Draft:Andor season 1

Andor
Season 1
Starring	Diego Luna Stellan Skarsgård Adria Arjona Fiona Shaw Denise Gough Kyle Soller Genevieve O'Reilly
No. of episodes	12
Release
Original network	Disney+
Original release	September 21 (2022-09-21) – November 23, 2022 (2022-11-23)

The first season of the American television series Andor is a prequel to the Star Wars film Rogue One (2016), beginning five years before the events of the film and following Cassian Andor, a thief who joins the Rebel Alliance to fight the Galactic Empire. The season is produced by Lucasfilm, with Tony Gilroy serving as showrunner.

Diego Luna executive produces and reprises his Rogue One role as Cassian Andor. Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Genevieve O'Reilly also star. Lucasfilm announced a series focused on Andor in November 2018, with Luna attached and Stephen Schiff hired as showrunner. Schiff was replaced by Rogue One co-writer Gilroy as creator and showrunner by April 2020. Filming began at the end of November 2020, with Gilroy unable to direct as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming took place at Pinewood Studios in London, and on location around the United Kingdom, and wrapped by September 2021.

The 12-episode season premiered on Disney+ on September 21, 2022, with its first three episodes. The rest of the season was released weekly until November 23, 2022. A second season was confirmed in May 2022.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Kassa"	Toby Haynes	Tony Gilroy	September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21)
Five years before the Battle of Yavin, Cassian Andor looks for his missing sister on the industrial planet of Morlana One. While investigating, Cassian is antagonized by two officers. An altercation ensues, leading to Cassian accidentally killing one officer and murdering the other. On the planet Ferrix, he attempts to hide his involvement by convincing his adopted mother, Maarva, her droid, B2EMO, and his friend, Brasso, to cover for him. Having a Starpath Unit, a valuable piece of Imperial navigation technology, Cassian asks his friend Bix to connect him with a black market buyer. Bix agrees and contacts the buyer. Meanwhile, Bix's boyfriend, Timm, is suspicious of Andor. To improve his report to the Imperial authorities, Morlana One's chief inspector of security elects to cover up the murders. However, his deputy, the dutiful Syril Karn, is determined to solve the case. He identifies Cassian's ship, traces it to Ferrix and learns that the fugitive is from the planet Kenari. In a flashback, a younger Cassian, known as Kassa, joins a group on Kenari who set off to locate a crashed ship. Kassa rebuffs his younger sister's efforts to join the search, leaving her behind in their tribal encampment.
2	"That Would Be Me"	Toby Haynes	Tony Gilroy	September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21)
Timm, still suspicious of Bix's relationship with Cassian, reports Cassian to Pre-Mor Security, who issue a warrant for his arrest. Karn partners with Sergeant Linus Mosk, an equally dutiful Pre-Mor officer, to arrest Cassian. B2EMO informs Cassian and Maarva of the warrant. Cassian prepares to flee the planet. Meanwhile, Luthen Rael—Bix's buyer—travels to Ferrix to obtain the Starpath Unit. In a flashback, Kassa and his fellow tribal members locate and investigate the crashed ship near a massive abandoned industrial strip-mining operation. When one of their own is killed by a crew member of the downed ship, the tribe kills the attacker and quickly leaves the crash site. Kassa stays behind to explore the ship.
3	"Reckoning"	Toby Haynes	Tony Gilroy	September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21)
Luthen arrives on Ferrix and meets Cassian in an abandoned factory. Karn and Mosk also appear with a dozen security officers. They confront Maarva, who refuses to cooperate. Intercepting a transmission from Cassian to B2EMO, Karn pinpoints Cassian's position. Cassian wants to sell the Starpath Unit and leave Ferrix. However, Luthen tries to persuade him to join his rebel network, citing Cassian's repeated success at stealing from and sabotaging Imperial ships. When Karn's officers raid the factory, the two men escape to a speeder hangar, and subdue Karn. After learning of Timm's betrayal, Bix rushes to aid Cassian, only to be stopped by the officers. Timm is killed when he attempts to intervene. The pod the security officers arrived in is sabotaged and destroyed by Brasso. Luthen and Cassian escape the planet while Karn and Mosk request evacuation. In a flashback, Maarva and her husband, Clem, scavenge the crashed ship on Kenari and find Kassa. Maarva decides to take him with them, fearing his fate if he is discovered there by the Republic.
4	"Aldhani"	Susanna White	Dan Gilroy	September 28, 2022 (2022-09-28)
