Andor: everything we learned from the Star Wars Celebration panel

The crew behind Andor took to the main Star Wars Celebration stage to talk about the making of the Star Wars show, sharing some behind the scenes secrets and stories about how the series came into being. Showrunner Tony Gilroy, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, star Diego Luna, composer Nicholas Britell, editor John Gilroy, production designer Luke Hull, and costume designer Michael Wilkinson were on hand to share their insight.

We've rounded up the major things we learned from the panel below, so you can get up to speed on the making of one of Star Wars' most surprising shows. For even more, see our live posts from the reporters in the room on the GamesRadar+ and Total Film Twitter accounts.

Tony Gilroy originally said no to making Andor

When Kathleen Kennedy approached showrunner Tony Gilroy for a series following Rogue One, he initially said no. "What can we do, and how bold are you willing to go?" he questioned in the panel, noting that Andor is a gamble and a "big risk."

Score secrets

Tony Gilroy and composer Nicholas Britell opened up on how that striking score came together. Gilroy noted that the "elephant in the room" is John Williams, who created a "huge, gigantic, brilliant vocabulary, this grammar that's already been described" adding that they were "going to upend that." He also stressed that the music "has to feel like it belongs in Star Wars" – and admitted that he and Britell "completely underestimated" the task ahead of them, with Britell saying they ended up with 7.5 hours of music.

Pulling back the curtain on Ferrix

Tony Gilroy talked about originally drawing Ferrix on a napkin, comparing it to an old Tolkien map. He revealed that he wanted to explain Cassian's accent, and drew a parallel between Ferrix and Cassian – both ignore what's going on but are "gradually radicalised."

"It was great," Diego Luna said of stepping onset for the first time, discussing just how detailed the sets were, which contributed to the incredible realism.

"It's just so easy to believe that this galaxy far away exists," he added.

The logistics of the episode 3 factory

In Andor episode 3, in the sequence where Cassian and Luthen Rael have to avoid dropping machinery from the roof of the factory, the assembled Andor crew revealed that those heavy metal pieces were in fact practical, not VFX.

Luna noted that the scene was rehearsed like theater. "It was a beautiful scene to shoot. And a dangerous one, too," he commented.

Dam good location scouting

"We need to feel like it's Star Wars," said production designer Luke Hull of finding the right location for Aldhani in Andor. "The reason we ended up in Scotland is we got really interested in dams and ways to show Imperial activity other than just troopers walking." One dam, they noticed, looked a lot like Darth Vader's mask.

Prison break

"The key concept of the prison was established in a week," says production designer Luke Hull, pointing out that the people were more disposable than droids. "They're pushed through a factory, that was the idea. They're parts in a machine."

In the Andor post-credits scene, it was revealed that the prisoners had been working on the Death Star all along. "He's making the weapon that's gonna kill him," said Gilroy.

"It's a prison where you're supposed to be healthy. It's so interesting to play a prison like this one… it's a comment on the world we live in," said Luna.

Season 2 insight

"He's a committed member now. That internal debate is over," Gilory said of Cassian in season 2, which will cover four years. The final scene of the show will also lead directly into Rogue One.

"There's something very special about where he ends up and what his role is, and we want to pay homage to that," Gilroy added.

"Filming is going great," Luna said of the second season.

A season 2 teaser was then screened, and the footage is just as intense as what we've come to expect from the show. Expect stormtroopers, civil unrest, and, of course, rebellion.

Keep up to date with the galaxy far, far away with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and Disney Plus TV shows.