As Deborah Chow gears up to bring the long-awaited Obi-Wan Kenobi series to Disney+, the man who inhabits the iconic Jedi robe has been speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about everything from his reaction to the Covid jab, his upcoming appearance in Netflix’s Halston, and how his return to the Star Wars universe is “going to feel so much more real”.
In a reflective interview, McGregor discusses his disappointment in the reaction to the prequels, and shares his oft-expressed frustration at the “really tedious” shooting process involved with green screen filming. However, it’s when his focus shifts to how they’re making Obi-Wan Kenobi that he enthuses about what’s to come. Speaking about a technique called StageCraft, which was employed by Jon Favreau on The Mandalorian, McGregor said “they project onto this massive LED screen. So if you’re in a desert, you’re standing in the middle of a desert. If you’re in the snow, you’re surrounded by snow. And if you’re in a cockpit of a starfighter, you’re in space. It’s going to feel so much more real.”
Filming is yet to get underway, but McGregor also revealed that he “has done some screen tests with Deborah and other people, and I can see that she is a really, really good director.”
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi begins ten years after the events of 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 turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is being directed by Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian), with McGregor joined in the cast by Hayden Christensen (Darth Vader), Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars) and Bonnie Piesse (Beru Lars), as well as Star Wars newcomers Moses Ingram, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, Maya Erskine and Benny Safdie.