Luthen takes Cassian to the planet Aldhani, asking him to join a robbery mission there. Cassian is reluctant but eventually agrees. Luthen asks him to use a pseudonym among the rebels, and Cassian chooses 'Clem'. Vel, the rebel group's leader, introduces him to the rest of the group but keeps Luthen's involvement a secret. They explain to Cassian that they plan on stealing the payroll of an Imperial sector from a key Imperial supply hub, taking advantage of a rare natural phenomenon in Aldhani's sky to escape since their getaway vehicle is slow. Meanwhile on Coruscant, Luthen, posing as an antiques dealer, meets with Senator Mon Mothma, and they discuss challenges in keeping their opposition to the Empire hidden. Karn goes to live with his mother after being castigated and fired. Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) lieutenant Dedra Meero seeks access and authority over the Ferrix incident, but is opposed by a colleague and a senior officer.
5	"The Axe Forgets"	Susanna White	Dan Gilroy	October 5, 2022 (2022-10-05)
On Aldhani, 'Clem' hides his past from his fellow rebels and is met with distrust from most of them, particularly Skeen. Taramyn trains Cassian and the other rebels for the planned heist. While traveling to the Aldhani Imperial garrison, Cassian reveals that he is a mercenary. Vel decides to continue with the mission and hold off on dealing with 'Clem's' past until they have achieved their objectives. Imperial officer and double agent Lieutenant Gorn covertly aids the rebels. On Coruscant, Eedy Karn emasculates her son Syril as he explores new career prospects. Mon Mothma establishes a new charitable foundation while managing increasingly tense relations with her husband and daughter. ISB supervisor Blevin acquires a hotel as the new ISB headquarters on Ferrix. Meanwhile, his rival Meero and her assistant Heert reach the conclusion that the rebels are conducting a series of coordinated heists of Imperial weapons and technology. Luthen anxiously waits for a transmission from Vel and her rebel team.
6	"The Eye"	Susanna White	Dan Gilroy	October 12, 2022 (2022-10-12)
Aided by Gorn, the rebels infiltrate the garrison by posing as an escort squad for Commandant Jayhold Beehaz, Gorn's superior. They take Beehaz's family as hostages and force him to give them access to the payroll vault. While loading the credits onto a freighter, they are discovered by Imperial forces. Taramyn and Gorn are killed in the ensuing firefight. Cinta is unable to make it onto the ship, so only Cassian, Skeen, Vel, and Nemik escape from Aldhani. During takeoff, Nemik is crushed by an unsecured load of credits, and suffers a severe injury. They land on the planet Frezno to treat Nemik's injuries. With Vel occupied looking after Nemik, Skeen proposes to Cassian that they flee and split the payroll between the two. Enraged and fearing for his life, Cassian kills Skeen. He tells Vel about what happened and informs her of his plans to take the amount he was promised as payment and leave. Vel gives Cassian Nemik's manifesto, in accordance with Nemik's dying wishes. Back on Coruscant, the ISB agents are gathered to formulate reprisals to the heist, while Luthen hears news of the theft and quietly celebrates.
7	"Announcement"	Benjamin Caron	Stephen Schiff	October 19, 2022 (2022-10-19)
On Coruscant, Karn starts a new job at the Bureau of Standards. Colonel Wullf Yularen announces that the ISB has gained more surveillance and punitive authority, while Meero is challenged by Blevin for breaking protocol by accessing Imperial data without authorization. She persuades her superiors of her work's value and is assigned oversight of Ferrix. Luthen's assistant Kleya instructs Vel to find and kill Cassian, as he knows Luthen's identity. Mon Mothma meets with Tay Kolma, an old friend and banker, and asks him to help her access family funds. Cassian returns to Ferrix to settle old debts and learns that people blame him for the Imperial Security crackdown. The presence of stormtroopers on Ferrix reminds Cassian of how his adoptive father, Clem, was murdered by Imperial clone troopers during a protest on Rix Road. Cassian attempts to get Maarva to leave Ferrix with him, but she decides to stay and oppose the increased Imperial presence. Cassian travels to the tropical tourist paradise of Niamos, adopting the name "Keef Girgo". Some time later, while walking towards a local store, he is unjustly arrested by a Shoretrooper and sentenced to six years of imprisonment.
8	"Narkina 5"	Toby Haynes	Beau Willimon	October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
Cassian is brought to a prison surrounded by water on Narkina 5 where he spends every day working in monotonous heavy industry factory with hundreds of other prisoners. Vel and Cinta travel to Ferrix to search for him. When Maarva falls ill, Bix attempts to contact Luthen about Cassian's whereabouts, but Luthen, worried about being exposed to anyone monitoring communications, does not answer. He then leaves Coruscant to meet with Saw Gerrera. Rael attempts to hire Gerrera's rebel cell to act as air support for a raid on an Imperial power station at Spellhaus organized by Anto Kreegyr, but is turned away. Dedra Meero questions Syril Karn about his experiences on Ferrix, but declines his offer to help with her investigation. She leads a unit to Ferrix herself, where she apprehends Bix.
