Star Wars cast talks return of the rebels in new season of Andor | Breaking News & Latest South Africa Updates

Star Wars cast talks return of the rebels in new season of Andor — Three years ago, director Tony Gilroy’s seriesAndor,the origin story of the tragic hero of the filmRogue One, Cassian Andor, was acclaimed by critics ...

Three years ago, director Tony Gilroy’s seriesAndor,the origin story of the tragic hero of the filmRogue One, Cassian Andor, was acclaimed by critics and loved by audiences for breathing some much-needed social realism and political edginess into the Star Wars universe. Originally intended as a five-season show, in which each season would follow a year in the lives of its characters and their increasing dedication to the Rebellion, the show now returns for a second and final season, broken into four blocks of three episodes, each covering a year of the story.

With the current tumultuous events occurring in the real world,Andor’sstory of sacrifice for a cause seems even more relevant than it did when season one came out. Did real events play any part in shaping the narrative of this season?

Diego Luna (Cassian Andor):It’s a warning about what humanity is capable of. The sad thing is that it’s pertinent today but it was also pertinent 40 years ago and it might be pertinent in 50 years. History repeats. We were not thinking about the actual political climate when we were doing this but that’s what good storytelling brings — it always works as a mirror to reflect where you are now. We were just hoping to tell a good story that could explain what needs to happen for a revolution to erupt. That was the only thing we had in our minds: .what these characters must go through to sacrifice everything for a cause. But that’s the story of humanity: communities finding out that they can be powerful if they find a common cause.

Did the decision to change from five seasons to two affect your performance in any way and do you think it will still make sense for audiences?

Luna:When we were halfway through season one, we sat down and said, “It’s impossible to do five seasons like this. One season takes two years and half of our lives.” Five seasons — that’s more than a decade. I won’t fit in the clothes for that long. We’d already discovered that season one was in blocks and, because we bring a director and a team to work on three episodes, that naturally makes a three-episode block. [Director] Tony Gilroy said, “Well then let’s do four blocks.” I think it’s a great tool for storytelling because it asks audiences to join us in imagining what happens in between and it allows you to be part of the story. Each block is like a film. I think people are going to be pleased with this structure.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as actors in this season?

Ariana Arjona (Bix Caleen):As an actor, I got really lucky this season because I got to dig deeper than I did in season one. Bix goes through so much in this season, so much healing and heartbreak. Every scene is a challenge. There’s not a single scene where any of us can say, “Oh that was such an easy scene to film.” It was all a challenge, and it was fun because you’re doing it with friends and family and you’re challenging each other and protecting each other and elevating one another.--Tymon Smith

•Andoris streaming on Disney Plus.

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