Obi-Wan spin-off was meant to be a film

30 October 2019

Ewan McGregor has revealed that the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi television series was intended to be a film.

Ewan McGregor

The 'Fargo' star will reprise his role as the Jedi Master for the 'Star Wars' spin-off series but when discussions first began about the project it was going to be a movie.

Speaking to ComingSoon.net, Ewan said: "It wasn't always going to be a series, not initially. When we first started talking about, that wasn't really on the cards but everything's changed so much, so quickly.

"It's really exciting that it is now. I'm really into the idea to be able to tell the story over several hours instead of just one hit. I think it's going to be quite cool."

The series will consist of six hour-long episodes, which will air on new streaming service Disney+ and production is scheduled to begin in summer 2020.

Ewan originally played a younger version of Obi-Wan in George Lucas' three prequel movies and for the series he intends for his portrayal of the character to be closer to that of Sir Alec Guinness, who portrayed an aged version of the Jedi in the original trilogy which began in 1977 with 'A New Hope'.

He said: "I want to get closer and closer to how Obi-Wan felt while Alec Guinness was playing him. I feel like I'm grayer and nearer him in age, so it'll be easier to do that."

Ewan, 48, has also admitted that he has had to keep it a secret that would be wielding a lightsaber as Obi-Wan again for four years as that's when Disney first contacted him about a return.

In an appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', he said: "It's awkward. The studio and the franchises, they want to keep everything totally secret, of course, which I understand, but as the person being asked over and over and over again, 'Would you do it again?' And I'm already talking to them about it, but I can't say that I am.

"For four years, I was saying, 'Well I'd be happy to do it again! I'm just waiting for the call.' But all the while, it was embarrassing! Lying!"

It has been hinted that Joel Edgerton could return as Owen Lars, Luke Skywalker's uncle who raises him after his mother Padme Amidala dies during childbirth and his father Anakin Skywalker turns to the Dark Side of The Force and becomes Darth Vader.

Joel, 45, played the character in 'Episode II - Attack of the Clones' and 'Episode III - Revenge of the Sith'.

In an interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Joel said: "There is a very real possibility. There's potentially an assassin on a rooftop just outside the window if I say the wrong thing. I'd love to say all sorts of things. I'm just not going to."