9	"Nobody's Listening!"	Toby Haynes	Beau Willimon	November 2, 2022 (2022-11-02)
Dedra Meero and an Imperial scientist named Dr. Gorst torture Bix for information and realize that Cassian may have been involved in the Aldhani attack. They fail to learn anything from Bix about Luthen. The ISB capture a Rebel pilot from Kreegyr's group, who reveals that a power station on Spellhaus is set to be raided. Mon Mothma reunites with Vel, revealed as her cousin, and encourages her to keep a low profile while maintaining the facade of a rich and politically uninvolved young woman. Mon and Tay Kolma continue working to covertly gather funds for rebel activities. Meanwhile, an older member of Cassian's prison work crew named Ulaf is euthanized by a prison medic named Dr. Rhasiv when he suffers a stroke and can no longer work effectively. Dr. Rhasiv confirms to Cassian and floor manager Kino Loy a disturbing rumor: a prisoner who had completed his sentence was sent to work on a different level instead of being released, forcing the prison to kill all the prisoners on that level to cover up the mistake. Cassian and Kino realize that the prison will never let them go, convincing Kino to join Cassian's scheme to escape.
10	"One Way Out"	Toby Haynes	Beau Willimon	November 9, 2022 (2022-11-09)
By breaking a water pipe and flooding his work floor, Cassian disables the floor's security system, allowing work crews there to overpower the few guards and escape. Kino uses the prison's intercom system to encourage other floors to escape and the rebellion sweeps through the entire prison. Despite his role in the escape, Kino reveals that he can't swim. Cassian swims with the other escapees and reaches land. Mon Mothma meets with Davo Sculdun, a shady businessman who offers to help finance her projects, but Mon refuses after Davo requests that Mon arrange a meeting between her daughter and his son, an initial step towards marriage in their Chandrilan culture. ISB supervisor Lonni Jung, secretly a rebel informant, meets with Luthen and updates him on ISB activities. The two men reflect on how they are both trapped in their roles.
11	"Daughter of Ferrix"	Benjamin Caron	Tony Gilroy	November 16, 2022 (2022-11-16)
Maarva dies, prompting a funeral ceremony on Ferrix, which Dedra Meero encourages in the hopes that Andor will attend. Vel informs Kleya about Maarva's death and learns of Mon Mothma's reluctant plan to marry off her daughter to secure funding through Davo Sculdun. Mon's daughter Leida begins taking part in group gatherings focused on Chandrilan culture and traditions, much to the distress of Mon and Vel. Syril Karn also learns about the funeral from Linus Mosk. Saw Gerrera decides at the last moment to assist Kreegyr's attack on Spellhaus, but Luthen advises him against it, revealing that the ISB know about the impending assault. While returning to Coruscant, Luthen escapes from an Imperial patrol, destroying several TIE fighters and a tractor beam. With help from Keredians Dewi and Freedi, Cassian and fellow prisoner Ruescott Melshi are able to escape from Narkina 5 and travel to Niamos to recover Cassian's belongings. After Cassian discovers that Maarva has passed, Cassian and Melshi part ways, intending to publicly expose the Empire's unjust prison system.
12	"Rix Road"	Benjamin Caron	Tony Gilroy	November 23, 2022 (2022-11-23)
Cassian returns to Ferrix for Maarva's funeral and learns of Bix's imprisonment. Dedra Meero and the local Imperial garrison prepare to use the funeral to capture Andor for questioning regarding Axis, while Luthen plans, with Vel and Cinta's assistance, to kill Cassian (to keep Cassian from possibly divulging any secrets), using the Imperial ambush as cover. The ISB succeed in stopping Kreegyr's attack but leave no prisoners, angering Meero. Mothma's 13-year-old daughter Leida is introduced to Davo Sculdun's 14-year-old son. During the funeral, B2EMO displays a recording of Maarva, who rallies the populace to fight the Empire, creating a riot in the main quarter. During the confusion, Cassian rescues Bix, while Syril Karn saves Meero from being attacked. Meeting with B2EMO, Brasso, and several others in a shipyard, Cassian convinces them to take Bix somewhere safe away from Ferrix. Moved by the rebellion on Ferrix, Luthen returns to his ship where Cassian is waiting. Knowing that Luthen is there to assassinate him, Cassian offers Luthen the choice to either kill him or take him in, to which Luthen smiles. In a post-credits scene, droids assemble the machinery produced by the Narkina 5 prisoners on the firing dish of an Imperial superweapon.

