Star Wars: Andor's Promising Start and D23 Expo News

D23 Expo Lucasfilm Pavilion Highlights

• 🏛️ The Lucasfilm Pavilion at D23 Expo focused on Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Willow, showcasing costumes and concept art.
• 🖼️ Concept art for Indiana Jones 5 hinted at potential settings like Casablanca and Atlantis, with a focus on selling the film's vision.
• 🎬 A preview of Indiana Jones 5 featured an older Indiana Jones in 1969, with Harrison Ford expressing emotion about it being his last film.

Star Wars Series and Projects Announced

• 🚀 Andor received rave reviews, described as moving Star Wars in a more adult direction and a science fiction spy espionage action adventure.
• 🌟 Diego Luna expressed enthusiasm for returning to Star Wars as an executive producer for Andor, with a second season already in development.
• 📅 The Bad Batch Season 2 is slated for January 4, 2023, and Tales of the Jedi will explore origin stories of Ahsoka and Dooku.
• 🧑‍🚀 The live-action Ahsoka series is set for 2023, with Eman Esfandi cast as Ezra Bridger, though Thrawn's casting remains unannounced.
• 🌌 Skeleton Crew, directed by John Watts, will feature Jude Law and focus on a group of kids lost in the Star Wars galaxy.
• 🐎 Rogue Squadron and Taika Waititi's Star Wars project have been quietly removed from the schedule, indicating potential development issues.

Andor: A Gritty New Direction

• 🕵️ The first three episodes of Andor are heavy in drama with little humor, establishing a grittier, used future distinct from previous Star Wars entries.
• 💥 The series explores Cassian's backstory, including a mining disaster on his home planet and his adoption by Marva, setting the stage for his involvement with the rebellion.
• 🔍 Key characters introduced include Syril Karn, a determined deputy inspector, and Luthen Rael, a capable operative with a mysterious connection to Cassian, possibly through his sister.
• 🗣️ Fiona Shaw's character delivers the line, "That's what the start of a rebellion sounds like," highlighting the show's thematic focus.
• 🛰️ The series avoids lightsabers and Jedi, focusing on spaceships, blasters, and the early stages of the rebellion, offering a fresh perspective on the Star Wars universe.

Galaxy's Edge and Character Appearances

• Disneyland's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will feature appearances by The Mandalorian and Grogu starting in November.
• ⚠️ Boba Fett and Fennec Shand will appear in a separate area of Galaxy's Edge, with no current plans for them at the Walt Disney World version.
• ❓ The decision for character appearances at Walt Disney World may be tied to the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience, to avoid impacting guest quests.

Other Lucasfilm News and Podcast Updates

• 🎭 Star Wars: The Acolyte, a mystery thriller set in the final days of the High Republic, has added Charlie Bartlett to its cast, joining Amanda Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae.
• 📚 A special request was made for a listener to help obtain a German edition of Dan "I Am Your Father" Zer's book.
• 🎙️ The podcast also promotes other shows like Disney Dish, Finetuning, and Marvelous Disney, and requests ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts.