Deborah Chow discusses the hit Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus, looking at all aspects of the show including the fan reaction to the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader and thoughts of a second season, which appears to be something series star Ewan McGregor is keen to see.
THR: The fans showed Hayden a level of appreciation that he probably didn’t feel during his first go-round. Has that warm embrace been one of the highlights?
DC: It absolutely has, and it’s not just because we’re both from Toronto. This is a tough franchise. It’s very public and very global. A lot of the actors have [been subject to] a lot of scrutiny over their roles. Having Hayden come out the other side and see the love for both him and his character, it was one of the most gratifying things. Honestly, I wouldn’t have felt good if he didn’t have a good experience on this.
THR: Everyone who works on Star Wars has a variety of pinch-me moments, so what left the biggest impression on you?
DC: I have to say it was Vader. You just never think that you’re going to end up directing Darth Vader. I’d sit on set and go, “I don’t know how this happened.” When he first walked on set, it felt like he was almost twice my size. It was intense. And when you’re the one responsible for having Vader come across as Vader, it’s not quite as easy as it seems. There’s a lot of work that goes into making that character operate the way that he does, but it was just amazing. I got to direct Darth Vader.
THR: Did you and Ewan spitball any ideas on set for a potential season two?
DC: You always think you’re going to end a series like this in some magnificent way, but instead you end up in a parking lot with second unit and hardly anybody there. It’s always so anticlimactic, but as Ewan and I finished our very last shot on second unit and I was literally taking off my headphones, he was already pitching me ideas for season two. There’s another 10 years with plenty of stories, and I don’t think it’s off the board. It is a “never say never” situation, but we really did conceive this to be a limited series.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Houser, Jody (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 33 Pages - 09/13/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
