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Heavyweight celebrated its World Premiere as the opening night gala of the 33rd Raindance Film Festival, where Heavyweight‘s Jason Isaacs also received the festival’s Icon Award.

Directed by Christopher M. Anthony and starring Jason Isaacs, Nicholas Pinnock, Jordan Bolger, Jamie Bamber, Sienna Guillory, Blake Harrison and Joplin Sibtain; Heavyweight follows wildcard boxing contender, ‘Diamond’ Derek Douglas (Bolger), and his support team ahead of a title fight he doubts he can win. The pressure escalates in real-time, as dirty tricks and revelations are revealed. ‘Heavyweight’ is an intense and visceral experience exploring a side of elite sport rarely seen.

Heavyweight is distributed by Blackwater Pictures.

British stars Jason Isaacs and Celia Imrie will be presented with this year’s Raindance Icon Award.

The actors will receive the honor at the film festival’s opening gala on Jun. 18, with the world premiere of Christopher M. Anthony’s debut feature Heavyweight set to screen.

Emmy-nominated Isaacs is best known for his recent starring role as troubled financier Timothy Ratliff in the third season of The White Lotus. His comedy credits include The Death of Stalin, Friends With Money and Sex Education. He has also appeared in Peter Pan, Hotel Mumbai, The Great and The Patriot. Audiences will know him as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. Isaacs stars opposite Gillian Anderson in The Salt Path, released in U.K. theaters last month.

“Raindance has always championed people making films who believe in the power of stories, and who are telling them with few resources other than imagination and determination,...

“Keep it grounded, keep it real” has always been Andor creator Tony Gilroy’s mandate to his effects team. For the acclaimed Disney+ Star Wars drama’s second season, Gilroy’s marching order meant building a massive “flying” Tie fighter from the ground up, figuring out a fresh way to film a Speeder Bike chase, tweaking the iconic Stormtrooper laser blasts, and solving countless creative challenges (there were 4,140 effects shots).

Below, Andor VFX supervisor Mohen Leo (who led the show’s digital effects team) and SFX Supervisor Luke Murphy (who tackled the show’s practical effects) discuss pulling off the season’s biggest visuals — as well as some of the smallest, which often turned out to be the trickiest.

What was the hardest effect to pull off in season two?

Mohen Leo The most ambitious sequence was the Tie Avenger escape [in the season’s first episode]. That was in preparation for months — trying to figure...

Milly Alcock had a rough couple of days when first stepping on the set of “House of the Dragon.”

During a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Alcock, who plays young Rhaenyra Targaryen on the “Game of Thrones” spinoff, said that someone “very high up” told her she would be seeing an acting coach during her second day of filming.

“On my second day on ‘House of the Dragon,’ one of the, I’m not gonna say who, but someone very high up, pulled me aside and was like, ‘Um, we’re gonna get you an acting coach,’” Alcock recalled.

She went on to say that the incident did not help her anxiety as she stepped into play Rhaenyra, one of the most iconic characters in the “Thrones” universe.

“It just confirmed everything that I’ve kind of known to be true, [which] is that I’m not very good at my job,...

“House of the Dragon” star Milly Alcock said her bosses on the hit HBO series got to work finding her an acting coach after her first day filming.

“On my second day on ‘House of the Dragon,’ one of the — I’m not going to say who, but someone very high up — pulled me aside and was like, ‘Um, we’re gonna get you an acting coach,’” Alcock, who plays young Rhaenyra Targaryen, told Jimmy Fallon during a visit on “The Tonight Show” Monday night which marked the actress’ very first talk show appearance.

“It just confirmed everything that I’ve kind of known to be true, [which] is that I’m not very good at my job,” Alcock added. “You know what I mean! I was like, ‘I can’t do this. This is terrible. This is a big mistake.'”

Fallon comforted the young star by complimenting her performance,...

Note: This article contains major spoilers from “Andor” Season 2, Episode 12.

Throughout its entire second season, “Andor” viewers have worried about Bix (Adria Arjona). The Ferrix mechanic was tortured by the Empire in “Andor” Season 1, and while she fights and wins for herself several times throughout the “Star Wars” show’s second season, the odds always seemed slim that she would make it out of the “Rogue One” prequel alive. Her absence from that film, at least, seemed to suggest that she was not still breathing by the time “Rogue One” catches up with Cassian (Diego Luna), her partner in both love and revolution.

