What a time to be a Star Wars fan! Starting May 26 through May 29, Star Wars is taking over Anaheim with the return of Star Wars Celebration, the ultimate convention for Star Wars fans across the stars.
Star Wars Celebration 2022 kicked things off in Anaheim, CA, with Lucasfilm’s studio showcase, moderated by Yvette Nicole Brown. The panel was filled with surprise cameos, upcoming Lucasfilm projects, and first looks at some highly anticipated movies (we’ve missed you, Indy)!
Here are the top things we learned at the panel:
Obi-Wan Kenobi Last Details Before Series Premiere
In a matter of hours, Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi will be back on our screens, and it’s going to be glorious! The studio presentation panel kicked off with Ewan McGregor and his cast members, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, and Rupert Friend. They were also joined by series showrunner Deborah Chow.
At Star Wars Celebration 2022, McGregor told the audience that he liked taking Obi-Wan to a darker, more broken place; he’s also been feeling the love for the prequels in recent years. One of the highlights of the prequel trilogy is McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi, so the fact that we’re getting him back now is very exciting, and I can’t wait to fangirl over this series.
Andor Teaser Trailer
The long-awaited Andor series has a release date, new series details, and a trailer! The series showrunner, Tony Gilroy, revealed to the panel that the first twelve episodes had been shot, and they are due to begin filming the next twelve episodes. Andor will be two seasons total, with the final scene of Andor leading straight into Rogue One. Cassian Andor himself, Diego Luna, teased that you won’t recognize Cassian when you first meet him in the series. Over the course of 24 episodes, we’ll see the evolution of his character.
Cassian Andor isn’t the only one making a return to Star Wars. Genevieve O’Reilly is reprising her role as Mon Mothma. She first played the role 17 years ago in Revenge of the Sith and later appeared in 2016’s Rogue One. O’Reilly told the audience that she loves that she gets the opportunity to explore Mon Mothma at this stage of her life. Stellan Skarsgård is also joining the cast, but the details of his character are still under wraps.
The Andor presentation ended with a teaser trailer, which continues to play on the gritty world of post-Revenge of the Sith and pre-Rogue One, where the Rebellion is starting to bubble its way up to the surface. The teaser trailer has been released, and honestly, we’re so hyped about what Andor has in store. Thankfully we don’t have to wait long because the first two episodes will debut on August 31st.
Jude Law Joining Star Wars
Jon Watts is jumping from the MCU to a galaxy far, far away. He and Chris Ford are developing a new Star Wars series for Disney Plus. Set after the events of Return of the Jedi, the series will be about a group of kids from a planet who accidentally get lost in the galaxy and their subsequent journey of getting back home. Dave Filoni shared that the series is in line with his beloved animated series, The Clone Wars. They also revealed the official title of the series is Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and Jude Law is starring in the series. Jude Law has been involved with the MCU and the Harry Potter franchise in recent years, so for him to join the Star Wars universe is a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
The Mandalorian S3 + Ahsoka Release Dates
The Mandalorian has been a game-changer for Star Wars storytelling and one of the best original series from Disney Plus. It has since gone on to expand its universe with the spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett.
Another spinoff that’s coming is Ahsoka, based on the animated turned live-action Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson. The series is currently filming, so Rosario Dawson wasn’t at the panel, but showrunner Dave Filoni revealed that the series will debut in 2023. Also announced was the release date for the third season of The Mandalorian — Din Djarin and Grogu will return in February 2023.
First Image from Indiana Jones 5
After John Williams himself came out to play Kenobi’s theme for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, he closed out by playing the Indiana Jones theme, and Harrison Ford walked out on stage. He shared his love for John Williams, joking how that music follows him everywhere he goes. But that’s not all — Harrison Ford announced that Indiana Jones 5 has finished filming, John Williams is doing the film score, and the movie will be released June 30, 2023. He closed out the panel with the first image of Indiana Jones 5, which is him walking across a bridge in a cave with only the yellow sunlight to illuminate him. In short, a work of art.
What was your favorite announcement from the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase at Star Wars Celebration 2022? Let us know!