‘Rogue One’ Writer Tony Gilroy Joins Cassian Andor ‘Star Wars’ Series at Disney Plus (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson

Click here to read the full article.

The planned Disney Plus series centered on “Rogue One” character Cassian Andor is bringing in the film’s co-writer, Tony Gilroy, Variety has learned exclusively.

Gilroy is set to write the pilot for the series in addition to directing multiple episodes. He will work alongside Stephen Schiff, who remains onboard as showrunner. No official premiere date has been set, but Disney had previously indicated the show would debut in 2021.

More from Variety

The untitled show focuses on Rebel agent Andor prior to the events of “Rogue One” in the early days of the Rebellion against the Empire. The show has been described as a “spy thriller” when plans for it were first revealed last year. It was also previously announced that Diego Luna would return as Andor, while Alan Tudyk is set to reprise his role as K-2SO, Andor’s droid sidekick.

In addition to his work on “Rogue One,” Gilroy’s other screenwriting credits include the Jason Bourne film franchise as well as films like “Michael Clayton,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” and “Dolores Claiborne.” He also directed “Michael Clayton,” for which he earned Oscar nominations for both best original screenplay and best director. Gilroy also directed 2012’s “The Bourne Legacy.” He was originally an uncredited writer on “Rogue One,” but earned a screenwriting credit when he was brought on to handle extensive reshoots on the film. He is also said to have worked closely with director Gareth Edwards to supervise the edit once reshoots were completed.

“Rogue One” was the first live-action standalone “Star Wars” film outside of the three existing trilogies. The film followed the team of Rebel spies who stole the plans for the Death Star, leading into the events of “Star Wars: A New Hope.” It was released in 2016 and went on to gross over $1 billion worldwide.

Disney Plus is set to launch on Nov. 12. Among the titles that will be available at launch is “The Mandalorian,” a live-action “Star Wars” series that hails from Jon Favreau starring Pedro Pascal in the title role. Ewan McGregor also recently confirmed that he will reprise the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a limited series that is scheduled to shoot next year. Other big-ticket shows in the works at Disney Plus include multiple limited series based on characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Loki, Hawkeye, and Scarlet Witch and Vision.

On the film side, “Star Wars: The The Rise of Skywalker” is due to hit theaters in December. “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are currently working on a new “Star Wars” film trilogy, as is “The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson. Marvel Cinematic Universe mastermind Kevin Feige is also developing a “Star Wars” film alongside Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

Related:

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.