One notable absentee from the upcoming “Rogue One” prequel drama “Star Wars: Andor” is one of the film’s most beloved characters – Alan Tudyk’s acerbic Imperial droid K-2SO.
As we know the series will begin five years before the events of “Rogue One” and span two seasons – the first taking place across a one-year timespan, the second spanning the remaining four years.
As a result, K-2SO won’t be making his debut until the second season as he comes into the life of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) at a much later date. Talking about why the character wasn’t included from the get to this week, head writer Tony Gilroy tells THR:
“From a storytelling point of view, there are multiple reasons. I would say, ‘Wait and see.’ It’s a story we are eager to tell. It’s difficult to carry an Imperial droid around with you and not draw all kinds of attention. It’s a difficult piece of luggage.
When we do it, we’ll do it in a spectacular fashion as opposed to presenting it and ignoring it, or presenting it or hiding it, or the bad versions we would have been forced to do.
We’re starting him [Andor] so far away from the person who would know how to – or be motivated to – reprogram an Imperial droid.”
He also discussed the issue of not using the StageCraft technology (aka. The Volume) for the series after multiple “Star Wars” series made extensive use of it. He says right nowm the issue with the tech is that, at present, you can’t really pick and choose how to use it. Productions either have to make extensive use of it or not use it at all:
“The technology is extraordinary, and it’s going to become a larger and larger force in filmmaking. Nobody’s against the volume, the volume is fantastic for the things that it’s for. Our show was just on a massively epic scale, and people would be running off the set all the time.
Right now, there’s no good way to do both. You have to make a decision to be a volume show or a non-volume show. You can’t jump back and forth. There are some things that we wish we could have done on volume, they might have been simpler. But our show is huge. We have 211 speaking parts. It just didn’t lend itself to that kind of production.”
Kathleen Kennedy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan also produce the twelve-episode series, which will launch with a three-episode premiere on September 21st.
