Posted in: Disney+, Preview, Star Wars, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney plus, Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, lucasfilm, obi-wan, preview

Obi-Wan: Hayden Christensen on How "The Clone Wars" & "Rebels" Helped

With Lucasfilm & Disney+'s Ewan McGregor & Hayden Christensen-starring "Star Wars" spinoff series Obi-Wan Kenobi ready to let The Force flow beginning Friday, May 27, with the first two episodes, fans have been wondering when they will get their first glimpse at that moment. You know, that moment when Obi-Wan (McGregor) & Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader (Christensen) will stand before each other once again, with lightsabers drawn. And as much as we already know this is a prequel so we kinda know what's going to happen, we all know it's going to be cool to see. Speaking with EW, the duo covered a number of topics about their streaming reunion. One area discussed was how they each prepared for their returns to their respective roles, and fans of the "Star Wars" animated universe are going to be pretty happy with Christensen's response.

For McGregor, his prep involved going back and rewatching all nine films (so it sounds like nothing outside the core three trilogies). Interestingly enough, it would be the first time that McGregor had screened the prequel trilogy they first premiered. But while Christensen also went the film rewatch route, he also expanded his horizons beyond live-action. "I went back and rewatched all the films, and I also got into the animated shows, 'The Clone Wars' and 'Rebels.'" For Christensen, the animated series offered a deeper look into the Obi-Wan/Anakin/Vader dynamic that proved useful. "It was interesting. They ['The Clone Wars' & 'Rebels.'] did a lot with these characters in those shows. And they did further explore the relationship," the actor explained why the shows proved essential. "There was interesting stuff there to learn about. It was great fun getting to go back and re-immerse yourself in this world that just continues to grow and become more and more vast."

Now here's a look at the official teaser for Lucasfilm's Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, set to hit the Disney+ streaming service on May 27th with two episodes:

During an interview with Forbes in support of his Expedia Super Bowl ad campaign, McGregor had some interesting personal perspectives to add into the mix- including why he thinks "people are going to like it." Here are some of the highlights:

On Returning to the Role After So Long: "Oh my gosh, well I loved playing him again. I mean it's quite interesting, after the experience of making the first three films and living through sort of their reception in the world, which wasn't always glowing, I have to say. And then now, meeting the generation who we made those films for, the children then – and now, people in their late teens or early 20s, those people who were kids who we made those films for, they loved them. To them, they're their Star Wars films, you know? For us, it was the original films of the '70s, but for them, it was our films that were their Star Wars. So to step back into his shoes again now and do a series, a whole series about Obi-Wan Kenobi for those fans, it just makes me really happy."

On What Working with Director Deborah Chow Was Like: "It was a great experience. Deborah Chow directed all the episodes and she's really good. She directed a couple [episodes] of 'The Mandalorian' and she's a really great director. She really knows the 'Star Wars' world, inside out, far more than I do (laughs). We just had a great time. I think it's no secret that Hayden Christensen comes back and we got to play scenes together again as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and it was just fantastic to work with him again. I'm not going to give away anything else about the storyline, only I think it's really going to satisfy 'Star Wars' fans. I always felt there was a story between Episode III where I finished playing Obi-Wan in the movies and Episode IV where Alec Guinness is Obi-Wan Kenobi. The ['Obi-Wan Kenobi' series] writers and Deb and I and everyone, I think we crafted or they crafted a very fine storyline. I think people are going to like it."

Joining McGregor & Christensen are Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, Benny Safdie, Maya Erskine, and Grant Feely– with the series taking place 10 years after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat: the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. Director Deborah Chow moves from directing episodes of The Mandalorian to directing the entire run of the series with directorial "geek cred" that also includes American Gods, Better Call Saul, Lost in Space, Jessica Jones, Reign, and Mr. Robot. In April 2020, Joby Harold (Army of the Dead) was tapped to replace Hossein Amini (Drive) after reports surfaced that Kennedy was dissatisfied with Amini's scripts. Legendary composer and "Star Wars" franchise Hall-of-Famer John Williams is set to compose the theme for the series.

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