Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to add a brand-new chapter to the ever-expanding Skywalker Saga with the series mainly focused on stories set 10 years after the tragic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.
Directed by The Mandalorian's Deborah Chow, the series will showcase the return of Ewan McGregor's famous prequel character, and he will not be alone in this new adventure. Alongside McGregor, Obi-Wan Kenobi will also feature the comeback of Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader, meaning that a rematch is in store between the two former friends.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is also bannered by a star-studded ensemble with the likes of Kumail Nanjani, Moses Ingram, and Joel Edgerton joining the space-based chapter. Aside from the much-anticipated bout between the titular Jedi Master and the Sith Lord, plot details of the series are still being kept under wraps.
Production is now underway, and the lead actor appears to be pretty excited about the current development.
EWAN MCGREGOR OPENS UP ABOUT OBI-WAN KENOBI
As part of Variety's Actors on Actors 2021, Obi-Wan Kenobi star Ewan McGregor recently sat down with The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal to talk about his return to the upcoming Star Wars series from Disney+ and his experience during production.
The prequel star shared to Pascal that he is “working with so many” of the actor's crew from The Mandalorian, admitting that he's having “such an amazing time” due to the use of The Volume technology:
“I just came directly from our set on the “Kenobi” series, and I’m working with so many of your crew from “The Mandalorian.” In fact, Deborah Chow is directing all of our series, and I know she directed episodes of your first season. I’m having such an amazing time down there with that incredible technology, and not being in front of too much green screen and blue screen.”
Pascal then pointed out that it is an unbelievable experience, with him describing it as something “like being on an amusement park ride:”
"It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? You would think that you would have to really invent all of it in your mind, but more than any set I’ve ever been on, it’s there and meticulously created in the production design. It’s like being on an amusement park ride."
McGregor recalled that filming the prequels involved a plethora of “green sets with green floors and green walls,” citing that “90% of the scenes” used that approach.
Pascal agreed by saying that it will be a “different experience” this time around due to the newfound technology:
McGregor: “I did the first three films in the late ’90s and into the 2000s, and by the time you did Episode 2 and 3, literally 90% of the scenes were just on green sets with green floors and green walls, or a blue set with blue sides and blue walls.”
Pascal: “It would be such a different experience with the same character that you were doing before — and then coming in and doing it with all this new technology.”
McGregor ended by reiterating that he likes The Volume, with him expressing his excitement about the fact that “anything's possible now:”
"I like it. It’s like the beginning of Hollywood. It’s almost like when they had three-sided sets all in a row, and a bunch of guys with windup cameras, and you would just go from one stage to the other, one background to the other. Well, we’re doing sort of the same thing, except just the background changes instead of the stage. I’m excited about it because I feel like anything’s possible now. That you can invent stuff, interiors or exteriors that don’t exist in the real world, and put us into that environment. And also, you don’t have to fly ever. I mean, traveling has been great for the first 30 years of my career, but now I just want to stay at home. I just want to drive to work and drive home from work. I want a proper job."
THE VOLUME'S BENEFIT ON OBI-WAN KENOBI
The Volume was greatly beneficial for The Mandalorian, and it looks like the same is true for Obi-Wan Kenobi. As McGregor noted in the interview, the actor is having an “amazing time” of not being in front of too much green screen, and this could mean that it will elevate his performance even more in the series.
This isn't the first time that McGregor praised The Volume. In June 2020, the Star Wars actor admitted that the technology helps in making his job easier since “it makes you feel like you're in the place.”
Back then, McGregor had yet to film scenes for Obi-Wan Kenobi, but his recent remarks should further solidify how groundbreaking The Volume is during production. The added comment from Pedro Pascal cements the notion that this technology is a game-changer, especially after the success of The Mandalorian's first two seasons.
McGregor already had a memorable performance as the famous Jedi Master back in the prequels, but it seems that The Volume will propel his portrayal even more. The fact that he is enjoying filming will no doubt amplify the upcoming series in a multitude of ways.
Lucasfilm's investment for The Volume appears to be paying off, and this should boost the production value of future shows and movies under the Star Wars banner.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to stream on Disney+ sometime in 2022.
