With a non-stop stream of announcements about some of Lucasfilm’s most eagerly anticipated projects, from Disney+ original series like Star Wars: Ahsoka and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew to upcoming feature films like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Star Wars Celebration officially began its first day in London today.
Friday’s events on the Celebration Stage at the ExCel London Convention Center got underway with presenter Ali Plumb inviting Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy to discuss the popularity of the highly regarded Disney+ original series Star Wars: Andor. The cast of the show, including Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair, and Joplin Sibtain, who was accompanied by droid B2EMO, joined them. Tony Gilroy, the series’ director, creator, and showrunner, also attended. The second and final season, which is now under production and will follow Cassian Andor’s journey as he struggles to put together a nascent resistance, was given an exclusive first peek for fans. Executive producing Season 2 for Disney+ are Luke Hull, Luke, Kennedy, Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, and Luna.
Kennedy was followed on stage by Star Wars: The Acolyte creator and showrunner Leslye Headland. A Wookiee Jedi from the series named Kelnacca accompanied Headland and gave him a synopsis of the mystery-thriller. The Acolyte will transport viewers to the last days of the High Republic period, a time of rising dark-side abilities and murky mysteries. When a former Padawan and her Jedi Master meet to look into a string of atrocities, they find that the forces they are up against are much more evil than they had thought.
Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Star Wars veteran Joonas Suotamo, who portrays Kelnacca, joined Headland and Kennedy on stage. With a preview look from the presently in production series, which also features Carrie-Anne Moss and Margarita Levieva, Headland dazzled the audience. Along with Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King, and Jason Micallef, Headland acts as an executive producer in addition to writing and directing the film. Producers include Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson. Disney+ will be the only place to see The Acolyte in 2024.
Kennedy then called on the series’ executive producers, Disney Legends Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, to the podium as the attention turned to Star Wars: The Mandalorian. The pair was there for a discussion on the third season of the popular program, which is currently exclusively streaming on Disney+, along with fellow executive producer Rick Famuyiwa. Fans saw a snippet from next week’s programme after Pedro Pascal, the actor, gave a special video welcome. Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, and Emily Swallow then made an appearance on stage to make an announcement about an exclusive sneak preview screening of the forthcoming episode that evening for those in attendance.
Jude Law, who plays in Skelton Crew, then entered the room to formally present his youthful co-stars Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter, and Robert Timothy Smith. Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was unable to attend Star Wars Celebration, also appears in the show. The crew also released a sneak peek of the presently in production series, much to everyone’s excitement, along with details about the show and its characters. In Skeleton Crew, four children go from their ostensibly secure home planet to a strange and perilous galaxy after making a remarkable discovery. It will be a bigger adventure than they could have ever dreamed to find their way home—and to encounter unusual friends and opponents.
Tunde Adebimpe and Kerry Condon are featured in the show as well. Along with Favreau, Filoni, Kennedy, and Wilson, Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are the showrunners and executive producers of the film. Beck and Gilchrist work together as co-executive producers. The producers are Susan McNamara and John Bartnicki. The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Watts, Ford, David Lowery, Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Lee Isaac Chung are among the directors. In 2023, Disney+ will be the only place to see Skeleton Crew.
Favreau and Filoni then transitioned to this year’s highly anticipated upcoming feature Wars series, Ahsoka, which will debut on Disney+ in August 2023 and feature Rosario Dawson in the titular character. Ahsoka, which is set after the fall of the Empire, follows Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi knight, as she looks into a potential danger to a galaxy in need. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who portray Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla, respectively, joined Dawson on stage as she presented a preview poster for the show. The co-executive producer is Gilchrist.
The emphasis of the day’s presentations then shifted to feature films, with Kennedy paying respect to the outstanding work of Neal Scanlan, an Oscar®-winning creature and special makeup effects supervisor, as dozens of his most well-known creatures hit the stage.
Kennedy went on to say that a new Star Wars film, set 15 years after the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, would take the franchise into the future. Director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy will narrate the tale of the New Jedi Order’s rebirth and the forces that rise to destroy it. After bringing Daisy Ridley to the stage and announcing her return to the Star Wars franchise as Rey, the director pleased the audience.
Kennedy also said that James Mangold would transport viewers far back in time to portray the story of the first Jedi to use the Force as a liberating force at a time of turmoil and injustice.
Dave Filoni will direct the expanding conflict between the Imperial Remnant and the budding New Republic, enhancing the current Star Wars narrative. They will tie many of the strands of the Star Wars original series together in a cinematic event with producer Favreau.
Last but not least, the cast and crew of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny mesmerised the audience with a previously unreleased teaser, a detailed look at the movie, and a brand-new poster. Cast members Mads Mikkelsen and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, director and co-writer James Mangold, and producer Kennedy all showed up in person. Harrison Ford, who is unmistakable, played Dr. Jones in a video welcome. The movie, which marks Harrison Ford’s last Indiana Jones adventure, has its Cannes debut on May 18 and hits theatres on June 30.
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