The Obi-Wan Kenobi show is one of the most hotly anticipated projects at Disney+. To the delight of Star Wars fans, the TV show was formally announced last year, and they have been eager for updates ever since. Well, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has finally confirmed something new about the upcoming series, and it's pretty big.
If you thought that the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi could populate a show comprised of multiple seasons, you would probably be correct. That said, Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed one of the critical aspects of the upcoming Disney+ series, and it does not include such a long run. Kennedy told The Wrap:
It’s been very exciting to see the talent that’s come in. And we’re now developing the limited Obi-Wan Kenobi series with Deborah Chow, and she’s just been doing a phenomenal job.
Yes, the Obi-Wan Kenobi show will be a limited series. Of course, that is what they said about the all-star-led, Big Little Lies. The HBO hit got a second season, and hope for a third season arguably springs eternal for fans of the drama. Success can have an impact on a show’s longevity. But for no, though, the plan is for the Obi-Wan Kenobi show to be a one-and-done at Disney+.
It's not an entirely surprising thing to learn when you consider that Ewan McGregor is reprising his role as the pre-New Hope Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor has a busy career, which has included television of late (Fargo in 2017), while also comprising a steady theatrical beat. The idea of any in-demand actor committing to a multi-season series would honestly be surprising.
Ewan McGregor has said that he believes he will enjoy making the Disney+ show more than he did the Star Wars prequels. So he's clearly set himself up to enter filming with a positive perspective. For those who might've forgotten, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series was initially slated to be a solo film before switching gears into TV territory.
Since the story was once thought to be able to get encapsulated in a film -- is a limited series a considerable stretch? Well, speaking to the complexity of the story, The director of the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV show, Deborah Chow, has explained why the story is a better fit for TV than film, speaking to the complexity of it.
Speaking of Deborah Chow, she has also gone into detail regarding how filming the Obi-Wan Kenobi show will differ from The Mandalorian. Chow directed two episodes of The Mandalorian, while she will direct every episode of the now-confirmed Obi-Wan miniseries. Star Wars fans will have to stay tuned to see if the show can tell its tale in the confines of a limited run without feeling rushed.
Personally speaking, that is the only major drawback to a limited series, though there should be enough episodes to tell the tale. Ewan McGregor previously confirmed to Men’s Journal that the Obi-Wan Kenobi show would run for six hour-long episodes but more recent reports point to it being four episodes. One would think that a story once thought to span two-hours should be able to get told in four episodes. Fans will have to see if that theory holds up.
For now, the Obi-Wan series does not have a premiere date yet quite yet for Disney. Rest assured that it should arrive sometime after with this fall’s premieres, which will thankfully contain The Mandalorian’s second season. That's scheduled for release in October, so stay tuned.
