Diego Luna believes that the creative way in which they’re telling the story of Andor will set it apart.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Luna gets candid about the realities of making the prequel series to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
“It’s creativity at its best because you can’t do what you’ve been asked to do all the time, which is try to get to an end that no one sees coming. Here, it’s the opposite. Everyone knows already how this ends, but the trick is in telling you a story that you can connect with, that explains how someone gets here. How does a man get to a point where he’s willing to sacrifice everything for a cause? What needs to happen to him? That’s what this story is about.”
To Luna’s credit, there are a growing number of prequel movies and series that have come out over the past several years, and the ones that have been received favorably have been those with a penchant for creative flair. Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad prequel, has received just as much acclaim for its well-executed story and characterizations, and House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, focusing on the Targaryen’s dynasty is HBO’s biggest show premiere of all time.
Luna has previously stated that Andor is the journey of a migrant and recounts how those experiences shape a person. Here, he reiterates how important it is to tell this story at this time.
“This story matters. It matters to me, mattered to the team. I believe it’s pertinent to put it out there, so it felt like we are doing the right thing. We’re telling a story about community, about people doing something for your neighbor, bringing change, reacting to an oppressive system. I thought, ‘Wow, it’s a good time to be talking about the origins of a revolution and the awakening of a revolutionary.'”
Victory will be an uphill battle, however, as two highly dangerous Imperial officers are chasing after Cassian, each of whom has their own reasons. Thankfully, the Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård) is going around recruiting members to join the Rebel Alliance, so Cassian won’t be alone in this fight.
Andor will premiere with its first three episodes September 21 on Disney Plus.