Deborah Chow to direct Obi-Wan TV series

The Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series has a director and a writer, Lucasfilm announced today. Deborah Chow (The Mandalorian, American Gods, Jessica Jones) is set to direct, with Hossein Amini (The Alienist, Drive) writing. It’s not yet clear if both are aboard for the entire season, or are just the first announced.

The show, which features the return of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, takes place eight years after Revenge of the Sith – 11 before A New Hope.

Deborah Chow
Deborah Chow

“We really wanted to select a director who is able to explore both the quiet determination and rich mystique of Obi-Wan in a way that folds seamlessly into the Star Wars saga,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in a statement. “Based on her phenomenal work developing our characters in The Mandalorian, I’m absolutely confident Deborah is the right director to tell this story.”

The show will be on Disney+, the streaming service that launches later this year. It’ll be the third live-action Star Wars series, and the second staring a major returning movie character, after The Mandalorian and a Cassian Andor-centric Rogue One prequel.

Report: What The Mandalorian directors are directing

We know who The Mandalorian directors are, but Making Star Wars has learned what episodes they’ll be actual directing. The official release only specified that Dave Filoni was doing the first, but MSW has him, Deborah Chow, and Rick Famuyiwa each directing two episodes, with Bryce Dallas Howard on the fourth and Taika Waititi taking on the (season?) finale. The eight-episode number comes from MSW’s earlier reporting; an earlier report has it at 10, but shortening the load is one way to get the most out of a rumored $100M budget.

MSW has been killing it on this show – in addition to all their recent scoops, they were the first to report that Mandalorians were involved back in August. We don’t have much reason to doubt them when it comes to the show.

First image for The Mandalorian, directors announced

We get our first official look at Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, plus a director list. The first episode will be directed by Dave Filoni, and other directors will include Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok).

The series is being written and executive produced by Favreau. Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson and Karen Gilchrist are also producing.

Still nothing official on the cast (who’s in the armor, Lucasfilm?), but Making Star Wars has some evidence (though probably not for the armor-wearer, though who knows) as they continue their set reporting.