From ComingSoon.net ...


Obi-Wan Series on Hold as Series is Retooled
--------------------------------------------
Looks like those pinning their hopes on seeing Ewan McGregor
light up the lightsaber again will have to wait a little
longer, as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Lucasfilm's
planned Disney+ series about Obi-Wan Kenobi has been put on
hold. Despite recent rumors that the show was cancelled, the
show remains in active development with McGregor (Birds of
Prey) still set to star and Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian)
still in line to direct.

Reportedly the scripts by Hossein Amini (The Alienist, Drive)
were the source of the problem, and have now been completely
scrapped as a new writer is sought. The stories, from the two
scripts that were fully written, apparently focused on Obi-Wan
protecting young Luke and Leia, and pre-production was well
underway including screen testing other actors alongside
McGregor. Part of the retooling process will now involve
cutting the number of episodes from six to four. There is no
current timetable for when the series will get going again, but
it was aiming for a July 2020 production start. Collider is
reporting that the production crew at London's Pinewood Studios
was sent home and told things would be down "indefinitely."

This late-stage upheaval comes as Lucasfilm tries to regroup
after a financially successful but tumultuous seven years that
have seen multiple creative teams fired off of projects,
including a Boba Fett film and an Old Republic movie given the
heave-ho. The most recent theatrical release, J.J. Abrams' Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, has brought in over a billion
dollars but is now the worst-reviewed Star Wars movie of
all-time.

The new series will take place eight years after the events of
Revenge of the Sith, where we last saw Obi-Wan delivering the
infant Luke Skywalker to his Tatooine homestead. The series
will directed by Deborah Chow. Chow, Amini, and McGregor will
serve as Executive Producers alongside Kathleen Kennedy, Tracey
Seaward (The Queen) and John Swartz (Rogue One: A Star Wars
Story). Jason McGatlin, Lucasfilm's Executive Vice President
Production, will serve as co-producer.

McGregor took over the role of Obi-Wan for the Star Wars prequel
trilogy two decades ago from the late Alec Guinness. His last
live-action appearance was in 2005's Revenge of the Sith.
However, McGregor also lent his voice to Rey's Force vision in
The Force Awakens. Additionally, McGregor hasn't been shy about
his desire to reprise his role.

Two years ago, director Stephen Daldry was supposedly lined up
to direct a standalone Obi-Wan film. Unfortunately, the dismal
box office performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story put all the
spinoff movies on hold.

No other details about the potential Obi-Wan series are
currently available. A few Star Wars novels and comics have
explored Obi-Wan's life on Tatooine between Episodes III and IV.
Obi-Wan also had a memorable rematch with Darth Maul in Star Wars
Rebels. But any story direction for the new show is simply
conjecture at this point.


<https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/1119808-breaking-obi-wan-series-on-hold-as-series-is-retooled>

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