Andor Director Benjamin Caron On Why Series Doesn't Feel Like Star Wars
50It's a big week for Benjamin Caron. His latest film Sharper, a smart and exciting thriller, opens this weekend in theaters before heading to Apple TV+ and UK cinemas on February 17. Caron became one of the most high-profile names in television directing, having helmed series like The Crown and Sherlock, before being asked by Tony Gilroy to oversee three episodes of his Star Wars spin-off, Andor.
The season finale was one of those episodes. "Rix Road" received universal acclaim and was dubbed one of the best pieces of storytelling in the Star Wars franchise, with particular praise going Caron's directing for a series which started out under the radar before becoming a breakout hit, a genuine conversation starter and a worthy addition to an almost-fifty year old series of films and stories.
Speaking with Collider's Steven Weintraub while promoting Sharper, Caron opened up on the cultural impact the show had made, as well as what he felt made the show stand out among the pool of intellectual properties set in a galaxy far, far away.
I genuinely forgot that it was Star Wars, you know? There were no lightsabers, there's no Darth Vader, there was none the force. It was just really well-drawn-out narratives and great characters that I just wanted to spend time with. That's as a director, or me personally, that's what I respond to and I guess that's where it all started. Then when we were filming, I just approached it like anything else I do, you know? You direct it
Unlike some of the other Star Wars releases since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm for $4 billion, Andor was met with critical acclaim for its writing, characters, acting and structure. The fact that writer Tony Gilroy designed it from the outset as a two-season show certainly helped with the planning, meaning the show could take its time in telling the story it needed.
However, the warmth towards the show naturally didn't exist beforehand. Rogue One was well received by many, although some argue its most memorable moment occurs in the final three minutes of the film when Darth Vader slices through a poor squadron of rebels, meaning the idea of a spin-off featuring Cassian Andor hadn't had many fans' excitement levels raised. So to have this fervor over the show once released was both surprising and welcome, even if not anticipated by Caron himself.
"That is great, but obviously that happened after we made it," he said. "But at the time, it didn't seem like there was a lot of heat on Andor. It felt that it was slightly undercover and that this massive show was being made in Pinewood, but that people had somehow forgotten about it."
Perhaps the quality that most resonated with the show was, despite other spin-offs, this one never felt the need to try and shoehorn in the Star Wars signposts - Jedi, lightsabers, the force, and so on. The universe has always been a vast one, so fans have often criticized the need for spin-offs to zone in on a very limited time period, or family, or group of people. Thankfully, for Caron, Gilroy was keen to step away from the normal direction. Admitting he hadn't kept up to date with the newer releases, to his relief and pleasure, it turned out the showrunner was looking for exactly that - someone who wouldn't be trying to make Star Wars.
"I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan," said Caron. "I mean from a kid I was, but I maybe fell out of love with it, or I hadn't followed it in my later years. And I declared that to Tony really early on. I said, “Look Tony, if this is a question about what's been going on in Star Wars recently, I have no idea, I mean look, I’ll happily go and watch the last few films, but I haven't seen them.”
"And he was like, “No that's great, we don't want fan service. I'm aware of your work and I like your work and I want that work in Andor.” So that's how it came about. I responded to his writing, I hadn't read anything like that for a long time. It was a spy thriller. It was a thriller. Yes, it was in the Star Wars universe, but it was a spy thriller. So I [leaned] into that tone and mood."
Sharper is playing in theaters now. It stars Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton and John Lithgow. Look for more from our exclusive interview with Caron soon.
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