After numerous delays and tons of fan speculation, it appears that Lucasfilm is ready to begin production on the long-awaited “Star Wars” live-action series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” And with production scheduled to begin in April, the studio is ready to pull back the curtain and unveil the ensemble cast that will help bring the prequel series to life.
Previously, we already knew that Ewan McGregor is going to return to play the title character, after portraying Obi-Wan in the three “Star Wars” prequel films. And we knew that he was going to be joined by Hayden Christensen, returning as Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. But now, Disney and Lucasfilm are confirming the inclusion of actors Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.
A couple of those names immediately jump out to “Star Wars” fans, as Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse are actors that previously appeared in the galaxy far, far away, as Owen and Beru, family members of Anakin Skywalker and the folks given custody of Luke Skywalker when he was only a child. For the rest of the cast, there is no mention of which characters they might play, as it’s assumed that some will also provide voices for aliens and/or droids, as is the “Star Wars” way.
For fans of independent filmmaking, another name might also jump out of the pack, as we see that Benny Safdie is included in the cast. Safdie and his brother, Josh, are probably best known for directing films such as “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” However, Benny Safdie has also appeared as an actor in a number of films including the aforementioned “Good Time,” as well as “Pieces of a Woman” and the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film that is still untitled.
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As for the rest of the cast, we’re talking about some big names that are further showing just how much of an importance Lucasfilm is putting on these “Star Wars” TV projects. The studio is clearly following the same model that its Disney cousin, Marvel Studios, is doing by treating these series as just as important as the films that launched the franchise. An official release date for “Obi-Wan Kenobi” has yet to be announced.