Cast and characters

Starring

• Diego Luna as Cassian Andor:
  A thief and scavenger whose home planet, Kenari, was rendered uninhabitable by a botched Imperial mining project. The series begins with Andor as a "revolution-averse" cynic and explores how he becomes "the most passionate person who's going to give themselves to save the galaxy" in Rogue One. Gilroy had described him as a natural leader who manipulates people, adding that he is "really a perfect kind of spy, warrior, killer." Antonio Viña portrays a young Andor, when he was known as Kassa.
• Kyle Soller as Syril Karn:
  A Deputy Inspector for Preox-Morlana (Pre-Mor) Authority, a corporate conglomerate in charge of a trade sector. Karn works for Pre-Mor's security services and is determined to capture Andor after learning he killed two Pre-Mor security employees. Soller described his character as having "an extreme sense of need to impress, and fill a hole in himself. And so that really is about ascending to the top of whatever field he's in. The field he's chosen is one of restriction and complete control, and one of domination."
• Adria Arjona as Bix Caleen: A mechanic and black market dealer who is Andor's ally and close friend.
• Fiona Shaw as Maarva Andor: Cassian's adoptive mother who saved him from Kenari with Clem.
• Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen Rael:
  Caleen's dealer contact who is a part of the Rebel Alliance. He hires Cassian on his first mission as a Rebel operative. Luthen poses publicly as an eccentric antiques dealer from Coruscant.
• Denise Gough as Dedra Meero: An ambitious and strategic supervisor for the Imperial Security Bureau.
• Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma:
  An Imperial senator for the wealthy core world of Chandrila who tries to navigate the politics of the Empire while secretly helping fund the Rebel Alliance.
• Faye Marsay as Vel Sartha: A Rebel leader on the planet Aldhani and Mothma's cousin.
• Varada Sethu as Cinta Kaz: A Rebel on Aldhani who is the team's medic and healer.
• Elizabeth Dulau as Kleya Marki: Luthen's assistant at his antiques store.