For all those reasons and more, it should come as a welcome surprise to “Star Wars” fans that Bix is still alive at the end of “Andor” Season 2. She is, in fact, the last character viewers see before the series cuts to black for the last time.

HBO productions have been an unparalleled goliath in the small screen since the advent of prestige TV, starting with The Sopranos. While the network isn’t immune to mishaps, given its years-long dominance on TV, longtime viewers have come to expect quality whenever a show releases under the HBO banner.

While this boils down to HBO’s nature of venturing into untouched territories with its stories, marking a stark departure from networks that rely on established formats, one common link among them has been their impeccable actors. With Isabela Merced proving to be the next reliable talent with The Last of US season 2, it’s safe to say this won’t be her last rodeo with the network.

Isabela Merced might be HBO’s next reliable asset moving forward A still from The Last of Us Season 2 | Credit: HBO

Longtime HBO viewers would be familiar with HBO’s history of working with the same actors,...

Among many other contributing factors, much of House of the Dragon's enormous success can be chalked down to its impressive and star-studded ensemble cast. From Emma D'Arcy to Olivia Cooke and former Doctor Who, Matt Smith, the triumph of the show thus far will see even more eyes follow its many acclaimed actors in their future projects. One such actor, Phil Daniels, who portrays Maester Gerardys in the series, is someone with a wonderful pedigree as a performer, with many likely excited to learn of his latest casting in a brand-new BBC prison drama, Waiting for the Out (w/t), where he portrays prisoner Frank.

As cited on Radio Times, the Quadrophenia actor joins several other exciting names in the upcoming six-part adaptation of Andy West’s memoir The Life Inside, including the likes of Gerard Kearns (The Day of the Jackal), Stephen Wight (Bergerac), Samantha Spiro (Sex Education...

Another dragonrider has been added to Funko's Pop! Rides collection for House of the Dragon. Prince Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar have been transformed into a brand new Funko figure. They will join the rest of his family in this latest set. While its release date has yet to be announced, the figure in question is now listed on the official Funko website.

With a listed price of $30, the Aemond Targaryen with Vhagar figure is part of the Pop! Rides Deluxe set. It's 15.2 cm (6 inches) tall and will have the Prince Regent mounted on his dragon. Based on the renders, Vhagar's entire body isn't going to be featured, which makes sense considering that she's a really large dragon, as seen in the show. While the release date for this figure has yet to be listed on the Funko site, online retailer Popculcha estimates that the figure will be...

Spoilers ahead for the second arc of "Andor" season 2.

During the dark times of the Empire, when the Alliance to Restore the Republic was nothing more than a dream of an idea, the rebels are little more than cockroaches scattered across hidden coverts in any nook and cranny they could find across the galaxy. Each disparate part finds a place to hide and sticks there as long as they can until they have to move on.

Sometimes, these groups bubble up on their homeworlds, like we saw in the first season of "Andor" with Ferrix. "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" showed us Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) building a base on the planet Onderon as his partisans transition from fighting against the Separatists to fighting the oppression of the Empire from their hiding spots. In the second season of "Andor," we see some of the rebel elements move to other locations.

Andor is back, and the second season kicked off with a bang. The first three episodes set up the rest of the season, but they also complement the opening of Season 1 as well with many similarities between them.

In Season 1 of Andor, episode 1 sees Cassian on a mission, much like the one he went on in the first episode of the second season. The difference is that when we first see Kassa, he is searching for his sister and stealing from the Empire for selfish reasons. By the time we meet up with him in 4 Bby (Before the Battle of Yavin), he is stealing an advanced prototype Tie Fighter to serve the Rebel Alliance.

Cassian inadvertently kills two officers on Morlana One and has to cook up an alibi with his friend Brasso when he returns to Ferrix. Whereas in Season 2’s debut episode, "One Year Later," Cassian is working...

Episode 3 of Andor Season 2 included the death of a beloved series character. 

Titled "Harvest," the third episode of Andor's final season follows the events of an Imperial raid on Mina-Rau, where Brasso (Joplin Sibtain) is ultimately shot and killed. But his final act of sacrifice, coupled with his actions throughout Andor Season 1, has fans reflecting on his significance and whether he's the true hero of this Star Wars Disney+ show. 

Lucasfilm Read full article on The Direct.

The following contains spoilers from the first three episodes of Andor Season 2, now streaming on Disney+.

