Andor might be done, but the conversation is far from over and Tony Gilroy – ready to finally step away from the franchise for the time being – seems more than happy to continue that fascinating chat, and here he discusses the show with Indiewire and the Ringer-verse.
The “Andor” creator reflects on his decade-long “Star Wars” journey, from the blunt email that got him the show, to the decisions that lead to Season 2’s unusual structure, and of course deciding where to leave each of the fascinating characters. Watch the master storyteller explain his craft on this episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit.
00:00 Introduction
0:22 The original idea for “Andor”
1:58 From a five season plan to only two
6:29 Telling the story in three episode cycles
8:25 Wrangling the large cast of characters
12:33 Cassian’s first scene of Season 2
15:40 Moral Decisions and Sacrifices
17:28 Storytelling within the themes of “Star Wars”
19:26 World building and starting small
23:18 Developing the Luthen & Kleya backstory
26:21 Untangling “Star Wars” canon with the Ghorman Massacre
29:32 Creating the communities and cultures of “Andor”
32:09 Why the Ghormans were doomed
33:11 Developing Syril, an unusual “Star Wars” character
35:22 Constructing Mon Mothma’s escape
37:10 How “Andor” reflects current politics
38:36 Writing action that comes from character
40:44 The production design of the senate
43:16 What tone did you want to leave the series on?
Mal and Jo are joined by ‘Andor’ showrunner Tony Gilroy! They dive into everything from the world-building and ideology of ‘Andor’ to the fate of the Maya Pei Brigade, what’s in Syril’s box, and much more!
(00:00) Intro
(05:08) Speeches and Quotes in ‘Andor’
(07:16) World-Building in ‘Andor’
(10:24) The Sense of Place and Ideology in ‘Andor’
(15:30) Balance of Characters
(21:15) Power Dynamics and How They Shift
(23:32) If You Made ‘Rogue One’ After ‘Andor,’ How Would it Be Different?
(25:41) Jyn and Cassian’s Relationship
(26:52) Figuring Out Character Retributions
(29:42) Luthen and Saw
(34:35) Staying in His Five-Year Period
(36:40) Taking the Ideas of ‘Andor’ and Moving Beyond It
(43:39) Which Characters Will You Miss Writing For?
(46:11) Cinta Kaz and Tay Kolma’s Demise
(48:00) B2EMO and a Farewell Scene with Cassian
(51:57) Budget Restrictions Where They Had to Get Creative
(56:56) Lessons to Take from ‘Andor’
(01:00:35) Syril’s Private Box and Enza
(01:03:04) Did Anyone from the Maya Pei Brigade Survive?
