A documentary about the making of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars series will premiere on Disney+ this week giving a behind-the-scenes look into the ‘game changing’ technology which tempted Ewan McGregor to return to wear the iconic Jedi robes.
Lucasfilm and Disney have worked together on Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return , showing the process of bringing back the Jedi Knight for the critically acclaimed six-episode series ten years after Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith .
The documentary includes never-before-seen footage as well as new interviews with lead Ewan McGregor, Anakin Skywalker himself Hayden Christensen and the show’s director Deborah Chow.
It will also provide a look at the special effects used in making the show, including The Volume, a revolutionary VFX system used in both Obi-Wan Kenobi and earlier Star Wars shows The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian.
The giant curved LED screen removes the need for either blue or green screen and also for expensive location shoots as the exteriors of space or any planet in the extended Star Wars universe could just be beamed onto the screens while the actors performed in front of them.
McGregor described the technology as a ‘game changer’ when the show launched, having famously been frustrated by the difficulties of acting in scenes where additional details are added in post-production.
Speaking at the official press conference to launch the show he said: “It was just such a game changer. The experience of the first three, especially Episode II and III was so much blue screen and green screen. It was very hard to make something believable when there’s nothing there. Here we were in this amazing set where if you’re shooting in the desert, everywhere you look is the desert, and if you’re flying through space, the stars are flying past you, it’s so cool.”
Star Wars fans who are existing subscribers to Disney+ can watch the documentary from Thursday, September 8 when it will be added to the streaming service to mark so-called Disney+ Day.
Disney+ Day will see many other additions debut including Thor: Love & Thunder as well as its behind-the-scenes documentary Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love & Thunder, sing-along versions of Frozen and Frozen 2, and a new Simpsons short.
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