Gilroy wound up writing onRogue Oneand handled additional shoots and edits on that Gareth Edwards-directed movie.
In aninterviewbefore the WGA strike, Gilroy and Luna share more insights on Season 1.
At the time, they were halfway through production of Season 2.
From left: Tony Gilroy and Diego Luna.Emily Shur
All scripts for Season 2 were completed ahead of the WGAs contract expiration.
[These interviews occurred before the WGA strike].
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Diego, what were you privy to about the development ofAndorbefore Tony arrived?
Diego Luna: It was very vague.
It was more like it was the idea of what could we get with this premise.
OnRogue One, did both of you interact?
We spent 10 months together, but were not going to go beyond that.
What parts of the original movies inspired you and made you want to expand on canon?
Gilroy: I was there in the audience in 1977.
Thats one of those things, it was like seeingAvatarorApocalypse Nowat the Ziegfeld [Theatre].
It wasnt just going to a movie; it was an event.
It was a cultural passage.
No, for me, it was a much different point of entry.
But I thought it was totally limiting and claustrophobic in a way.
It was really Cassian and the droid Butch and Sundance and they go out and do all these things.
Would you be into doing that insane version that you pitched?
I had no burning desire, I had no issue inStar Warsthat I wanted to rectify.
My attitude [toward the series] was everything has to be real.
Ive done all kinds of movies and fixed movies.
Was there ever any concern that the series would be too heady for the averageStar Warsfan?
Gilroy: No, they yearn for it.
Im just creating canon every episode.
Our main navigationalStar Warspiece of information is the calendar, is the five years that were covering.
And obviously, our last block is the last three days beforeRogue One.
So, the last shot will be walking intoRogue One.
In building Cassian Andor, where did you draw inspiration from?
Also, crossing this border over and over.
Theres a lot of that.
A lot of those stories that Ive heard over the years, that are represented here.
How long does it to take for you to put an entire season together?
Gilroy: Oh my God, to do this…
I started on this in Scotland, two and-a-half years ago.
Luna: Three years.
Gilroy: In the end, itll be five years of my life.
So, Im three and a half years in.
Ive got another year and a half to go.
How big was the writers room?
Id never done it before.
I panicked, so the first time around, I had about a hundred pages.
I had the beginning, the middle, and the end.
I knew a bunch of stuff, I knew where we wanted to go, I knew the structure.
And we had one of the most exciting creative experiences Ive ever had.
I mean, it was just wildly energetic, and brutal, and effective.
But heres the thing, it wasnt just the three of us that were in the room.
Hes my primary creative collaborator on the story.
And so, we chewed that up, within five days.
We filled in the blanks over five days, very powerful days.
Gilroy: You throw it away and start over.
For example, the prison.
I have all this stuff.
Its like, can this work?
But I have a big gap.
I go, Man, Id really like this guy [Cassian] to go to prison here.
This would be really good, would spread out the time.
Id like to put him on ice for a while.
This is the point in his education where Id really like him to be part of a mini revolution.
Id like to see a littleSpartacus, and Id like to really see him do it through somebody else.
We love prison movies so much.
And if we cant do something completely unusual and fresh, then were not going to do it.
Well do something else.
So, thats the mandate: for the whole day, we start, what kind of prison?
What does it do?
What if its clean?
What if its antiseptic?
What if theres very few guards?
What if theyre building pieces for the Death Star?
My God, what if they have electric floors?
Holy sh*t, that means you dont wear any shoes, and then boots became…
I think Beau did, like, three boot drafts.
Were like, boots were everything.
But 99 percent of the time, the mandate is, no scene doesnt have a hook.
Is there moreStar Warsfor you both after this?
Youre a one-hit wonder?
Gilroy: I mean, look, you know, most of your readership is in the business.
The cows have to be milked twice a day, every day.
It doesnt matter if your leg just got cut off.
They have to be milked; it never ends.
And its been three and a half years of dairy farm.
I have no idea what I want to do.
Maybe make a run at get my wife to remember that we didnt used to do this show.
The way youve mapped out your second season narratively is unlike any other show.
Gilroy: When we come back later, itll be literally like a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Were in the brand-new era of making these shows.
These shows are all new.
Is that a string youre going to pull on in Season 2?
Gilroy: I dont really want to get into spoilers.
Whats the gracious answer on this?
And because thats what life is like and finding that balance that suits the storytelling is part of it.
So thats a complicated answer.
