Disney was eyeing a big future with Disney+'s Andor creator Tony Gilroy, who reportedly passed on the chance. The Rebel-centric Star Wars series just wrapped up a stellar two-season run with praise from fans, critics, and, hopefully, soon the Emmys, as Andor could be a strong contender going into awards season.
According to a report from The InSneider, Andor creator and Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy was offered a first-look deal after his Disney+ series' success, but he reportedly declined the offer as he "doesn't like" these types of deals in general. This would have given Disney the first chance to take on Gilroy's original projects going forward before he could shop them to other studios.
Gilroy is now turning attention to Behemoth!, a screenplay of his own that he will direct, and is set to star Moon Knight's Oscar Isaac. The Andor creator confirmed to Deadline in May that his next movie explores "movie music" and those who make it; however, he was having "a lot of trouble" raising the production costs:
"I wrote a movie Behemoth! that I’m trying to get off the ground. It’s about movie music, the people who make it. I have Oscar Isaac. I’ve been trying to raise the money, but I’ve been having a lot of trouble."
Fortunately, those problems appear to be solved as The InSneider reported that the Disney-owned Searchlight Pictures will produce and finance Behemoth!, either for a theatrical or straight-to-Hulu release.
Tony Gilroy Has a Bright Future in Hollywood (And At Disney)
Where other Disney+ originals have been met with widely mixed reactions, Andor is the one thing that everybody seems to agree is excellent, with many praising it as some of the best Star Wars ever created. This comes in large part down to Tony Gilroy, whose lifelong historical interests helped make Andor great.
With that in mind, it's no surprise that Disney is looking to keep Gilroy around, even if that is just for his original projects and not necessarily more Star Wars. While the acclaimed writer may have turned down a long-term deal at Disney, he will be staying in business with it a little longer thanks to Behemoth!
One has to wonder if his struggles raising money for Behemoth! until Disney came along may have had him reconsidering turning down the first-look offer. Even if Gilroy continues to swerve exclusive deals, hopefully, the success of a blockbuster project such as Andor will help his original ideas get off the ground going forward.
