Tony Gilroy is one of those rare screenwriters who has balanced commercial viability with incredible storytelling, proving that good craft always trumps easy fixes. The filmmaker will be returning to the Star Wars franchise with the second season of Andor. I absolutely loved the first season and the teaser for the second looks incredible.
Gilroy’s return comes at a turbulent time in the franchise as Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kenney is reportedly retiring from the top spot by the end of the year. As the replacement hunt for the controversial president begins, I believe the Andor showrunner would be the perfect fit after seeing his consistency.
Tony Gilroy’s statements about Andor’s season 2 proves he can think beyond the Skywalkers
Ever since Lucasfilm was sold to Disney, the franchise has moved away from George Lucas’ vision but has not let go of his legacy. The world of Star Wars is not just about the Skywalkers but also about the countless other heroes who tried their best to fight against the Empire. Lucas has created ample avenues to take these elements anywhere.
Under Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, however, I along with several other fans saw the franchise relying on nostalgia and ‘Lucas-isms’ during the sequel trilogy instead of creating more original storylines. The franchise did that with its Disney+ offerings, but beyond The Mandalorian, only Andor has used the franchise’s world to its advantage.
Tony Gilroy, the Oscar-nominated showrunner of Andor is one of the biggest reasons why the series is streets ahead of other Star Wars material. The writer recently spoke about what made the series so exciting and incredible, and it is not Diego Luna’s eponymous hero. He said (via Star Wars),
One of the great thrills of making Andor is the scale of the story and the number of characters we’re able to meet — ordinary people, Imperial overlords, passionate revolutionaries. They are real people making epic decisions, all of them staring down questions with terrifying consequences. Cassian’s journey is the soul and spine of our story, but it’s the choir that makes the show.
The teaser trailer of Andor season 2 showed not just Luna’s character but also stressed several other characters in the show such as Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera and Ben Mendelsohn’s Orson Krennic. The show is a precursor to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Gilroy seems to be focusing less on the Skywalkers and more on the other rebels.
Tony Gilroy should be at the top spot at Lucasfilm after Kathleen Kennedy
This week’s top story has been Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy’s retirement from the top spot by the end of the year (via THR). The executive has long been criticized for her decisions, which include duds like Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Acolyte. However, she was also the one who brought in Tony Gilroy to do reshoots for Rogue One.
While purists would want someone like Dave Filoni or Jon Favreau (even Kevin Feige seems to be in the mix), I feel Gilory being at the top of creative decisions is a much better prospect for the franchise. Unlike Filoni, who has been associated with Star Wars forever, Gilroy has a purer storytelling background, working on films like the Jason Bourne franchise.
His feature film debut Michael Clayton got him two Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He is a master at exploring dramas in a mainstream setting like the world of spies, fixers, or in the case of Andor, an intergalactic rebel alliance. His inclusion in Rogue One is largely credited with the success of the film.
Kennedy’s tenure at Lucasfilm has been extremely divisive, with many of her decisions being criticized, especially shows like The Acolyte and films like Solo: A Star Wars Story. I think it is high time the franchise leaves the Skywalkers alone and does not treat them as a failsafe, and to date, Tony Gilroy is the only one who has cracked it.
Andor season 2 is set to stream on Disney+ from April 22, 2025.
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