Recurring co-stars

• Joplin Sibtain as Brasso: Andor's co-worker and friend.
• James McArdle as Timm Karlo: Caleen's co-worker and boyfriend.
• Rupert Vansittart as Chief Hyne: Syril's Pre-Mor superior.
• Alex Ferns as Sergeant Linus Mosk: A Pre-Mor officer.
• Gary Beadle as Clem Andor: Maarva's partner and Cassian's adoptive father. Cassian uses his name as an alias.
• Kathryn Hunter as Eedy Karn: Syril's mother.
• Alastair Mackenzie as Perrin Fertha: Mothma's husband.
• Anton Lesser as Major Partagaz: The head Imperial officer at the Imperial Security Bureau.
• Alex Lawther as Karis Nemik: An idealistic Rebel on Aldhani who has written an anti-Empire manifesto.
• Sule Rimi as Lieutenant Gorn: An Imperial officer on Aldhani who is secretly one of Vel's Rebels.
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Arvel Skeen: A mysterious Rebel on Aldhani.
• Gershwyn Eustache Jnr as Taramyn Barcona: A Rebel on Aldhani who is a former Stormtrooper.
• Stanley Townsend as Commandant Jayhold Beehaz: Gorn's Imperial superior on Aldhani.
• Ben Miles as Tay Kolma: A banker who is Mothma's childhood friend from whom she seeks help.
• Andy Serkis as Kino Loy: A prisoner and floor manager at the Imperial factory facility on the moon Narkina 5. Serkis previously portrayed Supreme Leader Snoke in the sequel trilogy.
• Duncan Pow as Ruescott Melshi: A labor worker and inmate at the Imperial factory facility on Narkina 5 who will later join the Rebel Alliance alongside Andor. Pow reprises his role from Rogue One.
• Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera: A veteran of the Clone Wars and the leader of a militant insurgent group, the Partisans. Whitaker reprises his role from previous Star Wars media, including Rogue One.
• Richard Dillane as Davo Sculdun: A shady businessman, described by Mon Mothma as a "thug".

Dave Chapman voices Maarva Andor's droid B2EMO. Other residents of Ferrix include Zubin Varla as Xanwan, the head of the transport business on Ferrix and a friend of Andor; Abhin Galeya as Salman Paak, a salvage shop owner who runs the Repaak Salyard; Muhannad Bhaier as Wilmon, Salman's son who also runs the Repaak Salyard; Kieran O'Brien as Pegla, a sentry for Zorby's Western Shiplot, the starship lot on Ferrix; Raymond Anum as Nurchi; Victor Perez as Rashi; Neil Bell as the "Time Grappler" who signals the time in the bell tower by banging his anvil; and Pamela Nomvete as Jezzi, a member of the Daughters of Ferrix. Bronte Carmichael appears as Mothma's daughter Leida. Ben Bailey Smith, Robert Emms, Michael Jenn and Lucy Russell portray Imperial Security supervisors Blevin, Lonni Jung, Lagret and Grandi, respectively. Other Imperials include Lee Ross as Kloris, Mon Mothma's driver and a spy for Blevin; Jacob James Beswick as Heert, Dedra's attendant; Wilf Scolding as Vanis Tigo, captain of Imperial garrison on Ferrix; Nick Moss as Keysax, Tigo's lieutenant; and Noof Ousellam as Corv. Christopher Fairbank, Clemens Schick, Brian Bovell, Tom Reed, Josef Davies, Rasaq Kukoyi and Mensah Bediako appear as Ulaf, Ham, Jemboc, Taga, Xaul, Birnok and Zinska, respectively, all of whom are prison inmates on Narkina 5.

Additional guest stars include Belle Swarc as Andor's sister Kerri; Lee Boardman and Stephen Wight as Kravas and Verlo, the Pre-Mor officers who are killed by Andor; and Nick Blood as Kimzi, a corporal in Aldhani. David Hayman appears as the Chieftain of the Aldhani natives; and Adrian Rawlins appears as Rhasiv, a prison medic on Narkina 5. Malcolm Sinclair appears as Colonel Wullf Yularen, a character from various Star Wars media, who was previously portrayed by Robert Clarke in A New Hope and voiced by Tom Kane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Sam Witwer provides the uncredited voice of the shoretrooper who arrests Andor on Niamos. The Keredian brothers Dewi and Freedi Pamular are performed by Matt Lyons and Liam Cook, and voiced by Mike Quinn and Damian Farrell respectively.

