The world of Star Wars is at its peak again. Six years later a roguecomes the first spin-off of the universe created by George Lucas Andorthe prequel series starring Diego Luna in which this Wednesday premieres its three initial chapters Disney +.
The Mexican actor the first Latino to play a leading character in the franchise -then the Chilean Pedro Pascal would be added to that list as The Mandalorian-, talked to Clarione about this fiction that takes place five years before the events of the 2016 film, and which deals with the past and the circumstances that lead the soldier and spy Cassian Andor to give his life for the cause of the rebels.
Andor It is the first spin-off series focused on a character who has not appeared in any of the three main trilogies of the saga. In addition to acting, Luna is the executive producer of the series, which will have two seasons of 12 episodes and was created by Tony Gilroy.
“I’m thrilled,” says Luna in the Zoom dialogue. “There have been many years of work behind this series. One year after the debut a rogue They’ve already spoken to me to tell me if I was just interested in exploring the possibility of making a series that addresses the character’s past, “he says.
A lot has happened in the galaxy in the six years between the film and the new series: Disney + was born, and other series derived from it were launched together with the streaming platform. Star Wars What The Mandalorian Y Obi-Wan Kenobi who is gone Andor in the pending list.
The wait is over. From this Wednesday, the fandom warrior you can start giving your verdict Andor. “We have 24 episodes to tell you in five years. This is total freedom to explore in depth a lot of things that don’t fit in a movie,” says the actor. And your mother too.
A story of migrants and refugees
As in a rogue and in many of the stories of Star Wars, Andor is an epic adventure where the heroes are not untouched. Just retrace the past of the greatest villain in the saga – and probably in cinema -, Darth Vader.
The new series shows the traumas of Diego Luna’s character. And as in an overwhelming context, Cassian develops a rage and loyalty that will eventually lead him to the extreme point of dying for the Rebel Alliance.
“This is a story of migrants, of refugees, a story of ordinary people. Here there are no Jedi around, here the only way to react and respond is through the articulation of city movements. That’s what it’s all about, “she muses.
“That’s why I like it so much. a rogue and tells this story Star Wars, because it is the most human and realistic story of the saga. And it talks about issues that are very current today. It also speaks of a racial and cultural diversity that enriches us in many ways, “he adds.
-You are the first Latin protagonist of the “Star Wars” universe. What would that child Diego who grew up watching these galactic stories say? Do you have to pinch yourself every now and then or are you used to it?
-No, there is no way to get used to it. Let’s just say I’m feeling more and more comfortable. This time they invited me to the process from the start, which I could digest much better. In a rogue I was thrown onto a ship that had already sailed. And you had to find yourself and not get dizzy. But now I have accompanied the whole process and I can enjoy it a lot more.
There is always a connection with that child that I was and who was in love with that universe, because I grew up watching these movies. Especially in my childhood, the first three were very important. So obviously, there are times when I find myself connecting with that child. And I appreciate that too, because it doesn’t happen to me with any other project I’ve done.
Chronicle of a death foretold
they have seen a rogue they will know Andor It is something like the chronicle of a death foretold. “I thought it was a great opportunity to answer a lot of questions that the film doesn’t answer,” says Diego of the series, comparing it to the film she starred in opposite Felicity Jones.
“I think the film is more about an event. But he doesn’t go into who these characters are, where they come from. Or what do they mean when they say phrases like “I’ve been fighting since I was 6” or “I’ve had a very dark past”. You don’t know very well where these characters come from who (in the film) decide to risk everything.
Like Luna, there are two other actors from a rogue who repeat the role in Andor: Genevieve O’Reilly as Senator Mon Mothma and Forest Whitaker as the mysterious Saw Gerrera.
They are joined by new faces like Adria Arjona -the daughter of the Guatemalan singer-, who plays Bix Caleen, Andor’s rebellious “friend”; Fiona Shaw as Maarva, the woman who adopted him as a young man, and Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael, one of the first to open the protagonist’s eyes to the possibilities of going against the Empire.
-What is it like working on a character whose ending is already known?
-I was moved by the idea of building that past. Plus, finding a character you don’t expect can get there. You never get close to developing a story knowing its end. It is usually the other way around. And this somehow triggered a different creativity. And on the other hand, I was happy to come back with the freedoms that a format like this offers you.
-Everyone knows about Cassian’s end. What do you think would attract someone to watch the series considering this?
Well, we don’t know how. What we’re going to question are those preconceptions you already had, those answers you gave to the film. The idea is to surprise you with the character’s path and journey. But I also like historical cinema, for example.
I tend to watch all those films that deal with historical events that I already know, because I want to see what happened between the lines, what was happening in the intimacy of those characters who were made public by an action or an event. And I think there are always things happening there that grab my attention as a viewer.
Science fiction, adventure and political thriller
As an executive producer, Luna talks about how they approached the prequel and the multiple windows opened up by the fact that it is a series, or as he calls it, “a large-scale format”.
“It has to be a science fiction series that offers adventure and action. But it can also afford to be a political espionage thriller; you can indulge in very intimate moments with the characters where it is simply human relationships. It is a chance to cross various genres and tones that a film cannot give “, explains Luna.
“We are not here to repeat what we have done a rogue nor what other series have done. The very purpose of this series is to be different from the others. And it’s always attractive. “
-Many “Star Wars” stories bring out this idea of rebellion against a power that is. Do they remind you of any particular historical event?
–Star Wars It has been with us for decades. And I think every film ended up generating a commentary on reality and the context in which it was shot. If you go back to the early films, in the late 1970s, and what they meant, and where was the world and in particular the United States at that time, where they were conceived from, you always find these comments that science fiction can make .
Science fiction is a great tool for commenting on reality, right? Let’s start by telling you that it is a “distant galaxy”. Therefore, you will not feel personal and will open your ears and eyes like few times.
POS
Juan Erbi
Source: Clarin
