Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in 2016’s Rogue One

Disney + has announced that British director Toby Haynes will take over directorial duties on the as-yet-untitled Rogue One spin-off Star Wars series, according to our distinguished colleagues at The Hollywood Reporter.

Tony Gilroy, the original scriptwriter of Rogue One, had been chosen as the show’s director, but due to the pandemic lockdown, Gilroy was concerned about traveling to and from his home in New York to the U, K,, where the show will be filming. Gilroy will continue to be showrunner long-distance,

The show will focus on the adventures of Cassian Andor before the events of Rogue One: a Star Wars Story. Mexican actor Diego Luna will be reprising his role as Cassian. The all-star international cast includes American Alan Tudyk (K-2S0 in the original Rogue One, Wash in Firefly, Mr. Nobody in Doom Patrol, Van Wayne in Powerless), Swedish Stellan Skarsgård (Erik Selvig in the MCU, Bootstrap Bill Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean series), American Kyle Soller (Dr, Blake of The Titan), Puerto Rican Adria Arjona (Dorothy in Emerald City, Martine in Morbius, Jules Reyes in Pacific Rim: Uprising), and Irish Denise Gough (Mary in The Kid Who Would be King)

Toby Haynes has an impressive list of directing credits. In addition to the celebrated space-themed Black Mirror episode “USS Callister,” Haynes directed “The Reichenbach Falls” episode of Sherlock, and five episodes of Dr. Who, including the Hugo-Winning “The Pandorica Opens” and the popular “The Impossible Astronaut.” He was also executive proucer and director of the fantasy mini-series Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “the untitled Cassian Andor series is one of several live-action TV projects Lucasfilm has for Disney+, including Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, which launches season two on October 30, as well as an Obi-Wan Kenobi series starring Ewan McGregor.

-30-

Susan Macdonald
Susan Macdonald

Susan Macdonald is the author of the children’s book “R is for Renaissance Faire”, as well as 26 short stories, mostly fantasy in “Alternative Truths”, “Swords and Sorceress ”, Swords &Sorceries Vols. 1, 2, & 5, “Cat Tails” “Under Western Stars”, and “Knee-High Drummond and the Durango Kid”. Her articles have appeared on SCIFI.radio’s web site, in The Inquisitr, and in The Millington Star. She enjoys Renaissance Faires (see book above), science fiction conventions,  Highland Games, and Native American pow-wows.