Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty for Disney
After a three-year absence due to the pandemic, the Force was once again withStar WarsCelebration— the biennial gathering ofStar Warsfans from around the world to celebrate all aspects of the beloved sci-fi fantasy franchise — as it made a triumphant in-person return.
Thousands of fans descended on California’s Anaheim Convention Center — many wielding their own lightsabers, costumed in Mandalorian armor, or with their hair styled like Princess Leia or Padme Amidala — for the four-day event. At the center of Celebration were panels featuring announcements keyed to the upcoming slate of Hollywood’s star-studdedStar Warsoutput, currently centered on a plethora of current and upcoming series on the Disney+ streaming service.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
After a decidedly dramatic opening with a live choral performance of Williams' “Duel of the Fates” on Thursday, McGregor and Christensen joined panel hostYvette Nicole Brownonstage, with McGregor offering a cheery “Hello there!” — a catchphrase long associated with his character — to send fans into ecstatic cheers.
“In the last five or six years, we’ve started to feel all of your love for the prequels that we made,” McGregor told the crowd, noting that the follow-up trilogy to filmmaker George Lucas' pop culture phenomenon was not nearly as critically hailed as the original when those films were released. “The truth is that’s meant an enormous amount to us, and to me personally. It didn’t feel that way necessarily when they came out at first, so to feel the warmth that you all have for them has made the whole experience just the most amazing thing.”
Jesse Grant/Getty for Disney
“To pick up the lightsaber again, there’s just nothing like it,” said Christensen, otherwise mum on spoilers about the return of Vader, before McGregor invited the entire audience to return in the evening for a screening of the first two episodes ofKenobialongside the cast and creators “before anybody else has seen it in the world.”
Later that evening after the screening, the audience enthusiastically received the cast as they took the stage for a curtain call, with an especially warm reception for Jimmy Smits, reprising his prequels role as Bail Organa, the king of Alderaan, and a wild response for theStar Warsfamily’s latest addition, nine-year-oldBird Boxactress Vivien Lyra Blair, who plays the young Princess Leia.
The MandalorianandAhsoka
AsThe Mandaloriancontinues to secure its status as the most celebrated star in the new assortment of series, creatorsJon Favreauand Dave Filoni teased out the upcoming third season, along with the spinoff seriesAhsoka, starring Dawson as the live-action incarnation of Anakin Skywalker’s now matured Jedi padawan, first introduced in Filoni’s animated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The expanded trailer revealed central character Din Djarin, newly reunited with his Force-powerful foster child Grogu, embarking on a redemption journey to make up for taking off his helmet and failing to adhere to the code known as The Way, returning to the ruins of his adopted planet Mandalore, and encountering a variety of the splintered factions of the armored race. The trailer also offered glimpses of several Easter eggs from the vastStar Warsuniverse, including a tree full of Kowakians, the monkey-lizard type creatures of the same race as Jabba the Hutt’s jester Salacious B. Crumb, and several beings resembling Babu Frik, the tiny alien mechanic fromThe Rise of Skywalker.
“My heart just exploded inside my body,” Pascal told the crowd after a thunderous reception, before revealing the emotional connection he’s made with his costar Grogu. “It’s the closest I’ve ever come to being a dad — so far, anyway,” he said. “To see a child love his father like that — I get it. Maybe I should have one.”
As the discussion shifted toAhsoka, Dawson’s appearance on the panel was a major surprise to the crowd, given that she’d been shooting on set just a day earlier, and it marked her first appearance beforeStar Warsfans since making an unexpected debut as Ahsoka Tano inThe Mandalorian’s second season.
“We started filming on my birthday, May 9,” Dawson said, recalling how after fantasizing about Ahsoka in live-action she was “fan-cast” online a few years earlier and re-tweeted the Photoshopped image of her as the character, which ultimately came to the attention of Filoni and led to her receiving the role. “It’s because of people like you,” she told the audience.
“When they called me about it they’d actually drawn all these more images of me as the character, which was mind-blowing,” she added. “It’s just been a thrill and an honor to bring this character to life, and to feel the energy of everyone wanting to see her come to life. And it’s been exciting to experience and to see this story continue.”
Favreau and Filoni revealed a very minimal trailer based on three weeks of filming, and the audience recognized one key character as Sabine Wren, a female Mandalorian who was one of the leads of Filoni’s animatedStar Wars: Rebelsseries. The actress playing the character, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, was then introduced to the fans.
“It’s the story of a group of kids about 10 years old from a tiny little planet that accidentally get lost in theStar Warsgalaxy, and it’s the story of their journey trying to find their way home,” said Watts, adding, “it stars four kids, but it is not a kids' show.”
Andor
“When I was doing the film, I was living each day as if it was the last — I didn’t know this was happening; I didn’t even know this was possible,” Luna explained. “I know what he represents in the universe ofStar Wars: This is a story about the people — this has the most to do with us, us viewers, the fans. It’s about what we can do. It’s about the power we have. It’s about the awakening we deserve.”
“We’re able to go as far as possible from the man who will sacrifice himself for his cause,” said Luna. “He’s a very selfish man … a guy waiting for that awakening to happen.”
“The beauty of the show is there’s no way they’ll kill me,” Luna joked, noting his character’s doomed fate inRogue One.
John Williams
Many veteranStar Warsplayers — including C-3P0 actor Anthony Daniels and Ian McDairmid, who plays Emperor Palpatine, both of whom appeared in the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies — showed up for Celebration. However, few made as big of a splash as Williams, the iconic composer behind the scores of all nine films in the Skywalker Saga as well as indelible soundtracks for classics includingJaws,Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and another legendary Lucasfilm property,Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Williams marked his 90th birthday on Feb. 8, and to celebrate the occasion withStar Warsfans, Kennedy welcomed him to the stage to conduct a full orchestra and introduce the theme forObi-Wan Kenobi, Williams' newest contribution to the saga’s musical legacy.
“Thank you all for making this such great fun to be here and keep putting magic in it all,” Williams told the audience following a lengthy standing ovation. “It’s a wonderful day to be with you.”
“It’s such an honor for me to be able to congratulate John and his fine music,” said Ford. “I told John on another occasion when he had a chance to get together ‘That music follows me everywhere I go.’ And you know, I’m happy about it.”
“That music was playing in the operating room when I had my last colonoscopy,” the action star quipped. “I passed.”
“We all know what John does musically,” he continued, growing more heartfelt. “What you may not know, and what I’ve come to really appreciate, is the warmth, the generosity, the boyish spirit of this man. The most gracious man. The gentlest, kindest man, and a wonderful, wonderful talent. We’re very blessed, all of us.”
source: people.com
