News | Entertainment
28 Jan 2026 12:00
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Star Wars' move into television was an "organic" development for the franchise

    Kathleen Kennedy, the President of Lucasfilm, believes their venture into shows on Disney Plus - which began with hits like 'The Mandalorian' and now include many more, such as the upcoming 'Obi-Wan' and the as-yet-unreleased 'Andor' starring Gabriel Luna, reprising his 'Rogue One' character Cassian Andor - is a natural follow-on for 'Star Wars' as the franchise's creator George Lucas "was serialising his storytelling"


    She told Vanity Fair magazine for their June cover story: "What's unique about 'Star Wars' is that we're one story, basically. "George was always dealing with episodes. Ironically, he was serialising his storytelling. He was influenced by 'Flash Gordon' and cliff-hangers on Saturdays at movie theatres. All of that informed what the DNA of 'Star Wars' is, which is why I think it's just organic that we made the transition into television."

    Ewan McGregor - who will reprise his role as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the upcoming series after first playing the role in the prequel trilogy released between 1999 and 2005 - joked that 11-month-old son Laurie "has been born into this massive 'Star Wars' family" while confirming the rumours that his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead is due to star alongside Rosario Dawson in the upcoming series 'Ahsoka'.

    The 51-year-old actor told the magazine: "My partner, Mary, is doing that 'Star Wars' series with Rosario and she's about to start. Our little boy has been born into this massive 'Star Wars' family. He will either embrace it or really go the other way. I don't know. Maybe he'll be a Trekkie!"

    Ewan is joined on the show by Hayden Christensen - who portrayed Anakin Skywalker before he turned to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader in the prequel movies - and he spoke at length with showrunner Deborah Chow about the iconic villain's "power and vulnerability".

    The 41-year-old actor told the outlet: "This is a character that has come to define my life in so many ways. "I was originally hired to play a very specific portion of this person's life. Most of my work was with Anakin. And now I get to come back and explore the character of Darth Vader. A lot of my conversations with Deborah were about wanting to convey this feeling of strength, but also coupled with imprisonment. There is this power and vulnerability, and I think that's an interesting space to explore."

    Read the full cover story "The Rebellion Will Be Televised," by Anthony Breznican in Vanity Fair's June issue and on VanityFair.com.

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     28 Jan: Ashton Kutcher insists he didn't base his The Beauty character on Elon Musk
     28 Jan: Chris Noth was "disappointed" by the way his Sex and the City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker turned on him after he was accused of sexual assault by multiple women
     28 Jan: Gwyneth Paltrow says "shouting at the bushes" helps with anxiety
     28 Jan: Kyle Gass has "felt terrible ever since" his controversial joke about Donald Trump's attempted assassination
     28 Jan: Prince William will make his first official visit to Saudi Arabia next month
     28 Jan: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. use "separate bathrooms"
     28 Jan: James Cameron permanently moved his family to New Zealand because it handled the COVID-19 pandemic better than the USA
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby by two seasons until the end of 2029 More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    A new name for Wellington's stadium More...



     Today's News

    Education:
    Inside NASA's space shuttle Challenger disaster that could have been stopped 40 years ago 11:47

    Cricket:
    Black Caps pace bowler Lockie Ferguson is inching closer to an international cricket return in time for the T20 World Cup 11:37

    Entertainment:
    Ashton Kutcher insists he didn't base his The Beauty character on Elon Musk 11:31

    Rugby:
    All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby by two seasons until the end of 2029 11:27

    National:
    Rocket or arugula? How a salad vegetable mapped the Italian diaspora 11:17

    Education:
    Why time feels like it speeds up as we age 11:17

    Cricket:
    The England cricket team's midnight curfew has had an immediate impact 11:07

    Wellington:
    The search continues for a helicopter believed to have crashed near Paekakariki Hill Road at 7.30amnorth of Wellington 11:07

    Entertainment:
    Chris Noth was "disappointed" by the way his Sex and the City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker turned on him after he was accused of sexual assault by multiple women 11:01

    Law and Order:
    Police are asking for help in finding Christchurch man Roy Markland - with grave concerns for his welfare, after he was last seen yesterday leaving his Burnside address 10:47


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd