Why Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Ewan McGregor Says Andor’s Real Locations Beat Green Screens and Give the Show Its Edge
Ewan McGregor says Andor’s real-world locations give it an edge that sets it apart from the rest of Star Wars.
Ewan McGregor just gave Andor the nod for why it hits different: the show actually went outside.
Why Andor feels so grounded
Speaking at Fan Expo Chicago (as reported by Popverse), McGregor contrasted Andor with the way a lot of modern Star Wars is made. The prequels he starred in were famously swamped in green screen. Years later, his Disney Plus return in Obi-Wan Kenobi leaned on StageCraft, the Industrial Light and Magic system that surrounds actors with a giant LED video wall on a soundstage known as the Volume. It is cutting-edge tech designed by the effects house George Lucas founded, and it has been a game-changer for tight schedules and tricky environments.
"With Andor, they decided not to use it. They used real locations. And I think that gave Andor something special."
He is not wrong about the reception. Andor ran for two seasons on Disney Plus between 2022 and 2025, and the Rogue One prequel about Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor now sits at the top of Rotten Tomatoes for live-action Star Wars. It even contains the highest-rated live-action episodes the franchise has ever put out. You can feel the concrete and rain in that show — it is the kind of detail that is hard to fake, even with the best virtual backdrops.
A quick hat tip to George Lucas
McGregor also gave Lucas credit for pushing digital filmmaking way before it was cool. Back on the prequels, shooting digitally on big blockbusters was a novelty, and McGregor said that shift is now the norm to the point where you have to fight to shoot on film. In other words: Lucas was out front on the tech again.
What is next in Star Wars
- Andor: Two seasons on Disney Plus (2022–2025), Rogue One prequel led by Diego Luna, critics’ favorite among live-action Star Wars on Rotten Tomatoes, with the franchise’s highest-rated live-action episodes.
- Virtual vs. real: Obi-Wan Kenobi used StageCraft and the Volume from Industrial Light and Magic; Andor largely skipped that in favor of real locations.
- The Mandalorian & Grogu: Feature film set after The Mandalorian season 3; brings Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White into the franchise.
- Release date: The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026.