to have read all the novels or anything, but in my lifetime, I have consumed quite a bit of “Star Wars” entertainment. But for the life of me, I have no clue who the hell Tam Posla is. However, the character seems to be the hidden link between ‘Rogue One’ and the upcoming “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

READ MORE: Surprise!

Continue reading Newest ‘Solo’ Trailer Reveals A Hidden ‘Rogue One’ Connection at The Playlist.