DUBAI: When “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” hit theaters in December 2016, no one could have foreseen how a story about relative unknowns fighting the system would shake up a franchise that was struggling to find its voice in many ways.
The film, a prequel to George Lucas’ original Star Wars movies, told the heart-wrenching story of a rebellion that directly lit the spark for the Skywalker saga.
At the center of that story were characters Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), two unlikely heroes forced to carry on a big job.
Six years on, and time has been dialed further back to tell Andor’s original story with the new Disney+ show, “Andor,” premiering in the Middle East on Sept. 21.
In a virtual press conference ahead of the opening, Mexican actor Luna said: “This is a show about real people. It’s very dark times in the galaxy and there are no Jedis around. The people have to articulate a reaction to oppression and it’s the most grounded kind of Star Wars you’ll get.
“It is a show about these people finding the strength to come up with a reaction, to change and bring change to their reality. It’s very inspiring.”
“Andor” takes place five years before the events of “Rogue One” and charts how Andor went from loner trying to survive to a major player in the Rebellion cause.
“‘Rogue One’ is a film about an event, you know? You don’t get to know those characters. And for me, it’s quite relevant today to tell the story of what needs to happen for a revolutionary to emerge. What gives meaning in the life of someone to be willing to sacrifice everything for a cause.
“That journey matters to me. The character says stuff in ‘Rogue One’ that still haunts me, that he started to fight when he was six years old. What does that mean, exactly? Why would a six-year-old miss his childhood and fight?
“He talks about a dark past. He talks about doing terrible stuff for the Rebellion. What is he referring to? I think that story matters,” Luna added.
He noted that when audiences meet Andor in the series, they will see him as a far cry from his character in “Rogue One.”
Luna said: “You see the guy in the first episode, and you don’t see any possibility of him being the man from the movie. That gives me hope, you know, in the world we live in. If that’s possible, anyone can do something. We can all find what we are capable of.”