Bix Caleen may have fled the increasingly perilous grain fields of Mina-Rau, but she is far from out of the woods.

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Andor‘s first batch of Season 2 episodes picked up...

How do you make storylines come together when the characters are worlds apart?

That was the challenge facing the first arc of “Andor” Season 2 — specifically the last 15 minutes of Episode 3, “Harvest,” where Cassian (Diego Luna) swoops onto the Mina-Rau grassland in a stolen tie-fighter to rescue Bix (Adria Arjona), Wilmon (Muhannad Bhaier), and Brasso (Joplin Sibtain) while Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) loses herself on the dance floor of her daughter Leida’s (Bronte Carmichael) wedding party, knowing that spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) is about kill her childhood friend Tay Kolma (Ben Miles) before he reveals their rebellious activities. The two storylines couldn’t look more different, but the despair that the characters feel in this moment is exactly the same.

As has been the case throughout his career, showrunner Tony Gilroy relied on his editor and brother John Gilroy to bring the end pieces of Episode 3 together as something that feels like one ending,...

Disney+'s Andor recurring co-star, Joplin Sibtain, who played Brasso, is taking a trip to Westeros in House of the Dragon. His character in the science fiction series, which is part of the Star Wars franchise, was Cassian Andor's co-worker and friend. After having a devastating role to play in a Season 2 episode, the actor is now joining the cast of George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal's series.

According to Deadline, Sibtain recently snagged a role in Season 3 of House of the Dragon. He's among a few new cast additions to the fantasy drama, which debuted in 2022 on HBO. Sibtain will play Ser "Bold" Jon Roxton, and Tom Cullen will play Ser Luthor Largent. Meanwhile, Barry Sloane, who played Aiden Mathis in 43 episodes of ABC's Revenge, will play Ser Adrian Redfort. As House of the Dragon continues to grow in popularity, even more new additions are being announced.

With spoilers, we look at how Andor season 2 brings a thematic depth to Star Wars that makes its flaws easier to overlook.

Nb: The following contains spoilers for Andor season 2 episodes 1 to 3.

For all the eloquent dialogue about rebellion and self-sacrifice, it’s the simplest images that stick in the memory: a Tie Fighter’s guns turned on the Empire that created it might be one of the single most satisfying sights we’ve had from Star Wars in years.

Yes, Andor’s back for a second season, and looking at the largely rapturous online response, it satisfies an audience hunger for a Star Wars story that does more than cosset its viewers in fantasy and nostalgia. Once again, showrunner Tony Gilroy brings a historian’s eye to the story of the Rebel Alliance versus the Empire, exploring both the cogs behind the fascistic war machine and how a disparate...

This article will contain discussions of sexual assault and attempted rape. Reader discretion is advised.

Andor has a penchant for shocking the audience, but nothing like this one sequence from Season 2's episode 3, "Harvest," has ever been done before in Star Wars history.

The season starts in Bby 4, a year after the Rix Road incident that saw Bix, Brasso, Wilmon, and B2EMO escape Ferrix. They have been hiding on an agriculture-focused planet called Mina-Rau, but they do not have the legal documentation to be there for obvious reasons. They help fix things around the neighborhoods, putting their skills as mechanics to use.

When the Empire comes knocking, checking everyone's papers and citizenship statuses, they prepare for the worst. In episode 2, "Sagrona Teema," one of the Imperial officers, Lieutenant Krole (Alex Waldmann), finds Adria Arjona's Bix Caleen working alone and asks her out on a date. She refuses and...

Having won our hearts as proud Ferrixian and close pal of Cassian Andor Brasso in Tony Gilroy's Andor, Joplin Sibtain is heading out from a galaxy far, far away and across the Narrow Sea to Westeros as one of three new additions to Season 3 of HBO Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon. As reported by Variety, Sibtain is joining the fantasy juggernaut alongside The Gold's Tom Cullen and The Sandman Season 2 star Barry Sloane, with the trio set to play Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton, Ser Luthor Largent, and Ser Adrian Redfort respectively in Ryan Condal's Westerosi epic.

For those who haven't read George R.R. Martin's World Of Ice & Fire or Fire & Blood, Sibtain's character is allied to Alicent Hightower’s (Olivia Cooke) during the Targaryen civil war (aka 'The Dance of Dragons'), wielding the Valyrian steel sword Orphan-Maker with his noted "black temper" during the bloody conflict.

