Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Deborah Chow explains the show’s ‘most challenging aspect’
By Meg Dowell
Even before Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped its first episode, it was up against many odds. Disney+ had never released a limited Star Wars series on Disney+ before. It had never tackled a story about a legacy character quite like this that would be seen by generations of fans.
The surprises the show held within it were also risks. Little Leia. Kenobi and Darth Vader meeting not once, but twice.
The story of Obi-Wan Kenobi had to take on the task of telling an impactful narrative set between major galaxy-wide events that already happened. But it also included legacy characters such as Leia Organa and Darth Vader, who had to go on personal journeys of monumental growth in a very short amount of time.
“That was by far the most challenging aspect of the series.” she told Collider. “You know, obviously we have these huge legacy characters that are between two trilogies. We wanted to be very respectful. That was the biggest challenge, but it was also kind of really exciting to tell your story with such iconic characters.”
The inclusion of legacy characters in a series like this accomplishes two major things: one, it encourages both casual and more hardcore fans to tune in to episodes hosted by a streaming platform that depends on subscribership to produce its content. Two: it creates the opportunity to introduce audiences to a cast of new characters who appear alongside the familiar ones with hopes these new characters could eventually appear in their own stories.
Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s goal was always to honor what had come before while also paving the way for what’s to come.
Deborah Chow had the privilege of being the first to direct the entirety of a live-action Star Wars Disney+ series. Shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett alternated between a group of directors from episode to episode. Chow and her team of writers and producers also helmed the first Star Wars limited live-action series, and if this one is any indication, it won’t be the last — for the format or for the team of creators behind it.
All episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are streaming now on Disney+.
Next. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Moses Ingram is just getting started. dark
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