Don’t Worry, Ewan McGregor Is Still Keen on an ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Film
One of the hot rumors leading up to this past year’s Star Wars Celebration was that Lucasfilm would announce a standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi film. With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story surpassing even the most optimistic expectations — and the casting of Han Solo dominating the news cycle for months on end — the continuing adventures of Obi-Wan seemed like a no-brainer for the studio. So fans were a little bummed when neither the announcement nor Ewan McGregor were present that weekend. Had something change since the last time McGregor said he’d be interested in the role?
Apparently not. This week, Jimmy Kimmel asked McGregor on his show (via Heroic Hollywood) if the actor had any interest in shooting a standalone Star Wars movie, and McGregor’s enthusiasm was only undercut by his fatigue with the question:
I’ve been asked this question so many times, and I answer questions when I’m asked them, because I’ve been brought up like that. Polite. And it’s got to the point now where it looks like I’m touting for work at Disney’s front door. Like, “Give me the Obi-Wan film!” Of course, I’d be happy to do it.
I certainly understand where McGregor’s coming from. It’s one thing to be asked questions about an upcoming project when you’re trying to drum up interest for your latest film or television series; it’s quite another entirely to be asked questions about a rumor. McGregor has spent the past decade-plus being asked about a movie that only exists in fans’ heads, and after a while, you must get tired of having Star Wars eclipse every project you’ve ever worked on. To his credit, though, McGregor was raised polite, because I’ve never seen him shy away from answering the question when it’s asked. If Lucasfilm decides never to make an Obi-Wan film, then McGregor will go to his grave being generally positive about the film to the press.