It's been far too long since the most recent season of House of the Dragon concluded on HBO, and the wait for new episodes rages on and on, but at least we're continuing to receive news about what's to come in season 3. As filming continues on the highly anticipated third season, we just learned about three new cast members who have been cast in some key roles.

Revenge alum Barry Sloane joins the cast as Ser Adrian Redfort, who is one of the members of Rhaenyra Targaryen's Queensguard. Sloane has also appeared in shows like Hollyoaks, Longmire, Shameless, Six, and he will also appear in the upcoming second and final of The Sandman on Netflix. But as a Revenge fan, I know him best as Emily Thorne's former flame Aiden Mathis.

House of the Dragon season 3 also adds Tom Cullen as Ser Luthor Largent, who's a commander for the City Watch of King's Landing.

Tom Cullen and Barry Sloane are heading back in time for the third season of House of the Dragon!

The two actors have been cast in the next season of the Game of Thrones prequel series, along with Joplin Sibtain, in the latest casting update for the HBO series.

Keep reading to find out more…

Tom is set to portray Ser Luther Largent, while Barry has been cast as Ser Adrian Redfort, and Joplin will be Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton, according to Variety.

“...

Filming on the third season of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel show House of the Dragon has been up and running for a minute, and we're still getting new information on cast members, both newbies joining the production and old favorites spending time together away from the set.

First let's meet the newcomers. TV Line reports that a trio of new actors is joining the cast:

English actor Barry Sloane (Revenge, Six) will play Ser Adrian Redfort, a member of Rhaenyra Targaryen's Queensguard.Welsh actor Tom Cullen (Knightfall, Downton Abbey) is Ser Luthor Largent, a commander of the City Watch of King's Landing.English actor Joplin Sibtain (Brasso from Star Wars: Andor) will play Ser "Bold" Jon Roxton, a knight fighting for Queen Rhaenyra's rival King Aegon II Targaryen. "Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train" - Press Night - After Party | Dave Benett/GettyImages Beware Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3 below!

Everyone should have expected a big, climactic finish to "Andor" season 2, episode 3. Season 1 made a trend of the multi-episode arc, each one delivering a major climax at the end: the showdown with corporate security on Ferrix, the Imperial payroll heist on Adhani, the prison break at Narkina 5, and the memorial service turned rebel uprising back on Ferrix. Since season 2 is taking year-long time jumps between each group of three episodes, it was natural that the trend would continue, and the first arc of "Andor" season 2 ends in a maelstrom of a montage with Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) at its center.

The main action of the episode takes place far, far away from Chandrila, where Mon has been busy the whole arc hosting the wedding festivities of her daughter Leida (Bronte Carmichael). Instead, the last 10 minutes or so mainly focus on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as he races back to the...

The cast of the third season of House of the Dragoncontinues to grow. Deadlinereports that Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain, and Barry Sloane have joined the cast of the prequel series that follows the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty. The world of Game of Thrones will continue to expand, as principal photography for the new episodes of House of the Dragon continues. As filming goes on, casting announcements can be expected from the massive production HBO has been developing since the Game of Thrones television adaptation came to a close. The most powerful family in all of Westeros is expected to return to the screen at some point next year.

Joplin Sibtain will step into the shoes of Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton. The actor is in the process of making a statement thanks to his performance as Brasso in the first and second seasons of Andor. The Star Warstelevision...

Andor Season 2 is upon us, and it will serve as a canonical bridge between its debut season and the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), which, in itself, is a precursor to the original trilogy. Where the first series on Disney+, The Mandalorian, served as a supplement to the classic trilogy with respect to some of the more fantastical elements of the saga, Andor has largely remained street-level and gritty, occupying some of the more dramatic spaces Star Wars has to offer. With a couple of trailers released to ramp up the hype for this highly anticipated season, let’s check in with the major players featured in the fight between The Empire and the burgeoning Rebellion!

Here's what we're most looking forward to with Andor Season 2.

Curating Cassian

Andor’s titular character, Cassian Andor, is well-known from his major role in Rogue One, however, his backstory was...

“House of the Dragon” has added three new cast members for its upcoming third season.

Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain, and Barry Sloane have all joined the upcoming season of the hit “Game of Thrones” prequel. Cullen will play Ser Luthor Largent, with Sibtain set as Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton and Sloane as Ser Adrian Redfort.

