Arguably the most exciting upcoming Star Wars project is the Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series heading to Disney+. There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the cast of the series, from returning icons like Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to fresh faces like Maya Erskine and Kumail Nanjiani.
Since so many fan-favorite actors are appearing in the series, there’s been less excitement and discussion among the fanbase about the crew working on it. But, from Star Wars veterans to accomplished filmmakers, there’s a promising crop of talent behind the camera.
7 Kathleen Kennedy - Executive Producer
Kathleen Kennedy is attached as an executive producer on Obi-Wan Kenobi, as with pretty much every other Disney-era Star Wars project. Kennedy is often blamed for the failures of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but she was personally appointed by George Lucas himself to run Lucasfilm in his absence and she’s also one of the most accomplished and prolific producers in Hollywood.
Kennedy co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall in the ‘80s. Her first movie as producer was E.T. and she went on to produce such classics as Jurassic Park, most of the Indiana Jones movies, and the Back to the Future trilogy.
6 Joby Harold - Writer
Joby Harold has been given the daunting task of writing the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. He’s credited as an executive producer on Edge of Tomorrow and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, as well as the widely acclaimed TV series Underground, about the Underground Railroad in Antebellum Georgia.
Harold is also credited on the story of the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Drive screenwriter Hossein Amini was initially hired to write the Obi-Wan series, but that was many drafts ago. Lucasfilm is rumored to have been unhappy with a storyline about Kenobi protecting a young Luke Skywalker, because it was too similar to the Mando/Grogu dynamic from The Mandalorian.
5 Chung Chung-Hoon - Cinematographer
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be shot by cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon. He’s primarily known for his collaborations with Park Chan-wook, including Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, and The Handmaiden.
So, Obi-Wan’s exiled adventures living under Imperial rule will be shot by the cinematographer responsible for Oldboy’s breathtaking hallway fight. Even if the writing falls short, the series will look incredible. Chung also shot the acclaimed films Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and It.
4 Jason McGatlin - Co-Producer
Jason McGatlin is credited as a co-producer on Obi-Wan Kenobi, but he also has a broader job title at Lucasfilm as the studio’s Executive Vice President of Physical Production. He previously worked as an executive producer on all of Disney’s Star Wars movies, from the sequel trilogy to the back-to-back pair of “Anthology” installments.
Early in his career, McGatlin filled minor but crucial roles like production coordinator and production office supervisor on the crews of hit movies like The Parent Trap, Deep Blue Sea, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
3 Doug Chiang - Concept Artist
The concept artist designing the look of the Obi-Wan series, Doug Chiang, is a Star Wars veteran who currently serves as Vice President and Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm. His Star Wars career began way back in 1995 when he was hired to run Lucasfilm’s art department. He’s credited as the design director on The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
After Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Chiang returned to the Star Wars universe to provide concept art for The Force Awakens and production design for Rogue One. He’s since worked on Solo, The Rise of Skywalker, and The Mandalorian. Chiang is closely collaborating with Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow to define the look of the series.
2 Tracey Seaward - Executive Producer
Tracey Seaward is attached to Obi-Wan Kenobi as an executive producer. The series will be Seaward’s first Star Wars project. As a British-based producer, Seaward’s role presumably involves overseeing the series’ UK shoot. On top of executive-producing Obi-Wan Kenobi, Seaward is also working on a miniseries called Pistol based on the life of Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.
Seaward is the BAFTA-winning producer of a bunch of Stephen Frears movies, including Dirty Pretty Things and The Queen. She also produced the gritty, ultraviolent crime thriller Eastern Promises and the meditative religious drama The Two Popes.
1 Deborah Chow - Director
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is in very safe hands with its director, Deborah Chow. In addition to helming episodes of such acclaimed series as Better Call Saul and Mr. Robot, Chow has actually visited a galaxy far, far away before.
Chow helmed two episodes of The Mandalorian’s first season: “Chapter 3: The Sin,” the critical narrative juncture in which Mando breaks the bounty hunter code to free Grogu from the Client and faces brutal consequences, and “Chapter 7: The Reckoning,” the penultimate episode of the season that significantly raised the stakes with the death of Kuiil, the abduction of Grogu, and the arrival of Moff Gideon. These are two of the show’s strongest episodes. If the Obi-Wan series is that great, then it just might manage to live up to fans’ sky-high expectations.
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August 06, 2021 at 12:00AM
