Ewan McGregor Says ‘Obi-Wan’ Series Will Feel ‘More Real’ Than the Prequels
Star Wars actor Ewan McGregor is confident that his upcoming Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, will redeem the characters and world-building set up by the prequel film series. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, McGregor stated that Obi-Wan Kenobi will “feel so much more real” than the prequels he acted in many years ago.
“I’m really excited about it. Maybe more so than the first ones, because I’m older — I just turned 50 — and I’m just in a much better place,” he said. McGregor’s performance in the prequel trilogy was actually considered to be one of its strengths, but the actor is looking forward to bringing his role to a much more cohesive project.
McGregor recalled his frustration at director George Lucas’ heavy use of blue screens during the filming of Episodes I, II, and III. “[George Lucas] wanted more and more control over what we see in the background. After three or four months of [being surrounded by blue screens], it just gets really tedious — especially when the scenes are,” he explained. “I don’t want to be rude, but it’s not Shakespeare.”
The prequels were criticized for their extensive use of visual effects, something that will be addressed when production begins on Obi-Wan Kenobi. “They project [the virtual backgrounds] onto this massive LED screen. So if you’re in a desert, you’re standing in the middle of a desert. If you’re in the snow, you’re surrounded by snow. And if you’re in a cockpit of a starfighter, you’re in space. It’s going to feel so much more real.”
This is all good news for Star Wars fans, who are ready for the franchise to remedy its rocky prequel trilogy past. Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on Disney+ from a galaxy far, far away in 2022.
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