Cullen is repped by United Agents and Telescope Agency. Sibtain is represented by The Artists Partnership and Goodman Genow. Sloane is repped by Conway van Gelder Grant, Brillstein, and Gersh

The new additions to the cast join returning cast members: Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, Matthew Needham, Tom Bennett, Kieran Bew, Kurt Egyiawan, Freddie Fox, Clinton Liberty, Gayle Rankin, and Abubakar Salim.

New cast members previously announced for Season 3 include James Norton as Ormund Hightower,...

“House of the Dragon” is adding three more cast members to its upcoming season. Tom Cullen, Joplin Sibtain and Barry Sloane have been added to Season 3 of the HBO fantasy hit.

Cullen, who is known for his work in the BBC series “The Gold” and the upcoming Channel 4 series “Trespasses,” will star as Ser Luthor Largent. Sibtain, who is known for his work on Disney+’s “Andor” and Netflix’s “Safe,” will play Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton. Finally, Sloane, known for his work on Netflix’s “The Sandman” and ABC’s “Revenge,” will star as Ser Adrian Redfort.

All three characters were knights in George R.R. Martin’s original novel series, which serves as the basis of “House of the Dragon.” While Ser Luthor Largent is connected to the City Watch of King’s Landing, Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton is the head of House Roxton, and Ser Adrian Redfort...

Three new players are coming to Westeros to join in on the game of thrones.

House of the Dragon has added Tom Cullen (The Gold, Trespasses) as Ser Luthor Largent, Joplin Sibtain (Andor, Safe) as Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton, and Barry Sloane (Sandman, Revenge) as Ser Adrian Redfort.

The trio will join Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, Matthew Needham, Tom Bennett, Kieran Bew, Kurt Egyiawan, Freddie Fox, Clinton Liberty, Gayle Rankin, and Abubakar Salim for season 3.

Previously announced new cast members include James Norton as Ormund Hightower, Tommy Flanagan as Lord Roderick Dustin, and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and tells the story of House Targaryen.

House of the Dragon is getting more and more crowded in Season 3.

TVLine has learned that English actor Barry Sloane (Revenge, Six), Welsh actor Tom Cullen (Knightfall, Downton Abbey) and English actor Joplin Sibtain (aka Andor‘s Brasso) have boarded the HBO fantasy saga’s cast.

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Sloane will fill the role of Ser Adrian Redfort,...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the first three episodes of "Andor" season 2 and discusses the potentially triggering topic of sexual assault.

"Andor" has never been a series to do anything halfway. Where the rest of the "Star Wars" franchise has rarely had the time or interest in diving too deep into the practicalities and politics of an Empire ruling over an entire galaxy, this spinoff/prequel show has never once shied away from shining a light on the real face of oppression. Whether it be season 1's exploration into the banal fanaticism of characters like Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and his trusted Sergeant Linus Mosk (Alex Ferns), the career-minded Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) climbing the Imperial bureaucratic ladder, or the systematic oppression of the native population on Aldhani, every villain has their own motivations and reasons for lending their support to authoritarianism. And, just as in our own history,...

A lot happens in the first three episodes of Season 2 of “Andor.” But if Disney+ is looking for a new multicam sitcom, they could do a whole lot worse than the home life of Isb officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) and imperial bureaucrat Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), set up in a big apartment on the capital planet of Coruscant where the furious, repressed vibe between them is just as stark as the white walls.

The dinner the couple throws for Syril’s mother Eedy (the majestic Kathryn Hunter) in Episode 3 stands as a counterpoint to the Chandrilan wedding ceremony Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) puts on for her daughter Leida (Bronte Carmichael) — the former is small and soulless in contrast to the ancient rites and conspicuous display of the latter. But this is one of the few glimpses that “Star Wars” has ever given us of Imperials out of uniform, and...

The "Star Wars" galaxy is filled with fascinating droid characters that do all sorts of tasks. From faithful companions, to terrifying assassins and enforcers, there's no shortage of cool droids in the franchise. Sure, plenty of droids are cute merchandising opportunities first, compelling characters second, but they nevertheless make for some of the most memorable characters in the entire franchise.

That being said, the "Star Wars" franchise's position on droid rights and personhood is sloppy at best. Are they slaves? Should we even consider them people? The answer, sadly, depends on the title. Some seem to treat droids with as much reverence as the human (or alien) heroes, others as cute pets, "The Mandalorian" as objects you can kick around and destroy indiscriminately.

