Diego Luna's Star Wars Recruitment Is Straight Out of a Spy Thriller

Diego Luna's Star Wars role is basically that of a space secret agent and his initial recruitment into the franchise was equally dramatic.

Speaking to Variety, Luna explained that, even though he'd appeared in countless film, TV, and theatre productions before, Star Wars was by far the most secretive.

"It was the first time such secrecy happened around anything I was going to be part of," he said, and his story of being offered the part seemed straight out of a spy thriller.

"I was asked by my agent to meet someone for something that couldn’t be said on the phone," Luna continued. "I went into a meeting in a restaurant that was completely empty.

"There was a guy sitting in the corner with a computer open, and this was Gareth [Edwards], the director. I sat down with him, and it was just us for four hours."

That meeting was for, of course, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first of Disney's non-episodic Star Wars films. Despite being pegged for a leading role by the film's director, however, and despite being a huge Star Wars fan, Luna admitted that he didn't see himself being a part of that universe.

"I said to him, 'But I don't see myself here. I love these films, but how do I fit here?'" he asked. "No one has my accent. I've never thought this could be possible." Edwards managed to convince him, of course, and Luna would star as Cassian Andor both in Rogue One and the ongoing prequel series aptly titled Andor.

"I was asked by my agent to meet someone for something that couldn’t be said on the phone. I went into a meeting in a restaurant that was completely empty."

Season 2 of the show is currently filming in London and had an August 2024 premiere window, though it's unclear how the writer's strike will affect this. Disney is remaining relatively tight lipped about it, though we do know it will at least cover the three days before Rogue One in its closing episodes.

In our 9/10 review of Season 1's beginning, IGN said: "Andor is off to a fantastic start thanks to its compelling performances, corporate thriller undertones, and considered filmmaking."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

source https://www.ign.com/articles/diego-lunas-star-wars-recruitment-is-straight-out-of-a-spy-thriller