Production

Development

A spy thriller prequel series to the film Rogue One (2016) focused on the character Cassian Andor was revealed in November 2018. Tony Gilroy, who was credited as a co-writer on Rogue One and oversaw extensive reshoots for the film, was set to write the first episode, direct multiple episodes, and serve as showrunner by April 2020. Six weeks of pre-production had taken place in the United Kingdom by then, but this was halted and production on the series delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-production had begun again by September ahead of a planned filming start the next month. At that time, Gilroy, who is based in New York, chose not to travel to the UK for production on the series due to the pandemic, and was therefore unable to direct the series' first episode. Instead, the UK-based Toby Haynes, who was already "high on the list" of potential directors for the series, was hired to direct the first three episodes. Gilroy would remain executive producer and showrunner. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced the series' title, Andor, in December 2020, along with its 2022 release date. Luna was revealed to be executive producing the series, which was set to consist of 12 episodes. In February 2021, Ben Caron and Susanna White were set as additional directors.

Writing

In addition to Gilroy and Schiff, writers for the season include Beau Willimon and Gilroy's brother Dan. The season begins five years before Rogue One and tells one year of Andor's story when he first becomes a revolutionary, with Gilroy approaching the season as if it was the first half of a novel. He stated, "This guy gave his life for the galaxy, right? I mean, he consciously, soberly, without vanity or recognition, sacrificed himself. Who does that?" Gilroy wanted to explore that idea in the season, beginning with Andor "being really revolution-averse, and cynical, and lost, and kind of a mess". The season shows the destruction of Andor's homeworld when he was a boy, and then is based on Andor's adopted planet which becomes radicalized against the Empire. Gilroy wanted to expand upon Andor's backstory, and had used a dialogue said by him in Rogue One, "I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old!", as a starting point. In the development process, Gilroy had labelled it "The Education of Cassian Andor". From there, he had created the planet Kenari as his childhood home, which he had lived in with other children and no adult supervision. Gilroy had compared it to being a "Lord of the Flies-like tribe", with Andor's separation from the tribe also serving as an introduction to Maarva and Clem Andor, desiring to introduce the audience to the Ferrix culture early on as the writing team had spent time creating its social structure. Towards the beginning, he had described Maarva as loving Andor "as much as she could possibly love him", though in the beginning of the series, she had been disappointed by the direction of Andor's life. As the series had progressed, Gilroy wanted to develop the emotional connection between them. After starting with Andor's story in the first three episodes, the fourth begins to expand the scope of the series to include the rest of its large ensemble cast, such as Rebel leader Mon Mothma whose path will cross with Andor's in the second season.

Design

Luke Hull served as production designer on the season, and described it as "very cinematic". Neal Scanlan provided the creature and droid effects after doing the same for all of Disney's Star Wars films, including Rogue One. He said his team was treating the series the same as they did the films, and due to Gilroy's involvement the series would fit within the same "pocket of [Star Wars] history" as Rogue One with a "slightly harder edge" than other Star Wars projects. Scanlan added that unused creatures developed for the films could be brought back for the season, alongside newly created creatures.

Casting

Diego Luna was confirmed to be reprising his role as Cassian Andor from Rogue One with the series' announcement in November 2018. In April 2019, Alan Tudyk was announced as also reprising his Rogue One role of K-2SO, but in January 2020 Tudyk revealed that he would no longer be appearing in the first season due to story changes. Also starring in the season are Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Genevieve O'Reilly. O'Reilly reprises her role of Mon Mothma from Rogue One and other Star Wars media.

Robert Emms was cast in a supporting role in June 2021, when Skarsgård revealed that Forest Whitaker was reprising his role as Saw Gerrera from Rogue One. In February 2022, David Hayman confirmed that he had a role in the series after being spotted by fans during filming. The season has over 200 named cast members and over 6,000 extras.

Filming

Filming began in London at the end of November 2020, with the production based at Pinewood Studios. The season was filmed under the working title Pilgrim, with Toby Haynes, Ben Caron, and Susanna White directing. Jonathan Freeman and Adriano Goldman served as cinematographers. The season was previously reported to be beginning filming in 2019, and then June 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both UK and U.S. COVID-19 protocols were followed on set, including daily temperature checks and tests for COVID-19 three times a week. Filming at Pinewood Studios was expected to end in July 2021.

