Star Warsis a series that, despite its incredible popularity and lasting appeal, has had its fair share of ups and downs. While most fans can agree that the original trilogy of films still holds up, things get much more divisive when it comes to the prequel and sequel trilogies, each of which has a significant schism between hardcore fans and vocal detractors.
TheStar Warsprequels were famously reviledwhen they first released. In fact, tearing apart films likeThe Phantom Menacebecame an internet past-time and even helped launch the careers of several film reviewers back in the day. Now that time has passed, however, the films enjoy a much more charitable fanbase that grew up with the trilogy and will even argue that the prequels are much better than the films that came afterward.
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That fandom is no doubt why projects likethe upcomingObi-Wan Kenobiseriesare happening. The show, which has promised to bring back beloved actors like Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, is banking heavily on nostalgia for those older films and is aiming to be a slightly more refined take on the things people loved about theStar Warsprequel films.
One of the big promises for theObi-Wan Kenobiseries, and much ofthe DisneyStar Warsera, has been a return to practical sets and real, physical props. During the production of the prequels, particularlyAttack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith, George Lucas relied heavily on CGI and green screen, which wasn’t always ideal for the actors involved.
Other actors like Christensen and Natalie Portman have complained about working in entirely artificial sets, and even beyondStar Wars, many actors cite physical locations and props as serious benefits to their ability to get immersed in a scene. During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter regarding theObi-Wanseries, McGregor admitted that the CGI heavy prequels were difficult to film in entirely empty sets, especially when considering some of the lackluster material he had to work with: “After three or four months of that, it just gets really tedious — especially when the scenes are … I don’t want to be rude, but it’s not Shakespeare.”
Thankfully for McGregor, theObi-Wanshow will be usingthe same digital set technology asThe Mandalorian, which allows actors to actually see the environment around them, as opposed to the blue or green screens of yesteryear. Hopefully, that increased level of immersion for the actors also results in a better experience for audiences when the show makes its way to Disney Plus.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobiwill release in 2022 on Disney Plus.
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