The roster of Star Wars shows in various stages of production and development for Disney Plus reportedly come armed with budgets of anywhere up to $25 million per episode, with the vast majority of them relying heavily on visual effects to bring their respective worlds to life, and the cutting edge Stagecraft technology is pivotal to each project’s shoot.
By that logic, the low key world of independent cinema is a million miles away from a galaxy far, far away, unless you’re Obi-Wan Kenobi star, Indira Varma. The actress is no stranger to either side of the filmmaking spectrum having lent her talents to smaller titles like dramas Una, Official Secrets and Crisis, as well as mega budget blockbusters Exodus: Gods and Kings and next year’s Mission: Impossible 7.
In a new interview, Varma couldn’t be drawn on any specifics for obvious reasons, but she revealed the atmosphere cultivated on set by director Deborah Chow and leading man Ewan McGregor had given Obi-Wan Kenobi a vibe more reminiscent of an indie movie than one of the most hotly-anticipated franchise projects in recent memory.
“It’s such a beast, like an octopus that needs wrangling but I’m having a brilliant time. Obviously, I can’t say anything about any of it but director Deborah Chow and Ewan on the acting side have somehow made it feel like an independent movie. Everyone has input, there are no fraying tempers.”
Fans have been waiting over fifteen years to see McGregor slip back into the robes of the legendary Jedi, and for a while it looked as though those hopes were dashed when a planned Anthology installment was abandoned after Solo bombed at the box office.
Luckily for all involved, Disney Plus is set to be the lifeblood of the Star Wars universe moving forward, with Obi-Wan Kenobi set to premiere next year and tell an epic story set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, culminating in the rematch of the century between the title hero and Darth Vader.