After much speculation, Disney has confirmed thatEwan McGregorwill be reprising his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a Disney+ series, the studio announced Friday at its D23 Expo in Anaheim.
“We have all the scripts written and we’re ready to start shooting next year," said Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy.
The Obi-wan series will be the third live-action show spun-off from the Star Wars universe, followingJon Favreau’sThe Mandalorianand aRogue Oneprequel series that will starDiego Lunaas Cassian Andor, and feature the voice ofAlan Tudykas K2SO. Lucasfilm is also prepping a new animatedClone Warsseries for February 2020.
McGregor previously played Obi-wan in the three Star Wars prequels,The Phantom Menace,Attack of the Clones, andRevenge of the Sith. Over the years, there have been no shortage of rumors that Lucasfilm was developing an Obi-wan standalone movie, and though it ultimately never came to fruition, I imagine that some of the story ideas proposed for that project have been put to good use in this upcoming Disney+ series.
Alec Guinnessoriginated the character of Obi-wan in the original trilogy, though he eventually becomes known as Ben Kenobi later on, and appears as a spirit to guide Luke Skywalker in his quest against evil – with the help of the force, of course.
At the age of 48, McGregor is having a bit of a moment right now thanks to a pair of upcoming Warner Bros. tentpoles. He stars as an older version of Danny Torrance inThe ShiningsequelDoctor Sleep, and he plays the villainous Black Mask in DC’sBirds of Prey, which puts him againstMargot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. McGregor also recently worked with Disney on the live-action ofBeauty and the BeastandChristopher Robinmovies, the former of which is the studio’s highest-grossing live-action adaptation. Meanwhile, McGregor made his directorial debut withAmerican Pastoralseveral years ago, and he has been looking for a follow-up project, so it’s entirely possible that his deal calls for him to direct an episode or two of the Obi-wan series. Wouldn’t that be cool?
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