Black Mirror alum Toby Haynes has been recruited to direct the first three episodes of the Star Wars: Rogue One prequel series focused on Cassian Andor after Tony Gilroy stepped down from the role.
According to Deadline, Gilroy decided to relinquish his directorial duties to Haynes after considering the complications that he would face traveling between New York and the U.K. during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. With the series set to be shot in the U.K., Haynes stepped in to helm the opening episodes of the Disney+ series while Gilroy remains on board as showrunner and executive producer.
The untitled show focuses on Rebel agent Andor before the events of “Rogue One” in the early days of the Rebellion against the Empire. The show has been described as a “spy thriller” when plans for it were first revealed last year. It was also previously announced that Diego Luna would return as Andor, while Alan Tudyk is set to reprise his role as K-2SO, Andor’s droid sidekick. The
Haynes is a prominent British TV director who is well known for helming the Emmy-winning episode “USS Callister” from Season 4 of Black Mirror, together with his notable work on episodes of Doctor Who and Sherlock.
The report notes that Haynes featured high up on the shortlist of directors to helm future episodes of Disney’s upcoming Cassian Andor series, so he was quickly drafted in as the replacement.
As of right now, little else is known about the Cassian Andor series, including the official title or a firm premiere release date. However, we do know that Diego Luna will reprise his titular role, along with Alan Tudyk as the voice of sardonic assassin droid K-2SO. VFX supervisor Neal Scanlan has also hinted that the series might re-purpose unused characters/creatures from past Star Wars projects.
The series is confirmed to take place five years before the events of Rogue One and explore Cassian’s role in the growing Rebel Alliance. It joins a growing list of Star Wars content at Disney, including the upcoming second season of The Mandalorian, an Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoff series, starring Ewan McGregor, and a LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special.
