Commander Cody and other clone troopers had key roles in a draft of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

As is now known, the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi is largely based on a script written by Stuart Beattie when the project was still supposed to be a movie. In a new interview with The Direct, Beattie reveals that Commander Cody and other clone troopers had key roles in his version of the story:

“Yeah, yeah. Cody was the [other] big [legacy character]. I love the idea of Obi-Wan having a buddy on Tatooine. Like a secret buddy. So like the first time he goes into town, you see, Cody, and he’s following him through the streets and attacks him, takes him into an alley with a knife to his throat and says, ‘You’re dead.’ And then you realize, ‘Oh, no… Cody’s making a point.’ Like, ‘Come on. You got to be more careful.’”

“And you realize, ‘Oh, Cody has now morphed from someone who was trying to kill him when we last saw them to someone who is now devoting his life to protect him.’ Because by now he’s had the biochip taken out of his head, and now he realizes, ‘Oh my god, what I did was wrong.’ And he has driven by guilt, as much as Obi Wan is driven by guilt. So you got these two kind of old warriors bickering like this old married couple, bitching about, ‘God, it was so much better when we had an army at our backs,’ you know?’”

“And the idea of mine was that when Obi-Wan had to leave Tatooine, he left Cody in charge of Luke. And that gave us a fun little B-story to keep cutting away to. And yeah, he’s a really fun character and a guy racing against the clock obviously, because he’s aging twice as fast. He’s trying to atone for the worst thing he’s ever done in his life. So tragic in a way, but just fun… The way they bickered in my stuff, it was just, you know, put a smile on your face and, you know, (laughs) just arguing all the time. […]”

“[Reva] actually had a squad of Stormtrooper Marshals. So, I thought, ‘Yeah, of course the Storm Troopers have like the equivalent of the U.S. Marshals, right?…’ Except that these guys were Clones. So she was using Clones that, yes, they were all Cody basically.”

“They were all Temuera Morrison, you know, speaking in his voice, and they were all veterans of the Clone Wars, they all knew Kenobi, they knew these Jedi they were hunting, and they were still with the biochips in them… and they did not miss when they shot, and they were absolutely ruthless. There were ten of them. And they were commanded by a guy named Commander Jet. And so they were her squad basically. And they all ended up dying over the course of the story…”

Beattie also says that Obi-Wan was supposed to fight an adult Luke Skywalker on Mustafar in a Force vision.

“When he opens his eyes, he’s on Mustafar. And it’s like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, how I get here?’”

“And he sees a guy in a dark robe with a red lightsaber, and he’s like, ‘Anakin, Anakin, Anakin!’ And as… the guy in the robe comes up, he lifts his lightsaber, you see, it’s Luke. Mark Hamill, 19. And so, Luke attacks him. Obi-Wan and Luke had this lightsaber battle in mine, which was mirroring, of course, Empire Strikes Back… so it was that kind of a thing that ends with, you know, Luke, just almost killing Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan is snapping out of the, you know, the vision, basically, but it’s a vision of the future if Obi-Wan keeps training Luke and putting all his guilt on this kid, Luke’s gonna turn to the Dark Side.”

“So… it’s one of those moments that makes Obi-Wan realize, ’I’ve got to let this go, because this is the future I’m headed on right now. Luke is going to become a Sith and try to kill me on Mustafar at some point. So I love that. I love bringing in Luke… and this was before they brought back Luke in The Mandalorian. We were gonna be the first to do that, which would have been really fun. And a nightmare… Yeah, that’s probably the one I miss…”

Check out the full article if you want to know more about Beattie’s draft for Obi-Wan Kenobi. You should also read the first two parts of his interview.

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ writer says Lucasfilm had planned an Obi-Wan movie trilogy before the ‘Solo’ flop

It is well known that Lucasfilm had planned a movie centered on Obi-Wan Kenobi before turning it into a TV series. But in a new interview with The Direct, Obi-Wan Kenobi writer Stuart Beattie reveals that the studio actually wanted to make a trilogy of Obi-Wan movies set between Episodes III and IV.

Although he has writing credits on the series, Beattie technically didn’t work on it. He wrote a script for the first movie of the then-planned Obi-Wan trilogy:

“I wrote the film that they based the show on. So, yeah. I spent like a year, year-and-a-half working on it. And then, when the decision was made not to make any more spin-off films after Solo came out, I left the project and went on to other things. Joby [Harold] came on and took my scripts and turned it from two hours into six. So, I did not work with them at all, I just got credit for the episodes because it was all my stuff.”

“So when I pitched my Obi-Wan story to Lucasfilm, I said, ‘There’s actually three stories here. Because there’s three different evolutions that the character has to make in order to go from Obi-Wan to Ben.’ And the first one was the first movie, which was the show, which was, ‘Surrender to the will of the Force. Transport your will, surrender your will. Leave the kid alone.’ So then, the second [movie] was thinking about where Kenobi ends up. And one of the most powerful and probably the most powerful moment in all of Obi-Wan’s story is that moment where he sacrifices himself in A New Hope. Great moment, you know, makes you cry. But, if you stop and think about it, it’s a pretty sudden thing, to just kind of go be fighting a guy, to see Luke and go, ‘I’m gonna die.’ You know, that to me, that required forethought. That required pre-acceptance that this was going to happen.”

“So again, it’s one of those universal things we all struggle with, to come to terms with our own mortality. So, that was the second step of the evolution for me, that Obi-Wan now has to come to terms with his own mortality, somehow in a prophecy, or Qui-Gon telling him, ‘There’s going to come a moment where you’re gonna have to sacrifice yourself for the good,’ And then [Obi-Wan] is like, ‘What? No, no, no, no, I’m here to help… I can’t, no.’ And get him to that point where Obi Wan has accepted the idea that he’s going to die, and that he’s going to die willingly at a crucial moment, and you will know when that moment presents itself. So that when that moment comes up in [A New Hope], you understand. He’s recognizing he’s been on this journey already, and he’s waiting for this moment, and that’s how he’s able to make it so easily. To do this [sacrifice], and die. So that to me was the second evolution, the second film, the second story. So for me, if I have anything to do with the second season of Obi Wan, that’s the character evolution that I would take him on. That, to me, is really interesting. And like I said, universal.”

Beattie claims that both Lucasfilm and Obi-Wan actor Ewan McGregor wanted to do the trilogy he had pitched.

“Oh absolutely. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, Ewan was on board, everyone. We were like, ‘Yeah, ready to go.’ And we were so excited about it, too… It’s a great story to tell, right? It’s such a fitting character and Ewan is just so fantastic at it. And he’s the perfect age, everything.”

“It just was dying to be done. You know, unfortunately, it’s just, it was Solo that changed the direction of the system. I like Solo, personally, but it hadn’t made a lot of money. It is crazy in some ways to think about it how it [was directed by] of the best filmmakers working today. But, just because it didn’t hit a certain number, they just had to rethink. And, again, way above my paygrade, but it certainly crushed us. Devastated, absolutely devastated. But, that’s the business, you know, highs and lows. I’m glad it got made. I’m glad the show got made. I’m proud of my story that [got] told. I’m glad my characters are all through it. And I’m glad I got credit for it. I wish, I wish they’d been able to make my movies.”

Beattie specifies that he didn’t write treatments for the second and third movies before moving on:

“No, just the first. Because they hadn’t hired me to do the others yet, ’cause I was busy working on the first one.”

Reminder: the Star Wars Prequels were actually well-received by critics

In almost every press article about Obi-Wan Kenobi, they tell you the same story, which can be summed up as follow. “The Episodes I, II and III of Star Wars were universally panned when they were released. Everyone hated them. Except the children, who are now grown up and and can at last fully express their love for the Prequel Trilogy.”

It’s a nice story, and many people have accepted it as truth, whether they like the Prequels or not. But it’s actually completely false.

The reality is that every movie of the Prequel Trilogy was well-received by critics. In 2005, the review-aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes published an article about the critical reception of each Star Wars movie at the time of their original release. It included this ranking based on the percentage of good reviews:

“83% – Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
79% – Star Wars
65% – Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
62% – Star wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
52% – The Empire Strikes Back
31% – Return of the Jedi”

Yes, you’ve read that correctly. Every Prequel got a majority of good reviews. The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones had a better critical reception than The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. And Revenge of The Sith had been even more praised than the original Star Wars.

So why are we told otherwise? This is largely due to the Prequel bashers and their relays in the media, who afterwards constantly repeated that the Prequels sucked and that nobody liked them, without any statistical backing. These strange and obsessive people had influence in the 2000’s and the 2010’s, and they succeeded to impose their views. “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.”

But ironically, George Lucas is also responsible for the success of this falsehood. The creator of the Star Wars saga was one of those who propagated the theory that only children had liked the Prequels. He acted as if the clear majority of good reviews had never existed. “Why would I make any more [Star Wars movies], when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”, Lucas said in 2012.

Maybe Lucas was too affected by the toxic environment created by the Prequel bashers. Maybe he was trying to convince himself to break free from Star Wars and move on with his life. Maybe a little bit of both.

Regardless, the facts are there. The three Star Wars Prequels were well-received by critics at the time of their release. The story that these movies were universally panned is false.

Darth Vader actor Hayden Christensen talks about his makeup and his suit in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

The Hollywood Reporter has published a new interview with Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader actor Hayden Christensen, where he talks about Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Here are some interesting excerpts.

“How long is that vastly intricate makeup process?

It’s pretty extensive. It’s a good four to five hours in the makeup chair, but I got to work with a great team of makeup artists. And we all got to work very closely with [executive creative director of Lucasfilm] Doug Chiang, who gave great input into the overall look. But yeah, it’s a lot of time. (Laughs.)

Is it always you in the suit, or is there a double, so you can get a rest from wearing that beast of a costume?

I’m not the only one in the suit because of the height difference between myself and the character. There’s some stuff that’s just a little bit too challenging for us to try to film with me in the suit. So I do what I can, and then I have the help of a couple of other great performers who do a lot of the work as well. […]

I loved the Mapuzo fight because it reminded me of the duel in A New Hope. The confrontation was more about the meaning of the fight, rather than the battle itself. When your characters fought in Revenge, it was this eye-popping spectacle, but this was slow and deliberate. Can you expand on this from your mind’s eye? 

Well, I think that came as a shock to Vader to see how disconnected from the Force Obi-Wan is at this point. I think Vader wants Obi-Wan to be able to put up more of a fight. I don’t want to say too much [about what’s to come].

[…] I’m curious if you looked back at the work in the prequels to prepare for Obi-Wan Kenobi, and is there a moment that you are particularly proud of?

I certainly went back and watched all the films again and studied Anakin as much as I could. There is just a lot going on with the character. He’s always sort of processing and trying to figure out what’s going on around him.

I don’t know that I have a scene that I was most proud of, but there’s a scene where Anakin goes back to Tatooine in Episode II [Attack of the Clones] and speaks to Watto. The script had the dialogue written in English and then, in parentheses, it said: “in Wattanese.” It wasn’t until the day before we started filming that I went to George, and I was like, “What should Wattanese sound like?” And he was like, “Well, you know, so long as it doesn’t sound like English or any other language that might sound familiar. You can just make it up.” (Laughs.) So, I was rushing the night before to try to figure out how to make up Wattanese, and every time I see that scene, I get a bit of a kick out of it. […]”

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ writer explains how important it was to include nods to Padmé

In a new interview with Nerdist, Obi-Wan Kenobi writer and executive producer Joby Harold explains how important it was to include nods to Padmé Amidala in the show:

“[Padmé] is a massive part of where [Obi-Wan] was, who he was. The guilt to which you speak, that is really important. And it’s not what the show is about. But to not acknowledge Padmé… I agree she’s a massive part of the prequels, and I just didn’t want her to not be part of the conversation of the show because she deserves to be. Padmé and her relationship with everyone, and the residual feelings of the past and that which he carries with him, she’s part of that.”

