By Caitlin Constable
Pivoting off 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars story, Diego Luna is back with Andor. Tong Gilroy is the showrunner and head writer with Diego Luna as execcutive producer, reprising the title role from the 2016 film, Rogue one as Cassian Andor. Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Kyle Soller, are confirmed in the cast.
The 12-episode series will debut in 2022 on Disney plus. Andor began filming in 2019 and was delayed until June 2020 but was once again delayed due to covid 19 pandemic. It’s unclear if this is intended to be a limited series or if it has the potential to continue beyond a single season. The story has been kept quiet as possible; however, it is known that it is prequel to hit film Rogue One following the character Cassian Andor five years before the events of the flick.
Part of the filming has taken place in Cleveleys, a quiet seaside town, which lacks in tourists compared to its neighboring town, Blackpool, who usually gets most of the tourists, but now, due to the filming of Star Wars, Cleveleys is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Café Cove, on the prom of Cleveleys, has been transformed into a makeshift marketplace for the upcoming film, and has taken on a sci-fi flick of paint ahead of filming.
Road closures were put in place along the promenade from Rossall beach up to Anchorsholme from 30th April whilst the filming took place, leaving many locals in awe.
Films and crew started to arrive on 1st May and filming began on the windy seafront on the 5th May where they continued to film for next week. Green screens could be seen going up on the prom, with numerous vehicles following. When the actors first arrived, they were welcomed with the class British weather, with Rain and hail, and could be seen freezing to death whilst their fans could be seen wrapped up.
Photo by Visit Cleveleys
On the 2nd day of filming, actors could be seen plowing the hail, wind and heavy rain whilst the fans gathered on the road all tucked up in their thick coasts, hats and scarves. Stormtroopers and sand troopers, and members of the elite troop loyal to the empire could be seen on set in their costumes filming outside popular Cleveleys café, café cove.
Day 3 off filming involved stunt men, and a helicopter filming its aerial views of the seafront and film set.
Photo by Visit Cleveleys
The news was released to the locals first before being released nationally, leaving Star Wars fans from all over the UK to travel the small area. After Covid these visitors have been very welcome and has boosted the small towns economy. With many fans gathering round railings and on the beach in the bid to catch some of the actors at work during the filming.
Photo by Visit Cleveleys
