The next anticipated Star Wars spin-off series will be a prequel to the 2016 film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, from which the character of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) originated. Andor will take the Star Wars audience back to another corner of the galaxy far, far away that isn't directly focused on the Skywalkers or The Mandalorian. The upcoming series was first revealed back in November 2018 as the upcoming slate of Star Wars shows to be released on Disney+. Filming for the show began in London in November 2020 and concluded at the end of September 2021.
Described as a spy thriller series, Andor is set five years before the events of Rogue One where the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance were only forming. The story has an ensemble of characters who have their own part in the rebellion including Cassian Andor who initially began as a thief after his home was destroyed by the Empire. Along with providing insight and backstory on the Rogue One character, Andor will set out to portray the grounded and gritty side of Star Wars in relation to what it took for a rebellion to take shape against the Empire.
Diego Luna reprises his role from the film along with serving as an executive producer for the series. Among the ensemble cast includes some new characters played by Stellan Skarsgård (Thor), Adria Arjona (Emerald City), Denise Gough (Under the Banner of Heaven), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), and Kyle Soller (Poldark). Genevieve O'Reilly (The Honourable Woman) is set to reprise her role as Senator Mon Mothma who has been an overlooked character that has surprisingly threaded through several Star Wars projects. Even Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) is confirmed to return as Saw Gerrera after appearing in the trailer.
In the lead-up to the next epic Star Wars tale, here's the guide for all the vital information on how you can watch Andor.
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When and Where Can You Watch Andor?
Being a Star Wars property, Andor will exclusively be streaming on the Disney+ platform. It was originally set for a release date of August 31 before being pushed back to September 21. It will have a special premiere with the first three episodes dropping at the same time for back-to-back viewing. The series will then follow the usual weekly release pattern of a new episode streaming every Wednesday, at 12 AM Pacific Time.
Watch the Andor Trailer
The teaser trailer was first released on May 26, 2022, and the initial release date of August 31 was revealed. The tense footage establishes the dystopian setting that many communities of people across the Galaxy find themselves in due to the Empire's control. Minimal glimpses are shown of Luna's Andor along with Skarsgård's Luthen Rael and O'Reilley's Mon Mothma who will likely be key players in the brewing rebellion.
The official trailer followed on August 1, 2022, to announce the new release date of September 21. The overarching plot is shown with Luthen being the instigator of forming a possible team of rebels after interacting with Cassian and Whitaker's Saw Gerrera. Mon Mothma's importance is also highlighted as her senator position allows her to go under the radar of the Empire. Other than the characters on the rebellion's side, there are also peeks of the opposition such as the Imperial Officers Dedra Meero (Gough) and Syril Karn (Soller) who wish to stop Cassian and his allies. Many stunning visuals are shown of various spacecraft and bleak landscapes along with promises of blaster fights, spaceship chases, and the peoples' resistance against stormtroopers and Imperial officers.
Andor Episode Schedule
Having the largest episode total among all the live-action Star Wars Disney+ series, Andor will be streaming its season over a much longer period of time than the previous shows that have come before. The full episode release schedule is as follows:
Episode 1 - September 21, 2022
Episode 2 - September 21, 2022
Episode 3 - September 21, 2022
Episode 4 - September 28, 2022
Episode 5 - October 5, 2022
Episode 6 - October 12, 2022
Episode 7 - October 19, 2022
Episode 8 - October 26, 2022
Episode 9 - November 2, 2022
Episode 10 - November 9, 2022
Episode 11 - November 16, 2022
Episode 12 - November 23, 2022
Will There Be a Second Season of Andor?
Stellan Skarsgård confirmed in February that there will be a second season of Andor that is currently in development.
Gilroy has explained the structure of the series spanning five years that are divided across blocks of episodes. In Season 2, each block of three episodes will chronicle another year in the titular character's journey leading up to Rogue One.
The second season will reportedly begin filming towards the end of this year in November.
Other Star Wars Projects to Watch Like Andor
With the Star Wars universe evolving and growing larger with its interconnected stories, there are some vital films and shows that can better prepare the audience in the lead-up to watching Andor. The following projects are all available to stream on Disney+ and capture the despondent era of the Empire's oppressive rule and the rebellious heroes who emerged from this hardship.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016): From where Cassian Andor was first introduced, Rogue One was one of the first spin-offs to not concentrate on the Skywalker Saga and instead establish a new standalone ensemble of characters. With the mutual goal of acquiring the Death Star's schematics to stop it, Cassian teams up with Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the rescued daughter of Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), a research scientist who was forced to complete the Death Star. The rebel group grows with the additions of cargo pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), Clone War veteran Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), and warriors and Guardians of the Whills, Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen). The film's world-building made for a unique contribution to the Star Wars universe of the ragtag team of revolutionaries who rebelled against the Empire right down to the impactful end that leads to Star Wars: A New Hope. The film even had a recent re-release in IMAX Theaters across the US and Canada for one week that started on August 26 and brought in generous box office figures.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022): This most recent Star Wars Disney+ series was hailed as a brilliant character-focused spin-off on none other than Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi. Set after the drastic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi explores the disillusioned and hardened Jedi who was forced to go into hiding following the rise of Darth Vader to power with the Empire. Similar to Andor, the series holds a connection to a previous film which Obi-Wan Kenobi succeeded in honoring by creating a bridge between the classic and new elements of the Star Wars world. A new range of characters introduced another perspective of the rebellion as many of them became allies with Kenobi including Tala Durith (Indira Varma), a defected Imperial Officer, and Kawlan Roken (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), the leader and navigator of the underground transport network called The Path. The series' classic elements of course align with the integration of Luke and Leia Skywalker as children and the anticipated return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi remains a celebrated series, especially by fans of the prequel films.
Star Wars Rebels (2014): Star Wars also has a solid footing in 3D animated projects that contribute to the lore of the universe such as the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. Star Wars Rebels comes in as a four-season series set in the same era as Rogue One given its focus on a different motley crew of rebels. While the general audience knows of the Rogue One crew, this band of fighters aboard the Ghost includes newer fan-favorite characters worth checking out such as Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), a Mandalorian warrior, and Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall), a Twi-lek pilot. Even Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) made an appearance in this series given the wide period of time that the rebellion takes place. Overall, Star Wars Rebels is definitely worth watching for another impressive cast of characters who come together to fight against the Empire.