Obi-Wan Kenobi writer Joby Harold opens up about including Princess Leia in the new Disney Plus series.
Earlier this month Obi-Wan Kenobi debuted on Disney Plus and became one of the streaming service’s biggest hits. Oddly enough, details on what the series would be about were surprisingly hard to come by until it debuted. As it turned out, the series involved Kenobi rescuing Princess Leia.
Leia’s Role In The Series Is Revealed
In the first episode, Princess Leia was kidnapped by agents of one of Inquisitor Reva who wanted to lure Obi-Wan Kenobi out of hiding. Leia’s adopted father, Bail Organa, convinces Kenobi to take on the mission to rescue her, leading to a lot of interactions between the two. In a recent interview, series writer Joby Harold spoke about the including Leia in the series and how it deepened an iconic line from the Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope:
“It was very helpful to know where they were going because it answers the question of “why him?” So, “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope,” feels less arbitrary as a choice and a decision now that we know the depth of the history they have together. The context within which Leia says that in A New Hope is now canon, and it’s clear. So it will be articulated as the show continues, but I liked the fact that it helped reinforce and better articulate a little piece of the jigsaw that is already in place. If you watch all of the Star Wars stories in a row right now, you’d be like, “Of course, she’s going to go to Obi-Wan.” She also ends up naming her son, Ben [Adam Driver]. So I liked the fact that he was a big component in her life, as much as he was in Luke’s life up until now. It felt right after everything that happened with Anakin and those two children that he would be there for both children, to the degree he now has been in canon.”
Here is the synopsis for the Star Wars event series:
During the reign of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi embarks on a crucial mission. Kenobi must confront allies turned enemies and face the wrath of the Empire.
Directed by Deborah Chow from Joby Harold’s scripts, the series stars Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie. The series will also see the return of legendary Star Wars composer John Williams, who scored a theme.
The first three episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are on Disney Plus now, with new episodes airing every Wednesday. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the series and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
