Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Reportedly Cut to Four Episodes During Rewrites

Earlier today, reports hit that the planned Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series being developed for Disney+ will be delayed as they rework the script. One thing that has emerged since, via Collider. The report indicates that not only will they be changing the narrative, but it will condense the series from the previously-planned six episodes down to four. According to Collider's sources, the scripts for the series weren't up to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy's standards and once the scripts are rewritten, production will resume. Ewan McGregor was set to reprise his role of the Jedi Master, having played Kenobi in the prequel trilogy of films. The series was set to focus on Kenobi's time on Tatooine after the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith as he adopted a life of solitude, ensuring the safety of Luke Skywalker from afar.

As Lucasfilm never officially confirmed when the series would head into production, this is surely disheartening news, as we don't know when production could start and a subsequent release date could be announced, but it would seem that the studio is more focused on delivering the best story possible than potentially disappointing fans who have been waiting years for the project.

Dating back to the conclusion of the prequel trilogy, fans had hoped to see McGregor return to the series in some capacity, a possibility that seemed much more likely once Disney purchased Lucasfilm and announced it would begin developing spinoff films. McGregor himself would often express his excitement at the opportunity to return to the series, yet the studio never officially announced plans for such a project.

Kennedy officially revealed plans for the series at last summer's D23 Expo, bringing McGregor out on stage to confirm the news. In the wake of the announcement, McGregor revealed that he had to keep the news a secret for years, even admitting that he was worried he was sounding too desperate to take over the role. The actor had also admitted the project was previously being developed as the rumored spinoff film before the debut of Disney+ made a long-form storytelling format possible and more appropriate.

This news is surely disheartening, yet, as compared to other rumored projects, there's likely no cause for alarm. Between the passion McGregor has for the character and Kennedy having the opportunity to deliver audiences the best story possible as opposed to aiming for a confirmed release date, we can take comfort in knowing that when we do get this series, it will be the best version of the story.

Given that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker earned the franchise some of its worst reviews after suffering some behind-the-scenes setbacks on the way to hit an announced release date, while the live-action Star Wars: The Mandalorian series earned Lucasfilm some of its highest praise in years, we doubt they would cancel a series entirely instead of delaying it to ensure its quality.

Stay tuned for details on the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.