By late January 2021, a large village set had been built on the grounds of a former quarry in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, not far from Pinewood Studios. Filming was expected to take place there until April. Filming in April also took place at the Coryton Refinery in Corringham, Essex. Several days of filming happened in Cleveleys on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire in early May, with the town's promenade and beach area dressed as an alien location, followed by another several days filming in the disused Winspit quarry in Dorset. Second unit and location filming began for at least a week at the end of May in Black Park, a country park in Buckinghamshire near Pinewood Studios which was also used for filming Disney's Star Wars films. By the end of May, main production on Pilgrim had moved to Glen Tilt in Perthshire, Scotland, and was expected to continue there until late June. Around 500 crewmembers travelled to Oban, Scotland, for filming at the nearby Cruachan Dam. This started by June 18, with sets built around the dam and filming also happening in its tunnels. From June 22 to 24, filming took place at Middle Peak Quarry near Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Production was expected to wrap in mid-2021, and Luna confirmed that it had finished by September 27.

Music

Gilroy contacted Nicholas Britell about composing for the series in 2020, before filming began so he could compose source music that would be played on set. Gilroy and Britell, who are neighbors in Manhattan, first met for the project in August 2020. Kennedy and Gilroy wanted the series to have a unique sound, and Britell said it would be "orchestral-plus" with a "wide range of sounds" including some that he had created. He added that the large scope of the series meant that "every episode has new demands, new music, and new ideas. It's important that as the story evolves, the music should evolve too." Britell was publicly revealed to be the series' composer in February 2022, and was still working on it that May when he said they had been "working nonstop for months, actually years, at this point". Recording was underway by then at AIR Lyndhurst studios in London, with a full orchestra. Britell was unable to travel to London due to the pandemic, but had a team in place there that also worked with him on other television series.

Marketing

A sizzle reel featuring behind-the-scenes footage of pre-production and filming was released during Disney's Investors Day presentation in December 2020, when the series' title and cast was officially announced by Kennedy. Gilroy, Luna, and O'Reilly promoted the series at Star Wars Celebration in May 2022 where they revealed the first teaser trailer. It was also released online, and The Hollywood Reporter's Aaron Couch said it showed the "gritty side" of the Star Wars universe. Daniel Chin of The Ringer felt the series had a unique identity in the Star Wars franchise, with a darker tone, and said the teaser "paints a picture of the formative years of the rebellion against the Empire". Ryan Scott from /Film felt the teaser gave the "most comprehensive view at the show up to this point". He said the series could explore the morality behind the Rebels, writing that while they are usually seen as heroes there is also "much gray area in there to be explored". Writing for CNET, Sean Keane felt the trailer did not give much away but gave an "intriguing taste of the show's espionage tone".

Luna promoted the series and debuted the official trailer on Good Morning America on August 1. Hattie Lindert from The A.V. Club highlighted the action scenes in the trailer, saying "In addition to the epic scale and darker tone, the series also promises intense fight scenes created with limited green screen use" and also noted Gilroy's experience with action films due to his work on the Jason Bourne films. The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd enjoyed Andor's increased screen-time in the trailer compared to the teaser, and felt the series was a "welcome scenic change from the company's previous Star Wars shows". At CNN, Scottie Andrew felt it "reveals a bit more about Andor's evolution from common thief to galactic martyr". Luna and Kennedy promoted the series at the 2022 D23 Expo, with CNET's Keane writing "The trailer paints a pretty grim setup for revolutionary fighter Cassian Andor and his pals, as fighting the Empire and row upon row of Stormtroopers looks like a one-way ticket to death". Meanwhile, Collider's Rachel Leishman felt the trailer "gives us a bit more of a look at where the rebellion is and who is fighting back against the Empire" and was excited for the portrayal of the Empire in the series, writing "Seeing these little missions and the feelings that the rebels have towards the Empire feels so perfectly align with what we know about Cassian that this trailer really just has us excited for what is to come with the series".

Release

The season premiered on Disney+ on September 21, 2022, with its first three episodes. The rest of the 12-episode season released weekly. The season was previously expected to debut in 2021, before production was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2022, Disney announced that the first two episodes would air on ABC on November 23, on FX on November 24, and Freeform on November 25, and be available on Hulu from November 23 through December 7. A similar move was also replicated across various countries in Europe, including Portugal, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands, with the first two episodes airing on Fox, on November 24 or 25, depending on the country.

External links

• Andor season 1 at IMDb
• Andor (season 1) on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki