Star Wars: Lucasfilm Head Explains Why Obi-Wan Kenobi Hired New Head Writer

Fans have been waiting a long time to get more adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi since we last saw him in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, with that wait growing even longer despite the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series being announced, as head writer Hossein Amini was replaced by Joby Harold just months before filming was supposed to start. Understandably, fans grew concerned about the change, with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealing that the tone of Amini’s original plans, which were for a film, didn’t translate as well to TV as what the studio aimed to deliver audiences.

“We’re looking, ultimately, to make a hopeful, uplifting story,” Kennedy shared with Entertainment Weekly. “And it’s tricky when you’re starting with a character in the state that Obi-Wan would be in coming off of Revenge of the Sith. That’s a pretty bleak period of time. You can’t just wave the magic wand with any writer and arrive at a story that necessarily reflects what you want to feel.”

Rumblings of a Kenobi project started to emerge leading into the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story back in 2018, but when that film earned a lukewarm response from audiences and critics alike, it upended the studio’s entire future when it came to big-screen outings. Sources close to the studio noted that the focus would be entirely on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with that film also earning divided reactions among audiences.

Lucasfilm has notoriously faced challenges with feature-length films and attempts to convey specific tones, with original Solo directors parting ways with the project just weeks before production was slated to wrap, reportedly due to creative conflicts. Following the production delays, Lucasfilm enlisted Harold to give Kenobi an overhaul.

“This was a character that’s always been a minor obsession of mine,” Harold revealed. “And when I heard it was a character they were exploring, I very aggressively told them all the things I thought they should do.”

In regards to how similar this series is to the original plans for the project, director Deborah Chow went on to confirm that “we inherited some of it, but we did really make some significant changes and add a few different elements.”

Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to premiere on Disney+ on May 25th.

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