News | Entertainment
15 Jan 2026 19:15
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
     15 Jan: Colman Domingo has thinks Euphoria season three will be "more cinema than television"
     15 Jan: Amanda Seyfried's Golden Globe Awards dress took 400 hours to make
     15 Jan: Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is mourning the loss of his "little brother" Bob Weir
     15 Jan: Damson Idris has dismissed speculation he's being lined up as the next James Bond
     15 Jan: Seth Rogen says the Golden Globes were "a good poaching ground" for season two of The Studio
     15 Jan: Robert Irwin wonders if he could find love at his family's Australia Zoo
     15 Jan: Teyana Taylor was given an extension on her cookery school assignment so she could attend the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    More changes are likely in the All Blacks coaching structure More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Signs of recovery in at least parts of the retail sector More...



     Today's News

    Accident and Emergency:
    At least seven people have been injured after two vehicles collided on State Highway One north of Waipapakauri, in the Far North - about 4.45pm 18:57

    Entertainment:
    Colman Domingo has thinks Euphoria season three will be "more cinema than television" 18:53

    Law and Order:
    The sister of a man who died in a shooting early yesterday at Waitarere Beach - says her brother had messaged her half an hour before 18:37

    Entertainment:
    Amanda Seyfried's Golden Globe Awards dress took 400 hours to make 18:23

    Technology:
    Iran internet blackout enters seventh day as US President Donald Trump says violence has 'stopped' 18:17

    International:
    Name change for viral app Are You Dead, designed for young people living alone 18:17

    Rugby:
    More changes are likely in the All Blacks coaching structure 18:07

    Rugby:
    New Zealand Rugby board chair David Kirk says player power didn't drive out the All Blacks head coach 17:57

    Entertainment:
    Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is mourning the loss of his "little brother" Bob Weir 17:53

    Law and Order:
    A 17-year-old has been arrested in relation to a firearms incident on Christmas Day in Christchurch's Hornby 17:37


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd