Update: At an event on Thursday, Ewan McGregor downplayed the seriousness of the situation, telling reporters the show is still on schedule and will begin filming in early 2021. Read more here.
Production on the Disney+ Series “Obi-Wan” has been placed on hold indefinitely, and the crew at Pinewood Studios in London has been sent home, Collider reported Thursday.
Representatives for Disney and Lucasfilm have not responded to TheWrap’s request for comment, but The Hollywood Reporter reported that the show is undergoing a retooling. THR also reports that Lucasfilm is searching for a new writer and the show’s episode order has been reduced from six to four episodes.
This new development is entirely unrelated to the hoax report last week that the show had been canceled. That rumor was started by a joke Twitter account called @DicsussingFilm and later picked up unsourced by a couple of fansites. An individual with direct knowledge told TheWrap at the time that the report of the show’s cancellation was “completely inaccurate” and that it remained in development on schedule.
Announced last summer during D23 2019, the Obi-Wan series will take place at some point during the 19-year gap between the end of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” and “Star Wars: A New Hope.” McGregor will once again play the Jedi Master originally portrayed by Alec Guinness and executive produce, alongside series director Deborah Chow and writer Hossein Amini. Jason McGatlin, Lucasfilm’s executive vice president of production, will serve as co-producer.
The project will be the third live-action “Star Wars” series for Disney+, following “The Mandalorian” and the “Rogue One” prequel series centered on Diego Luna’s character, Cassian Andor.
Collider first reported the news.