Writing for Star Wars might sound like a fun idea at first glance, especially if you’re a fan. But imagine what it must feel like to actually sit down and work on a new story set in a fictional world with such an ardent and huge following. Imagine rubbing your hands together, your mind buzzing with exciting ideas, and preparing to write that first sentence. And then, think about staring at nothing in particular, brooding over the sense of self-doubt that this is probably the worst sentence any Star Wars author has ever written in history.
That’s probably what Obi-Wan Kenobi scriptwriter Joby Harold must have felt when he came on board to work on a narrative set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. But according to what he’s recently told IndieWire, he doesn’t let that immense weight get to him. When asked if the job is as straining as it sounds, here’s what he had to say.
“Absolutely, but a lot of excitement for me too, just as a fan to get to see them (Obi-Wan and Vader) come together because they’re two such seismic characters in the Star Wars universe. Knowing that one day I would actually get to watch it as an audience member and a fan was part of the thrill of getting to be a very small part of the bigger machine and help getting it made.
That’s very much trusting in Deborah Chow and everything that she brought to the show. It’s easy to try to find character through action on the page, but then you hand that off and have faith in the team and it’s such an extraordinary team. You then get to see the fruits of their labor and sit back and go, ‘okay, yeah.’ That’s the part, as a fanboy, that I wanted to see.”
I think it’d be fair to suggest that the reception to Obi-Wan Kenobi has so far been extremely positive, though whether it remains as such is something that only the last two episodes will determine, the first of which is set to premiere on Disney Plus next Wednesday on June 15.
Published: Jun 10, 2022 12:49 pm