‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ To Start Production In April; Disney+ Announces Cast Including Joel Edgerton Returning To ‘Star Wars’ Franchise

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Disney+ confirmed its cast for new Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi and that includes Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse returning to Star Wars — they respectively played young Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Also . In addition, new cast members include Moses Ingram, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie. 

It was rumored that Edgerton would reprise his role as Uncle Owen. In the Star Wars canon, a baby Luke Skywalker is left in the care of Owen and his wife Beru after Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader. Deadline first told you that Game of Thrones actress Varma was joining the series.

Cameras rolls in April. The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi, played by Ewan McGregor, faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi  is directed by Deborah Chow, who directed two episodes of The Mandalorian, Season 1.

As previously announced at Disney+’s Investor Day in December, the series also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi is executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, McGregor and writer Joby Harold. The casting director is Carmen Cuba.

Ingram is fresh off the success of Netflix’s most-watched limited series The Queen’s Gambit; she played Beth Harmon’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) best friend from the orphanage, Jolene. Emmy nominated British actor Friend played the role of Peter Quinn on Showtime’s Homeland, and next appears in Separation opening on April 30, and Wes Anderson’s next feature The French Dispatch. Oscar nominee Nanjiani has already broken into the world of Disney franchises; he’ll be seen next in the Marvel feature The Eternals. Jackson Jr. played Ice Cube in Straight Outta Compton. He also starred in the Sundance feature Ingrid Goes West, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and the Den of Thieves franchise. Kang is known for playing Han in the Fast & Furious feature series, as well as the TV series Power. He recently starred in Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of many Star Wars in the works at Disney+, the others including The Book of Boba Fett (set to debut later this year), a Rogue One prequel focusing on the character of Cassian Andor, Rangers of the New Republic, and an Ahsoka Tano Mandalorian spinoff series.