STAR WARS Actor Ewan McGregor Praises ANDOR For Using Real Locations Over Green Screen
Ewan McGregor has a lot of respect for what Andor accomplished, and he believes one of its biggest strengths was keeping things grounded with real-world locations instead of relying on digital backdrops.
The Star Wars prequels, where McGregor first brought Obi-Wan Kenobi to life, were shot mostly on green screens. Years later, when he returned for the Disney Plus series Obi-Wan Kenobi, the production used StageCraft technology, which employs a massive wraparound video wall on a soundstage known as the Volume.
The tech, designed by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic, has become a staple for many modern Star Wars projects.
But Andor went a different route, and McGregor thinks that decision made all the difference. During a recent appearance at Fan Expo Chicago (via Popverse), he said:
"With Andor, they decided not to use it. They used real locations. And I think that gave Andor something special."
Andor ran for two seasons between 2022 and 2025, following Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor in the lead-up to Rogue One. It quickly became the most critically acclaimed live-action Star Wars series, earning the highest-rated episodes in the entire franchise on Rotten Tomatoes.
McGregor also reflected on Lucas’ push for digital innovation during the prequel era, noting how groundbreaking it was at the time:
"George [Lucas] was pioneering what we all only shoot on. You've got to fight hard to shoot on film these days. He pioneered that. He was at the cutting edge of that."
While Andor may have stood out for its gritty realism, the galaxy far, far away isn’t slowing down. Next up is The Mandalorian & Grogu, which continues the story after The Mandalorian Season 3 and brings Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White into the fold.
The Mandalorian & Grogu hits theaters on May 22, 2026.