‘Andor’ Season Finale Director Discusses His Creative Approach and Being Hired to Work on the Show
Last year saw the release of three new live-action Star Wars streaming shows, but the one that received the most acclaim by far was Andor. While the Rogue One prequel series may not have been as anticipated as other Star Wars shows before its launch last fall, it succeeded in gaining an audience as its first season went on. The series also earned nominations from the PGA, the WGA, and the SAG, among other organizations.
Showrunner Tony Gilroy decided to split the show’s first season into several story arcs, and each separate arc was directed entirely by one filmmaker. Every story arc was praised for its own unique qualities, from Cassian’s attempt to escape capture by Pre-Mor security forces in the first few episodes to the grim, brutal prison arc on Narkina 5 later in the season. Still, we can’t forget about the amazing finale, in which Cassian’s recently-deceased mother convinced their entire home town to rise up and fight the Empire.
Collider recently spoke to Andor director Benjamin Caron as part of the press tour for his new film Sharper. Caron, who helmed the series’ seventh episode as well as its two-part season finale, was happy to take a few minutes to talk about the show. He began by discussing what it felt like working on a big-budget series that initially didn’t get much attention from fans:
“At the time there wasn’t really a lot of heat on Andor… This massive show was being made in Pinewood, but people had somehow forgotten about it.”
Some critics and viewers have noted that Andor doesn’t include many references to other Star Wars projects. While familiar characters like Mon Mothma and Saw Gerrera appear, and Cassian himself was introduced in Rogue One, the show mostly focuses on telling its own story leading up to that film. Based on what Caron says in this interview, it sounds like a lack of familiarity with the saga’s recent history was far from a deal-breaker for Tony Gilroy:
“You have to bear in mind I am not the biggest Star Wars fan. I don’t mean that in any sort of mean way.
From a kid I was, but I just maybe fell out of love with it or I sort of haven’t followed it in my later years. And I declared that to Tony really early on. I said, ‘Look, Tony, if this is a question about what’s been going on in Star Wars recently, I have no idea. I’ll happily go and watch the last few films, but I haven’t seen them.’
And he was like, ‘No, that’s great. We don’t want fan service. I’m aware of your work, and I like your work, and I want that work in Andor.’ So that’s how it came about.”
Next, Caron revealed that it was Tony Gilroy’s writing that convinced him to direct for the series. Many commentators have mentioned Andor‘s darker, more street-level view of the Star Wars universe when discussing the show, and that perspective proved rather enticing for Caron:
“I hadn’t read anything like that for a long time. And I sort of forgot that it was Star Wars. There were no lightsabers, there was no Darth Vader, there was none of the Force. It was just really well drawn out narratives and great characters that I just wanted to spend time with. That’s what I respond to. That’s where it all started. And then when we were filming, I mean, you know, I just approach it like anything else I do. Just… you direct it.”
Based on the fantastic response to Andor‘s final episodes, it’s safe to say that Caron’s filmmaking choices resulted in a strong season finale. As the conversation started to move back toward his new film, Caron took one last moment to talk about how he viewed the series:
“For me, it was a spy thriller. It was a thriller. You know Tony Gilroy. I mean, I love Bourne. But it was a spy thriller. That’s what I leant into. Yes, it was in the Star Wars universe, but it was a spy thriller. So I leant into that kind of tone and mood.”
If the show’s positive reviews and awards nominations are any indication, critics and fans certainly responded well to the idea of a Star Wars spy thriller. While Caron won’t be returning to direct for Andor‘s second season, fans can still look forward to 12 more episodes of the series coming in 2024.
You can head over to Collider for the full interview with Benjamin Caron.
Eric has been a fan of Star Wars ever since the age of five (or so) when his parents sat him down in front of a TV with pizza and a Sprite and showed him the original trilogy. He keeps trying to convince more fans to read the amazing 1980s Star Wars newspaper comics by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson. When he's not reading, watching or playing Star Wars media, he's often enjoying other great fantasy and science fiction sagas or playing roleplaying games with his friends.
