The technical advancements appear to have made the process of becoming Obi-Wan Kenobi an easier proposition for Ewan McGregor, allowing the character to be the focal point of his days work rather than staying out of the way of the technology. That wasn’t the case 20 years ago on the prequel trilogy, and McGregor looks back to the stone age of digital cinema, an era of film – and of Star Wars – that received plenty of criticism but is now getting the admiration it deserves.
“The three [prequel] movies were hard to make, and the blue screen [aspect] was very difficult. It was difficult to be vibrant. We were pioneering new technology. With Episode II we used the first ever new digital cameras, but they were clumsy and awkward. The filmmaking was supporting the technology, as opposed to the story. We would do three or four takes, and then, “Okay, we’ve got that, move on,” and the cranes would move, they’d zoom in and out, and they’d go, “Ready!” And we were like [bafflement]. It was harder and harder for us, I felt, to be the best we could be in the environment.
I really loved acting in them, and I loved playing Obi-Wan Kenobi. And I like working with George. When they were finished, there was no thought to go on. There weren’t any spin-offs being made. George said that he didn’t want to make VII, VIII and IX, so we all assumed that was it. And the reaction to the films was weird and difficult. A lot of people didn’t like the prequels, and it was such hard work to make them. We all put our heart and soul into it.”
