Andor, also known as Star Wars: Andor on the Disney+ platform and further distinguished as Andor: A Star Wars Story for its upcoming second installment, represents an American television show brought to life by Lucasfilm. Currently, it is broadcast on Disney's digital streaming service. This series is a spy-themed dramatic presentation that features Diego Luna, who is stepping back into the role of Cassian Andor that he previously played in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The initial season was first shown in September of 2022, with the subsequent season slated to debut on April 22, 2025, accompanied by a redesigned logo.
The Andor TV show is set to delve into unexplored areas of the Star Wars universe, with a specific emphasis on Cassian Andor's personal evolution as he grapples with his potential for impact. The narrative highlights the genesis of the rebellion against the Empire, illustrating the motivations of individuals and planets that led them to join the fight. The era is characterized by peril, deceit, and complex schemes, and it is during this period that Cassian is set to embark on a journey that will ultimately shape him into a celebrated rebel figure.
Discussions concerning a television program centered around Diego Luna's character, Cassian Jeron Andor, from the 2016 Star Wars Anthology movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, were underway even before the film's release, although Luna himself was skeptical about the project's feasibility. In February of 2018, Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, announced that "several" live-action Star Wars series were under consideration for Disney's streaming platform. Iger officially confirmed the series during a quarterly earnings conference call held by Disney on November 8, 2018.
On November 30, reports emerged that Stephen Schiff, an executive producer from The Americans, was chosen to be the showrunner. Additionally, Jared Bush, the writer behind Moana, was credited with originating the concept, having written a pilot episode and a series bible. According to Production Weekly, the plan was for the show's production to commence in October of 2019. On July 11, 2019, it was reported that Rick Famuyiwa was in discussions to direct a number of episodes for the series, with the start of filming scheduled for October 7. On October 15, 2019, Variety disclosed that Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One, would be penning the pilot episode and directing a number of episodes for the show.
Diego Luna verified on December 3, 2020, that filming for the series had commenced in London. On December 10, 2020, during a Disney investor briefing, the series title, Andor, was revealed along with behind-the-scenes footage. The actual filming process began in late November of 2020. Initially, Alan Tudyk was announced to be portraying K-2SO in the series. However, in January of 2021, he clarified that while production was ongoing, he would not be appearing in the first season, but anticipated involvement in future seasons.
The showrunners favored using real-world settings, with scenes being filmed both at Pinewood Studios and on location. One particular scene was filmed in Pitlochry, Scotland. Furthermore, external scenes for the Aldhani dam were also shot in Scotland, specifically at the Cruachan pumped storage hydro plant. Gilroy mentioned that creating Ferrix was a costly endeavor, stating that its "mental build" required two years. The filming phase concluded in September 2021.
Due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, Gilroy stopped all work on Andor and left the set. Deadline Hollywood began an article a few weeks before the UK filming of season two was to end, stating that filming would be put on hold due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA actors strike. However, the article later stated that, according to what Deadline had learned, the series was still being filmed at Pinewood Studios, but without actors who were part of SAG-AFTRA: American SAG-AFTRA actors had stopped work, as per the strike, while members of the British Equity union remained. The report said that actors who were part of Equity were warned of potential legal action if they stopped work to support the American union.
Kathryn Hunter verified her return as Eedy Karn for season two in December 2023, and shared some behind-the-scenes photos on her Instagram page. She later deleted the post. Andor was not included in the 2024 release schedule that Disney+ showed to the public in December 2023. In an interview with IO9, Stellan Skarsgård, the star of Andor, smiled when Andor was mentioned and said he was happy with the ending, specifically praising Gilroy's writing. Skarsgård said in a February 2024 interview with GamesRadar+ that season two would be out in late 2024 or early 2025.
Lucasfilm presented a teaser trailer for the Andor show at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 on May 26, 2022. The studio also said that the series would start with two episodes on Disney+ on August 31, 2022.
On August 1, Lucasfilm shared an official trailer and said that the release date had been moved to September 21, 2022, with the premiere of three episodes.