This brings me to "Andor." Tony Gilroy's prequel to "Rogue One" is already not just the best "Star Wars" story but one of the best television series of the past decade.

In the first 2 episodes of Andor Season 2, while delivering a prototype Tie fighter, we saw Cassian getting stuck in the middle of a mutiny among a group that allegedly worked for Maya Pei and then making a narrow escape in that same Tie fighter. On the farming planet of Mina-Rau, we were reunited with Bix, Wilmon, B2EMO, and Brasso, who had settled down there and were trying to pass themselves off as mere mechanics. But their plans to stay there until Cassian joined them were ruined by Imperial officer Krole’s obsession with Bix. In the Mothma estate on Chandrila, the wedding ceremony of Leida and Stekan was in full swing. However, when Tay insinuated that he was planning to expose Mon’s association with the Rebels if she didn’t pay him enough to keep his mouth shut, things got tense, with Luthen even expressing his intention to...

At times, I found Andor so excessively patient in how its storylines played out that I began to think the show was trying to waste time. However, the choices are bold and appear to be deliberate. As a near-continuation of the last season, Andor Season 2, Episode 3 brings characters back into the fold for an emotional episode that hits all the right notes.

Please read our recap of Andor season 2, episode 3 below!

RelatedThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Review — A Riveting and Truly Captivating Achievement! Disney+’s Andor Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: How Does Debra Meero Stand Up For Syril Karn?

After watching Syril allow his mother, Eedy, to make passive-aggressively critical comments throughout the dinner, Dedra finally puts her in her place. She now understands why Syril is so sensitive to failure and criticism. To make matters worse, Eedy delivers her backhanded compliments (or comments) with a...

Adria Arjona plays one of the most underrated characters in Andor: Bix Caleen. A mechanic and scrapyard owner, Bix was helping the rebel effort by selling parts to Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) without even knowing. She is the one who introduces Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to Luthen, which kick-started a chain of events that led to him becoming a rebel agent.

When Syril Karn's (Kyle Soller) squad lands in Ferrix to arrest Cassian, she risks her life to warn him, but not before reprimanding her boyfriend Timm (James McArdle) for snitching him out. Ironically, the Ferrix Incident costs Timm his life while Cassian escapes without a scratch with Luthen's help.

Bix takes care of Cassian's mother, Maarva (Fiona Shaw), when he's gone and she's nearly on her deathbed. When Dedra Meero's (Denise Gough) Isb team captures her for information, she holds out for as long as she can before Dr.

Rebellions are built on hope and that hope is alive and well with “Andor” Season 2 finally here.

The second season of “Andor” shows what Cassian’s (Diego Luna) time in the rebellion was like in the four years leading up to the events in “Rogue One.” It’s a bit of a change from Season 1, which took place over a single year. Things start coming to a head as the Rebellion grows into a more legitimate threat but the stress of years of fighting begins to weigh down on the spies and politicians fighting the good fight.

Before the final season begins, head below to refresh what happened to the titular hero in our complete “Andor” Season 1 recap.

Stellan Skarsgard in “Andor” Season 1 (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Cassian Meets Luthen

The series begins with Cassian looking for his sister – who we learn in flashbacks was separated from him when they were young...

I’ve never sat down to watch a Star Wars property and thought to myself, “what this franchise needs is more intimate partner violence, child marriage, and attempted sexual assault.” All of that is in the Disney+ show, Andor season 2.

Somehow, that’s just skimming the surface of how lazy and backward the entire season is. For a show that’s releasing in the year 2025, the overarching sentiment is of a bygone era—one that even manages to outmatch some of the problematic elements of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Like its predecessor, Andor season 2 is broken up into four chapters of three episodes each. However, this time around, there’s a time jump between each chapter as the show attempts to lead us straight to the start of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In its haste to get there, unfortunately, the story, the characters, and especially Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) himself,...

If you listen to the very end of the “Andor” episode credits, you will hear the familiar melody of John Williams’ original “Star Wars” score. Relatively few people will get that far, in part because streaming platforms like Disney+ encourage viewers to skip the credits and move onto whatever’s next in their queue.

But those that catch the soaring theme may be taken aback; like they’ve been reminded of something they didn’t realize they’d forgotten. “Oh yeah,” they might think. “‘Andor’ is a ‘Star Wars’ story.”

