The second season of Andor is currently in production in the UK, and we just learned of a major (though expected) addition to the cast. Forest Whitaker, who played Saw Gerrera in Rogue One, and then reprised the role in different mediums, including animation (Star Wars: Rebels), a video game (Jedi: Fallen Order), and then the first season of Andor, is coming back for season 2.
In a new interview with ComicBook.com, Whitaker said the following when asked if it would be safe to assume he’s coming back for the second season, he simply said:
“Oh yeah, it’s safe to say that.”
Whitaker’s return was all but confirmed when we learned that at least part of the Andor crew had set up shop at the Winspit Quarry, in Dorset, the location that served as Saw’s base in the first season in the scenes where he was visited by Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael.
The first season had three days of filming there back in May of 2011, and now, they had locked down the perimeter for a couple of weeks, from April 12 to April 29; it’s unknown how many of those days are meant to be shooting days. Filming had to be stalled last week due to unfavorable weather conditions in the area, it’s unknown if they are back in business already.
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What to expect from Andor season 2
Fans of the first season of Andor will be relieved to know that the entire cast is returning, as are all of the writers, including showrunner Tony Gilroy. The directors from season 1 are not coming back, though, with Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios picking up the baton.
Rather than being described as a prequel series to Rogue One, Gilroy and star Diego Luna (Cassian Andor) have always pinned the film as Andor‘s series finale. They’ve been saying from the very first junket of season 1 that the final scene of the second season will be Cassian walking into the transport that will take him to the Rings of Kafrene, which we see in the opening scene of the movie.
It is for this reason that it was a no-brainer that Saw Gerrera would be coming back, and also why they are not hiding it. He played a limited-yet-key role in the first season, and the second season must see an evolution in his relationship with Luthen, who is probably not going to make it out alive. How will that affect Saw?
The structure of the second season was also laid out by Gilroy even before the first one debuted — it will consist of 12 episodes divided into four blocks. The first season of the series covered a series of events that happened throughout 5 BBY, i.e., five years before Rogue One. There are four more years to cover, which matches each of the four blocks. Each block will cover one or two weeks, and then jump forward in time an entire year.
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There is also a question in the air about Andy Serkis’ involvement in the second season. The character didn’t die on screen in the first season, though it was implied he wouldn’t last long after Cassian jumped off the platform. However, Tony Gilroy, who is really open about the story they are telling and how they are doing it, wouldn’t confirm that we won’t be seeing him again in an interview.
Moreover, Lucasfilm included his name as part of the cast of the second season in a press release after Star Wars Celebration; however, it is clear that the list was copy-pasted from another document that highlighted one of the panels at the convention, so we are taking it with a grain of salt for now, even if it comes from an official source.
Andor season 2 will be shooting in the UK through August of this year, and is targeting a release on Disney Plus one year later. What do you think about Forest Whitaker confirming he’s in the second season? Did you expect it, or are you surprised by the announcement? Are you excited for more Andor or would you rather have more pulpy action á la The Mandalorian from a galaxy far, far away? Let us know on our social media!
SOURCE: ComicBook.com
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