ANDOR Season 2 Showrunner on Bringing The Ghorman Massacre To Life: "It's a Very Significant Part of Our Show"

Andor Season 2 is going to be diving deep into one of Star Wars' most significant yet largely unexplored events with the Ghorman Massacre.

This dark chapter in the Empire’s history has been referenced in canon for decades, but it has never been fully depicted.. Showrunner Tony Gilroy recently confirmed that the massacre will be a major part of the upcoming season, spanning multiple episodes.

Speaking with Collider, Gilroy explained how the event fits into the show's broader narrative:

"Ghorman, interestingly, is canonical but completely undescribed. It's a total blank slate. There's also a bit of confusion about the Ghorman Massacre, and what is the Ghorman Massacre?

“There's a lot of confusion within canon. So, it was an opportunity to rebuild in a really significant way. It's a very significant part of our show that can do a lot of different things for us."

The Ghorman Massacre took place in 2 BBY, right in the timeline of Andor Season 2. Imperial forces slaughtered peaceful protesters on the planet Ghorman, an atrocity that played a key role in galvanizing the Rebel Alliance.

The event was first referenced in 1990’s The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, which is from the old Star Wars Legends continuity. While its importance has been acknowledged in canon (most notably through Mon Mothma’s backstory), its full scope has remained ambiguous.

Gilroy also emphasized the scale of this undertaking:

"Quite honestly, it's very expensive to build, so we really want to use it as much as possible so it carries over five different episodes. I'm really confident that the really deep, passionate Star Wars community will appreciate how we've straightened out that story."

Gilroy previously said: "Revolutionary movements are spontaneously happening all over the galaxy. How those come together is the stuff of our story…

“These 12 episodes are gonna take us over the next four years into Rogue One. The complexity of the show, the possibilities of the show. It has to be all in."

It’s pretty cool that we will be getting a five-episode arc dedicated to one of the Empire’s most brutal crimes. The massacre was a turning point, one that pushed Mon Mothma to openly denounce Palpatine and, in turn, put her in the Empire’s crosshairs.

The choice to feature this event so prominently in Andor Season 2 is pretty cool as it will allow the filmmakers to flesh out the gritty, political, and personal struggles that led to the Rebellion.

Season One followed Cassian’s “reluctant journey from cynical nobody to revolutionary volunteer. Andor Season Two will see him transform from soldier to leader to hero on the way to his epic destiny. From the very first scene, Cassian’s story has activated an ever-widening ensemble of allies and enemies.

Season Two will see “these relationships intensify as the horizon of galactic war draws near. Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices, and conflicting agendas will become profound. Who will live to see their dream realized? Who will realize what the dream cost?”

Season 2 features the return of Ben Mendelsohn as Imperial officer Orson Krennic and Alan Tudyk as the acerbic reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO. Along with Luna, the returning cast includes Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu and Forest Whitaker.

Andor Season 2 will premiere on Disney+ on April 22, 2025.