Andy Serkis Figured Out the Big ‘Andor’ Reveal Because of His Son’s Lego Set: ‘It Is Such a Brilliant Idea’

Kim Kardashian is making the most of life after Kanye West — and she’s trying not to let his continued antics affect her anymore. Easier said than done, but she’s tryin’!

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic When Bobbie Nelson, longtime pianist for her brother, Willie Nelson, died in March 2022 at age 91, she left behind a recently completed posthumous album, recorded collaboratively with singer Amanda Shires. That record, “Loving You,” is finally seeing the light of day and shedding additional daylight on Nelson’s supreme talent as a player, which wasn’t always the main point of focus in the Nelsons’ family band, for obvious reasons. As a happy byproduct, this beautiful labor of love also casting sunshine on Shires’ skills as a vocal interpreter, as they both take on Willie songs, standards (“Over the Rainbow” and “Summertime,” the latter with a guest vocal from Bobbie’s brother) and other shared favorites.

While the premiere “Andor” Season 2 remains just over a year away, it’s safe to say it’s easily the most hyped series in the “Star Wars” Disney+ upcoming lineup. Yup, more so than “Ahsoka” or “The Acolyte,” or more episodes of “The Mandalorian.” And fans already know a little about what they should expect in new episodes of “Andor.” For one, Season 2 runs twelve episodes, with a time jump in the narrative every three episodes.

“Follow my every move:” Based on the award-winning novel of the same name by David Chariandy, “Brother,” the latest film from Clement Virgo, is a sweeping and mesmerizing story about familial bonds, the power of music, and the resilience of community. Set against the backdrop of the early days of the Toronto hip-hop scene, a movement fueled by the children of Caribbean immigrants, brothers Francis (Lamar Johnson, “The Last of Us“) and Michael (Aaron Pierre, “Old“) find themselves amidst sweltering temperatures and rising tensions, setting off a series of events that change their lives forever.

This story about director the visual effects design of “Andor” first ran in the Drama Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.For Disney+’s “Andor,” an erudite elucidation of the prequel universe first seen in the film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” visual effects supervisor Scott Pritchard took things back to basics in real locations, despite having technology that in 1977 might have made George Lucas Vader-breathe with envy.“I’m very much of the opinion that first and foremost, we’re storytellers,” Pritchard, who first joined ILM with 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” said. “We’ve got to drive the story forward.

“As children, we fear the dark. Anything might be out there. The unknown troubles us. There are those who say we should not inquire too closely into who else might be living in that darkness.”

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer At long last, Netflix has revealed the first footage of its highly anticipated sci-fi epic from “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — their first large-scale project at the streamer since signing a mega overall deal in 2019 — and Alexander Woo. Based on the book series by Cixin Liu, the eight-episode drama, which recently wrapped production, will launch in January 2024. Per Netflix’s logline for the sci-fi series, “A young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China reverberates across space and time to a group of brilliant scientists in the present day. As the laws of nature unravel before their eyes, five former colleagues reunite to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history.”

Hunter Ingram The Emmy race has never been more crowded for those working behind the camera on TV’s most acclaimed series. While these directors below have never won Emmys, their work on this year’s juggernaut dramas, side-splitting comedies and affecting limited series could change that come September. Hikari The titular “Beef” between Amy (Ali Wong) and Danny (Steven Yeun) in Netflix’s hit limited series wouldn’t be as raw if not for Hikari’s direction in the pilot episode. Relatively unknown to many audiences, Hikari’s shorts and feature have played film festivals like Berlin and Tribeca and she’s helmed episodes of Max’s “Tokyo Vice.” But “Beef” serves as an undeniable pronouncement of what’s to come.

Ben Croll Running the Monte-Carlo Television Festival since 2012, Laurent Puons has always tried to look ahead. From his embrace of streamers and digital platforms back in 2017 to his growing emphasis on diverse formats, the festival director sees his summer showcase as a bellwether event for the wider television industry – and what the industry could use right now, in Puons’ view, is flexibility.  “There are already so many festivals today dedicated to series,” Puons explains. “But Monte-Carlo follows a wholly different concept. We’re a home for all kinds of content, and one of the only festivals with both fiction and factual competitions. And when you see what’s broadcast on platforms like Netflix and Amazon, [you need to cover that full range.]”

Just as he redefined the legal drama with the Oscar-winning movie Michael Clayton, Tony Gilroy has made arguably the most serious Star Wars streaming series to date in Disney+/Lucasfilm’s Andor, which is steeped in the binary of a burgeoning morose utilitarian empire that’s dominating the denizens of the universe.

This story about Zazie Beetz and “Atlanta” first appeared in the Comedy Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.No Emmy-caliber new series relies as heavily on its ensemble of guest actors as “Poker Face” — and fewer still boast the caliber of talent assembled by creator Rian Johnson, star-executive-producer-director Natasha Lyonne and showrunners Lilla and Nora Zuckerman.Lyonne stars in the Peacock comedy as our woebegone hero Charlie Cale, an off-the-grid, muscle car-driving ex-casino worker who’s on the run from a mafioso (Adrien Brody) who wants her head after she learns the truth about the mysterious death of her coworker (Dascha Polanco). An enticing enough premise on its own, there’s another twist: Charlie is, inexplicably, a human lie detector — a skill that makes her a very good gambler and a rough-and-tumble vigilante detective.

When Andy Serkis tells you that a Science Fiction or Fantasy story is special, believe him. An integral part of the most recent “The Lord of the Rings” and “Planet of the Apes” cinematic franchises, the celebrated British actor and filmmaker knows how hard it is to balance real-world themes in fantastical worlds.

Star Wars series Andor was supposed to feature the franchise’s first ever F-bomb, but it ended up being refused by Disney.Created by Tony Gilroy, the series takes place five years before events in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) becomes involved in the mounting resistance against the Galactic Empire.It is the fourth live-action series set in the Star Wars universe, following The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi.In a new interview with Variety, director Benjamin Caron revealed that the show was set to feature an F-bomb in a crucial scene, but the request ended up being turned down by Disney.In the scene, Cassian’s late adoptive mother Maarva Andor delivers a speech via hologram, which ends: “Fight the Empire!”As Caron revealed, the initial script instead had her saying: “Fuck the empire!”“Disney wouldn’t let us use it,” he revealed. “So we changed it to ‘Fight the empire.’ I remember having a call with Tony Gilroy saying, ‘Are we gonna get away with this?’”The director added how he “wrote a legal brief” to Disney encouraging them to let them use the word.

Star Wars‘ Andor series on Disney+ was meant to include the franchise’s first ever F-bomb.

Sometimes there is no greater thrill than taking a gigantic risk and being rewarded for it. In many ways, that’s what Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna and the cast and crew of “Andor” have experienced over the past year.

Sometimes actors won’t always reap the benefits of a career highlight.

While “Star Wars” fans await the premieres of “Ahsoka,” “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” and “The Acolyate,” another anticipated series looms on the release horizon: “Andor” Season 2. And excitement for Tony Gilroy‘s show is well deserved.

Editor’s note: The interviews conducted in this podcast were recorded at Deadline’s Contenders TV event, prior to the WGA’s strike starting on May 2.

The intergalactic worlds of “Star Wars” collided as Hayden Christensen and Diego Luna sit down for a conversation in Variety‘s Actors-on-Actors series.

Hayden Christensen and Diego Luna are opening up about their careers.