It has been over a year since Ewan McGregor finally put the rumors to rest and told audiences at D23 that yes, he would be playing Obi-Wan Kenobi again in the limited series Kenobi. For fans, it was welcome news after years of speculation and rumors. Ewan was quoted admitting his relief when he was finally able to confirm his return after years of dodging questions. Since the announcement, fans have been anxiously following every piece of news as rumors of trouble started circulating. Script issues surfaced, and production halted last January. The script, considered weak, was scrapped. In April Disney brought on Joby Harold as the new scriptwriter. Then, Kenobi faced yet another setback when COVID-19 emerged, and active productions in the industry stopped. Fans would have to wait again for news on production and potential release dates for the show.
Today fans have some wonderful news. According to the Film and Television Industry Alliance, production will begin on January 4th. This moves production up significantly as it was last reported that Kenobi would start filming in mid-March. Filming Locations are listed as Boston, Massachusetts, and London. This announcement comes amid recent casting news and speculation.
It is believed that four new characters will soon be cast, three of which are female. A character named Riley is being cast as co-lead of the show. Three actresses got callbacks. They include Anula Navlekar, Thuso M Bedo and Naomi Scott. Scott is known for her roles in the live-action “Aladdin” movie, and in the 2019 Charlie’s Angles movie. She is considered the front runner. Little other information about the character is known at this time.
Rumors still circulate that Hayden Christensen will be returning as Anakin Skywalker. The timeline and plot information reported thus far make it unclear how his return could work.
The moving up of the production date suggests Disney wants to capitalize on the success of The Mandalorian and keep up the production of new “Star Wars” content for the channel. The stand-alone series was planned for a 2022 release. It is unclear if the new production timeline will lead to a late 2021 release.
Follow Nerd Alert News for more breaking news on “Kenobi.”
Written by Michelle Haab
