Ewan McGregor Watched Entire Skywalker Saga For Obi-Wan Kenobi Prep
Ewan McGregor confirms that he watched all nine Star Wars films in the Skywalker saga ahead of reprising his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi as the titular Jedi. Set after the cataclysmic events of Revenge of the Sith and acting as a prequel to A New Hope, the new Disney+ series will follow Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi as he attempts to avoid capture from the malicious Galactic Empire whilst also protecting the young Luke Skywalker from being discovered. McGregor isn't the only returning cast member to the series, with Hayden Christensen once again portraying Darth Vader after 17 years, as well as Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse returning to their roles of Owen and Beru Lars. The show will also feature Moses Ingram, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend and Sung Kang as Imperial Officers and Inquisitors on the hunt for Kenobi as they track down the last few remaining Jedi who are in hiding across the galaxy.
McGregor made his debut as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first installment in the prequel trilogy, The Phantom Menace, before reprising the role again for the following two films, as well as providing a cameo voice appearance in the two sequel trilogy movies The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. And although the Star Wars prequel trilogy received a mixed reception upon its release, McGregor garnered widespread acclaim for his younger portrayal of Alec Guinness' iconic character. As such, an Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone starring McGregor has been in the works for quite a while, amid much enthusiasm from the fan-base. Initially starting-out as a spinoff movie, Disney eventually decided to rework the idea as a limited series after the financial disappointment of Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018, with the show finally entering production in 2021.
McGregor has now provided further details on how he geared himself up to play the beloved Jedi master once again. Outlining his preparation process in an interview with EW, the actor highlights how he watched "all nine movies" in the Skywalker saga in order to "get back in that world." Check-out McGregor's full statement on how he reacquainted himself with Obi-Wan Kenobi below:
I watched them from start to finish. All nine movies. Just to get back in that world. It was interesting to watch our films because I hadn't seen them since they came out, not at all. So it was cool to see and interesting to watch them and enjoy them without all of the noise that was around when they came out.
Adopting a similar approach, Christensen also re-familiarized himself with Star Wars canon in preparation for his return as Vader, watching the animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels ahead of filming. While it's not clear what McGregor specifically means by watching all nine movies "from start to finish," whether he watched them in canonical or release order, it is evident that he did not feel it necessary to also watch the two spinoff movies Rogue One and Solo, presumably as neither of these Star Wars entries feature Kenobi at all. But the fact that the actor enjoyed rewatching the prequels "without all of the noise that was around when they came out" suggests that he much preferred to experience the movies he starred-in when there was less critical and financial pressure on the line.
For many, McGregor's rewatching of all nine films will serve as further proof of the actor's dedication to the franchise and his love for the character. And with more Star Wars lore being teased for the series, this may fuel further speculation as to what else might appear in the show, based on McGregor's movie-based preparation. But with Obi-Wan Kenobi releasing on Disney+ in just over a month on May 27, audiences don't have long to wait to see the return of the Jedi Master and mark his first live-action appearance outside of the Skywalker saga.
Source: EW
Source: Screenrant
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