After suffering too many trips to galaxies far, far away that were either frustratingly confined to previous visions or otherwise failed to flourish, Tony Gilroy’s two-season limited series sets itself apart, despite functioning like a puzzle piece. Yes, “Andor” is a prequel series to a prequel film to a trilogy that first debuted nearly five decades ago, but instead...

Andor may be ending its critically acclaimed run with season two, but lead actors Diego Luna and Adria Arjona both have a very specific story they’d come back to tell.

The original plan for the Tony Gilroy-created Disney+ series was to produce five seasons of Cassian Andor’s five-year evolution into the Rebel hero who makes the ultimate sacrifice in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, after making season one, Gilroy and Luna both realized that their initial aim was too ambitious and likely required at least a decade of their lives to fulfill. As a result, Gilroy instead devised a narrative structure for season two that spans four years’ worth of time. Each block of three episodes explores a few significant days during that particular year before jumping another year to the next block of episodes. Upon each continuation, the characters reference unseen stories during...

Diego Luna has finished filming his final season as Cassian Andor. Speaking at the Andor Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles, the actor reflected on what it meant to leave the role he’s played since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016.

“I said goodbye to this character when we wrapped,” Luna said. “I had a beautiful opportunity to talk to the crew, to talk to the cast. [Creator] Tony Gilroy gave these beautiful words, we had a drink, we hugged, we cried. I’m going to miss this family.”

Set to premiere April 22 on Disney+, the second season picks up a year after the uprising on Ferrix. Cassian is now working directly with Luthen Rael. According to Luna, the character is no longer uncertain about his role. “He’s working for Luthen’s team and he’s been quite successful. He’s been given a lot of responsibilities now, so...

Ever since Andor began, creator Tony Gilroy has been absolutely crystal clear about where his Star Wars prequel series is heading: Diego Luna's Cassian Andor is on a fixed path to the Rings of Kafrene, where he will shoot Daniel Mays' informant Tivik and thus set in motion the events of Rogue One. In fact, we've even known for some time now that Andor's last three episodes will cover the three days leading into Gareth Edwards' 2016 film — Gilroy himself told us. And yet — and yet! — the tension in the newly dropped final trailer for Andor Season 2, as the still-fledgling Rebellion prepares to face the full force of the fascistic Empire, remains not only palpable, but possibly higher than we've ever seen before on screen in that galaxy far, far away. Check it out below and you'll see what we mean;

"Revolution is not for the sane," intones Forrest Whittaker's...

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Harlan Coben’s Shelter is a teen mystery thriller drama series created by Harlan and Charlotte Coben. Based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Harlan Coben, the Prime Video series follows Mickey Bolitar, a teenage boy who moves to a small town after the death of his father. He soon gets embroiled in a dangerous situation after a girl from his school goes missing. Harlan Coben’s Shelter stars Jaden Michael, Constance Zimmer, Adrian Greensmith, Abby Corrigan, Sage Linder, and Brian Altemus. So, if you loved the intense mystery, thrilling drama, and compelling characters in Harlan Coben’s Shelter, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Fool Me Once (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Fool Me Once is a British mystery thriller drama series created by Danny Brocklehurst, Charlotte Coben, Yemi Oyefuwa, Nina Metivier, and Tom Farrelly.

The drought is over. The skies have opened up and sent bountiful rain in answer to our prayers. By the skies, of course, I mean Lucasfilm and Disney, and by rain, I mean a proper, official trailer for "Andor" season 2. Today is a good day.

More a teaser than a narrative trailer, the 90-second montage features a range of action set pieces, tons of character appearances, a Wachowski-esque dance party, numerous disguises for the eponymous Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and big appearances from "Rogue One" characters like K-2So, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), and of course, Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). There are plenty of teases and a lot of explosions, suggesting that this season's 12 episodes may be even more action-packed than season 1.

In the interest of fandom and wild speculation, let's go through some of the more curious moments in the trailer and see what they may tell us about...

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2024 is over, and while it was a relatively good year for Disney+ and its subscribers because of all the marvelous content we got. In my opinion, it is nothing compared to what Disney+ has in store for us for 2025, as some of the most highly-anticipated Disney+ original shows will be premiering this year. So, let’s find out which of your favourite Disney+ original shows or some incredible new shows are coming to Disney+ in 2025.

Goosebumps: The Vanishing (January 10) Credit – Disney+

Goosebumps is a supernatural horror anthology series created by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller. Based on the book series by R.L. Stine, Season 2 of the Disney+ series is titled The Vanishing, and it follows fraternal twins Devin and Cece as they go to spend their summer with their dad, but they soon realize that their father is...

