Obi-Wan Kenobi Series on Hold as Calls Go Out for New Scripts | The Hollywood Reporter
Ewan McGregor and director Deborah Chow remain attached to the Disney+ project.
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 series, which sees Ewan McGregor reprise his role of the famed Jedi Knight, was in the throes of pre-production.
It 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 Star Wars 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 series is being reconfigured from being six episodes to four episodes.
It is unclear when the show would ramp up again although insiders stress that McGregor remains attached to star and Chow remains 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 series was facing problems.
It is unclear why scripts became an issue so late in the process. One source said the Kenobi story treaded similar ground as Mandalorian, seeing the Jedi master lending a protective hand to a young Luke and perhaps even a young Leia, perhaps mirroring how the Mandalorian took Baby Yoda under his protective custody.
In August 2019, McGregor surprised Star Wars fans by walking out on stage at D23 to confirm that he would be playing Obi-Wan Kenobi once more. The actor had flirted for years with a return to the character after last playing the role in 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
In 2017, THR broke the news that Disney and Lucasfilm was developing a spinoff film to be directed by Oscar winner Stephen Daldry, but those plans were scrapped after the poor performance of another standalone, Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), which grossed $392 million worldwide.
The Obi-Wan news comes as Disney and Lucasfilm are at a crossroads with Star Wars. The franchise has been put on pause, at least in terms of the big screen, following December’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which concluded the nine-film saga that began in 1977 and was greeted with mixed reaction. Though it has earned $1.03 billion globally, it is on track to be the lowest grossing of the sequel trilogy.
Star Wars has found acclaim with its first Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, which introduced a breakout character in Baby Yoda.
Collider first reported the news of the Obi-Wan series being on hold.
New Picture GIF fight, wrestling, jimmy fallon, tonight show, fighting, fallontonight, karate, kate upton, choking, sports illustrated, jiu-jitsu, the other woman, fist fight, dont mess with me, rear naked choke, choke hold, white belt, dont mess with the best, earn your stripes, jiu jitsu moves via Giphy https://ift.tt/2Rf339p
New Picture GIF cute, dog, dogs, puppy, tonight show, fallontonight, pets, puppies, mine, pup, kate upton, pupper, puppy love, pooch, my dog, wagging tail, mans best friend, furry friend, petting a dog, heavy or light via Giphy https://ift.tt/2RHs3Fc
New Picture GIF celebration, celebrate, jimmy fallon, tonight show, victory, hugs, hugging, xoxo, fallon tonight, kate upton, winners, group hug, ken jeong, team work, victory dance, friendship goals, hug me, youre the best, hug me brotha, heavy or light via Giphy https://ift.tt/2NPWOH8
New Picture GIF excited, light, jimmy fallon, cake, winner, tonight show, fallontonight, heavy, party time, throwing, freaking out, kate upton, birthday cake, ken jeong, birthday party, wedding cake, cake fail, cake toss, heavy or light, wedding gone wrong via Giphy https://ift.tt/2TJyomh
