Disney+'s 'Andor' Creator Was Inspired By Historical Rebellions

The creator of the 'Star Wars' series 'Andor' was inspired by historical rebellions to write the genesis of the rebel alliance in the second season, which premieres on April 23 on the Disney+ Portugal service and will have 12 episodes.

At different times in my life, I spent six months reading about the Russian revolution, the French revolution, the Haitian revolution," said Tony Gilroy, in response to Lusa, during a round table about the new season.

"When we started doing this series I completed this collection and realized that this is an ongoing story," he explained. "Six thousand years of human history are nothing but rebellion and insurrection. And the moments of peace and prosperity are few and far between."

This awareness, which allowed him to seek out many real-life analogies to compose 'Andor', was "depressing and exciting" at the same time, Gilroy indicated.

Set five years before the Battle of Yavin - the moment when the Death Star is destroyed by Luke Skywalker in the film 'A New Hope' - the second season of the series is divided in an innovative way: each three episodes represent a year. The action is immediately followed by the events of the film "Rogue One".

"It was an exciting way to tell the story," said Tony Gilroy, explaining that this choice, which at first seemed radical, allowed him to better organize everything he wanted to include in the season.

The focal point is the Ghorman Massacre, which in the 'Star Wars' canon becomes a pivotal moment in the formation of the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire.

"That's the inciting moment that leads to Mon Mothma making a big speech and leaving the Senate," Gilroy recalled, referring to the character played by Genevieve O'Reilly, who was one of the founders of the Rebel Alliance.

Equally important is the somewhat mysterious figure of Luthen Rael, played by actor Stellan Skarsgård, who leads a rebellious network from his antiques gallery.

"He has a goal which is revolution, that's what drives him," the actor said at the round table. "But he also has a kind of debt to Kleya," he continued, citing the character played by Elizabeth Dulau and who has caused much speculation among Star Wars fans.

This loyalty to Kleya Marki and his own thoughts on right and wrong are what makes him a revolutionary, the actor added. Regardless of how it may be viewed.

"It's almost impossible to judge what is going too far, because all revolutions have sacrifices," Skarsgård said. "He has this idea of ​​how to carry out this revolution. Will he die? He will sacrifice anyone, including himself, to achieve the goal."

This univocal focus leads to some confrontation with the protagonist Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), who at the beginning of the story had no rebellious ideas and becomes a reticent revolutionary.

"What I like here is that nothing is easy for anyone. And there is no clear good or bad, it's complicated," Skarsgård analyzed. "It is our duty to complicate, rather than simplify reality."

'Andor' is considered by critics to be one of the best series in the entire Star Wars universe and the most authentic in relation to the original trilogy.

The second and final season will be released in blocks of three episodes per week starting April 23, ending on May 14.