Andor show runner, Tony Gilroy, sat down with SFX to talk about the series, and among some of his more interesting quotes is one that discusses just how huge this series is going to be.
According to Gilroy, the first season will feature 190 speaking parts. For those in the back, that’s how many characters you will meet that actually talk, and aren’t just background actors. That’s an insane amount of characters fans are going to meet.
“We’re dealing with, I don’t know, 190 speaking parts in the first 12 episodes, and you’re carrying over 25-30 characters that we care about from the first half to the second half. The first three episodes are pretty contained in our show, it’s pretty much about this one place and this one couple of days. And then, when episode four starts, we just start adding characters and the world just gets really, really wide.”
Tony Gilroy
Tony went on to discuss how he approached Star Wars canon, Mon Mothma, and the spores of revolution.
Gilroy on how he approached canon:
“Within Star Wars, within Wookiepedia, there’s got to be four or five levels of canon. There’s film canon, cartoon canon, fan-fiction canon and all these different things – and for the larger issues we deal with [Star Wars Lore Advisor – yes, that’s his official job title!] Pablo Hidalgo.”
Tony Gilroy
Gilroy on Mon Mothma’s journey:
“Our goal is to have as many varieties as you possibly can, and Mon Mothma has her own rebellion. People will find out a lot more about that as the show goes on, because there’s some really interesting things that we’re going to say about her. It’s not that we’re reversing canon or anything, we’re just going to tell you that, wow, you had no idea what some people were really about – and maybe you don’t understand why she’s doing it all.”
Tony Gilroy
Gilroy on the seeds of rebellion:
“I get this five-year period to deal with, and it’s a pretty kinetic moment in history, with the Empire taking over. But you also have these spores of revolution all over the galaxy. Nobody knows each other, there’s different factions, and it’s all going to coalesce awkwardly and clumsily at Yavin.”
Tony Gilroy
Finally, Mon Mothma actress, Genevieve O’Reilly, shed more light on the perils her character will face in the political arena:
“When we meet Mon Mothma in Coruscant, it’s a high society world of intrigue and political machinations. She is trying to be a voice for diplomacy and a voice for action, and trying to gather allies against this ever looming autocracy. At the moment, the Emperor has all the numbers, and she is a very lonely voice. In order to change, she has to put her head above the parapet, which is highly dangerous, and I think that’s what allows for the thriller element that runs through this season.”
Genevieve O’Reilly
With each new report Andor is sounding more and more like it’s going to be a smash hit with fans, so make sure to tune in on 9/21 for its 3-episode premiere!
Nick and I will talk more about these interviews on next week’s episode of the SWTS, so don’t forget to tune into the Star Wars Time Show on a weekly basis via our podcast platforms or via YouTube if you prefer the livestream angle.