“You take the hit a little bit on [the Padmé nods] a couple of times, because it’s so worth including her within the subtext of a scene. And certainly when she becomes part of the storytelling. Like in the scene with Leia on the transport, then it works because it’s about Leia within the scene. Padmé is the chess piece within which we get to have that character relationship evolve. And that makes her vital, as opposed to just a piece of the context of canon.”

I’ve always been frustrated by the lack of acknowledgement of Padmé in the original trilogy, even though it’s understandable since the character hadn’t been fleshed out yet. It’s great that Obi-Wan Kenobi finally explores the memories people have of Padmé after her death.

If you’re interested in the writing of Obi-Wan Kenobi, check out the whole article and those two other interviews of Harold:

“‘Obi-Wan’ Writer Joby Harold on That Leia Surprise and Filling Gaps in the Character’s Story: ‘Certainly It Was a Risk’”

“How ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Writer Justified Obi-Wan Not Knowing Anakin Was Alive”

Rumor: Darth Maul to appear in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor?

According to Shepshal Nick, host of the podcast XBox Era, Darth Maul will appear in the upcoming game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Apparently his scoops are hit and miss, so take this with a grain of salt.

Jedi: Survivor is the sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order. It will take place place ten years after Revenge of the Sith. If Maul appears, it will certainly be as the secret leader of Crimson Dawn.

Rumor: Hayden Christensen to play Darth Vader again in another Star Wars series?

According to the very reliable site MakingStarWars.net, Hayden Christensen’s return as Darth Vader will not be limited to Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Prequel Trilogy star will allegedly play the Sith Lord again in another Star Wars series. MakingStarWars speculates it could be Ahsoka but they’re not sure of it.

The site adds that James Earl Jones will voice the armored Vader again in this upcoming series. Stuntmen Tom O’Connel and Dmitrious Bistrevsky will also play Vader in armor like they did in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

It’s all but confirmed that Christensen will be in Ahsoka, but we all thought he was going to play Anakin Skywalker’s ghost since the series takes place five years after Return of the Jedi. Maybe he’ll play Vader in a flashback too.

‘Star Wars: Yoda’ comic miniseries announced

Star Wars: Yoda, a new comic miniseries, has been revealed at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim. Here is some information from StarWars.com:

“The new comic is set in the moments before Luke Skywalker’s arrival on Dagobah in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, as the Jedi reflects on his life and his regrets.

Told in three arcs by three writers — Cavan Scott, Jody Houser, and Marc Guggenheim — the series will hurtle back in time to take readers to key moments in Yoda’s life during the prequel era and with a first story set in The High Republic, as he ruminates on the past. With covers from Phil Noto, artists Nico Leon, Luke Ross, and Alessandro Miracolo will illustrate the 10-issue run.”

Some art with Dooku has been shown during the panel:

Here’s more art:

Check out the trailer for ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ Season 2!

The trailer for the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch has been revealed today at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim.

It seems that Ian McDiarmid has returned to play Palpatine again. Great!

Commander Cody from Revenge of the Sith will be there, as well as Wookiee youngling Gungi from The Clone Wars.

This season is coming on Disney+ this Fall.

Watch the trailer for ‘Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi’ (in low quality)

Yesterday at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, Dave Filoni revealed Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, his upcoming animated anthology series focused on Jedi from the Prequel era.

Lucasfilm didn’t release the trailer on the internet, but an audience member filmed it and here it is.