Report: Production halted on Obi-wan series at Disney+ by Benjamin Bullard

Report: Production halted on Obi-wan series at Disney+ -1p>Disney and Lucasfilm have halted production on Ewan McGregor’s Obi-wan Kenobi Star Wars series in development at Disney+, according to a pair of new reports. SYFY WIRE has reached out to Disney for confirmation and comment.

Citing “[t]wo independent sources with knowledge of the situation,” Collider reports that the series “has been put on hold” at its production location at London’s Pinewood Studios, and that Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy is reportedly unhappy with the state of the show’s current script. The Hollywood Reporter also independently confirmed the news late Thursday.

THR cites sources that reportedly say Disney and Lucafilm “jettisoned” the two scripts that have so far been written for the series, and that “Lucasfilm is now on the hunt for a new writer to pen the series,” which may be retooled from a six-episode first season down to only four episodes.

Collider’s report states that on-location production on the series is being suspended “indefinitely” and that rather than scrapping plans for the hugely-hyped show, which delves into Obi-wan’s years between losing Anakin to the dark side of the Force and the beginning of the original 1977 Star Wars timeline, crew work on the series may be delayed as the scripts on the early Obi-Wan episodes go through a rework.

Originally planned as a feature-length movie, Disney and Lucasfilm eventually revealed that McGregor’s Obi-wan vehicle would instead be getting the series treatment at Disney+. In addition to the smash success of The Mandalorian, the Obi-wan series would eventually join a DIsney+ live-action Star Wars lineup that also includes the planned Rogue One prequel, starring the earlier exploits of Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor.

According to THR, McGregor is still attached to lead the Obi-wan spinoff, even as potential cast members were being screen-tested to star alongside him at the time production was suspended. Deborah Chow, who made waves by directing a pair of The Mandaolrian‘s most critically-praised episodes, is also still reportedly attached as the series’ director. So far, there’s no word on when the show, which was in pre-production before being halted, will resume production.

This information appeared first at https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/report-production-halted-obi-wan-disney-plus