Ewan McGregor Talks ‘Star Wars’ Prequels: ‘It’s Nice to Watch Them Now Knowing That People Love Them’
Christian Zilko
Decades ago, it would have been almost unthinkable that “Star Wars” fans would clamor to see more of the characters from George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. But that’s exactly what’s happening, as Ewan McGregor is returning to the franchise for “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” a new Disney+ series that marks one of the spring’s most anticipated television events.
Mythology from the prequel films informed much of “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett,” but “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is Disney’s biggest dive back into the prequel world thus far. And their timing might be perfect, as the series is coming out as many fans discover a new appreciation for the prequel trilogy that they once derided.
One “Star Wars” fan who recently revisited “The Phantom Menace,” “Attack of the Clones,” and “Revenge of the Sith” was Ewan McGregor. The star recently stopped by “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and revealed that he rewatched all of the prequel films while he prepared to film the new show.
“I watched all of them to prepare for this because the last one I did, we shot Episode III in Sydney, Australia, in 2003, I think,” McGregor said. “So it’s been quite some time — almost 20 years.”
McGregor acknowledges that the initial response to the prequels was disappointing, but expressed his gratitude that fans are beginning to see the films in a new light.
“It was tricky at the time. They weren’t overwhelmingly embraced by everybody when they came out, our prequels,” He said. “It was nice to watch them now knowing that people love them. That the kids who we made them for at the time — they loved those films a lot. It was nice to watch them with that sense.”
In another recent interview, McGregor emphasized how important the prequel films are to understanding “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” saying that the show’s dark turn is a result of the events in “Revenge of the Sith.”
“Obi-Wan is lost,” he recently said. “He’s a broken man after what happened with the Jedi order at the end of ‘Episode III,’ but also what happened with Anakin; that he lost him to the dark side. He feels an enormous amount of responsibility for that, and guilt.”
“Obi-Wan Kenobi” will premiere on Disney+ on May 25.
