News | Entertainment
7 Feb 2026 4:15
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
     06 Feb: Ray Romano has been cast in a new "aspirational family drama"
     06 Feb: Ricky Martin has paid a glowing tribute to Bad Bunny following his Grammy success
     06 Feb: Jesy Nelson's experience of motherhood has been "so full-on"
     06 Feb: Drew Barrymore feels "grossed out" by the idea of dating a man in his 20s
     06 Feb: Ellen DeGeneres is "missing the California weather"
     06 Feb: Flavor Flav is planning to launch a "bigger and better" reality TV show
     06 Feb: Jessie Buckley thinks she might've been more successful if she had a bigger social media following
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Mark Robinson has closed his New Zealand Rugby chapter as he nears the beginning of his new gig with World Rugby More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    A property manager says the numbers of students looking for flats is lower than previous years More...



     Today's News

    Accident and Emergency:
    Coastguard Thames says it was alerted to a report of a capsized vessel and two people in the water off Tararu Beach, at around 11.45am 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Ray Romano has been cast in a new "aspirational family drama" 21:31

    Rugby:
    Mark Robinson has closed his New Zealand Rugby chapter as he nears the beginning of his new gig with World Rugby 21:17

    Politics:
    Indonesia's government directs education funds to meals program as teachers struggle on low wages 21:07

    Entertainment:
    Ricky Martin has paid a glowing tribute to Bad Bunny following his Grammy success 21:01

    Entertainment:
    Jesy Nelson's experience of motherhood has been "so full-on" 20:31

    Entertainment:
    Drew Barrymore feels "grossed out" by the idea of dating a man in his 20s 20:01

    Entertainment:
    Ellen DeGeneres is "missing the California weather" 19:31

    Entertainment:
    Flavor Flav is planning to launch a "bigger and better" reality TV show 19:01

    Cricket:
    Black Caps pace-bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith is favouring a domestic T20 cricket refresh as a decision on the future of the Super Smash looms 18:57


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd