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Ewan McGregor says Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ show will take him 'closer and closer' to Alec Guinness

Tom Beasley
·Contributor
Ewan McGregor played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the 'Star Wars' prequel trilogy after Alec Guinness portrayed the character in 'A New Hope'.
Ewan McGregor played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the 'Star Wars' prequel trilogy after Alec Guinness portrayed the character in 'A New Hope'.

Ewan McGregor has confirmed that the Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off series on Disney+ will see his take on the legendary Jedi become “closer and closer” to Alec Guinness’ portrayal from 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.

The 48-year-old actor told Men’s Journal that it’s a “f***ing massive relief” not to have to lie to fans and journalists any more in order to keep the existence of the show under wraps.

Read more: Possible plots for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series

Lucasfilm officially unveiled the show at this year’s Disney D23 Expo in August, confirming the existence of the long-rumoured series after four years of denials.

McGregor said the series of six hour-long episodes will begin filming in the summer of 2020 and confirmed a long-standing suggestion that the story “sits between Episode III and Episode IV”.

Ewan McGregor attends the premiere of 'Christopher Robin' on September 5, 2018. (Photo by Keith Tsuji/Getty Images for Disney)
Ewan McGregor attends the premiere of 'Christopher Robin' on September 5, 2018. (Photo by Keith Tsuji/Getty Images for Disney)

The actor teased that his character’s arc will be “quite interesting” as he deals with the slaughter of the Jedi order at the end of Revenge of the Sith, following Chancellor Palpatine’s issuing of Order 66 to the clone army.

He added: “I want to get closer and closer to how Obi-Wan felt while Alec Guinness was playing him.

“I feel like I’m greyer and nearer him in age, so it’ll be easier to do that.”

Read more: Final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

McGregor portrayed Obi-Wan as the apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace and then as the mentor to Anakin Skywalker in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, until Anakin is seduced into becoming Sith lord Darth Vader.

Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor in 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith'. (Credit: Lucasfilm)
Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor in 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith'. (Credit: Lucasfilm)

The Obi-Wan spin-off is one of several Star Wars projects that will be a key part of Disney+, including Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, which will premiere with the US launch of the service on 12 November.

A date for the launch of Disney+ in the UK has not yet been announced.

Read more: Disney Life to continue in the UK during Disney+ wait

On the big screen, the Skywalker Saga is set to come to an end this year with J.J. Abrams’ concluding chapter The Rise of Skywalker.