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Missing You is a mystery thriller drama series created by Victoria Asare-Archer. Based on the 2014 novel of the same name by author Harlan Coben, the Netflix series follows detective Kate Donovan, who finds her missing fiancé on a dating app ten years after he supposedly disappeared. Missing You stars Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton, Marc Warren, Samantha Spiro, Lisa Faulkner, Mary Malone, and Ashley Walters. So, if you loved the dark secrets, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Missing You, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Fool Me Once (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Fool Me Once is a British mystery thriller drama series created by Danny Brocklehurst, Charlotte Coben, Yemi Oyefuwa, Nina Metivier, and Tom Farrelly. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Harlan Coben, the Netflix series follows Maya Stern,...

Quick Links Andor Season 2 Star Wars Visions Season 3 Ahsoka Season 2 The Mandalorian Season 4

More Star Wars TV shows are on the horizon now than ever before. Disney has evolved Star Wars into a trailblazing transmedia franchise of interconnected books, comics, video games, and a stunning range of Disney+ TV shows. The Mandalorian was essentially the flagship Disney+ program, released as a launch title for the streaming service in 2019.

The TV shows are set at different points in the Star Wars timeline. The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka are spin-offs of The Mandalorian, set roughly five years after Return of the Jedi. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor both take place during the Dark Times of the Galactic Empire - as does the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, a spin-off of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Now, even more Star Wars TV shows are on the way, along with new...

Andor season 2 is one of the more highly-anticipated upcoming Star Wars TV shows, meaning many questions are being asked about the project. Initially, Andor was intended to last five seasons, before being confirmed as two seasons leading into the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. With Andor season 1 featuring a few relatively self-contained story arcs before culminating in the finale, Andor season 2 is expected to more closely resemble Rogue One, both in terms of its titular character and the show's timeline.

The dramatic ending of Andor season 1 saw Diego Luna's Cassian Andor join the Rebel Alliance, setting him up for a second season in which he will wage his personal war against the Empire. Beyond that, little has been revealed about the overall plot, which will span the five years between Andor season 1 and Rogue One. Here's everything that's known to date.

Andor Season 2 Will Release In...

Despite some issues behind the scenes which saw the third act reportedly undergo some huge changes during reshoots, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story remains one of the most well-received movies of the Disney-owned era of Lucasfilm.

While it ended with the deaths of, well, every lead character, Disney+'s Andor has explored Cassian Andor's origin story by picking up with him five years before the events of Rogue One. When the series returns with season 2, we'll race through the next four years of the Rebel's life, meaning a reunion with K-2So is imminent.

That will come when we finally discover how Cassian and Alan Tudyk's reprogrammed Imperial droid met and, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly (via SFFGazette.com), Diego Luna addressed the character's importance to this story.

"What a problem, that droid. He has no filter. He just talks and says everything he's thinking," the actor joked.

Eric is a six-part psychological thriller miniseries created by Abi Morgan. The Netflix series is set in 1980s New York and it follows the story of Vincent, a puppeteer whose 9-year-old son goes missing. While trying to find his son Vincent struggles with substance abuse and his erratic behavior cuts him off from his friends and family. Soon, he becomes convinced that he will be reunited with Edgar with the help of a seven-foot-tall puppet named Eric, his son created right before he went missing. Eric stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role with Ivan Morris, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Belcher III, Roberta Colindrez, Jeff Hephner, Wade Allain-Marcus, Mark Gillis, Dan Fogler, and Clarke Peters starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the fantastical elements and crime drama aspects of Netflix’s Eric here are some similar shows you could watch next.

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Exclusive: Production is underway on Blackwater Pictures and Silver Milk Production’s feature film, Heavyweight, on location in London. Written and directed by Christopher M. Anthony, the film stars Nicholas Pinnock & Jordan Bolger lead the cast. Additional cast includes Jason Isaacs, Rob Malone (Vikings), Barry Aird, Joplin Sibtain (Andor) Jamie Bamber, Nabil Elouahabi, Blake Harrison, Sienna Guillory and Osy Ikhile (Black Mirror).

The film focuses on the mental state of the fighter and his cornermen backstage before the fight, drawing the audience in with the pressure of the ever-ticking clock as fight time approaches. Derek – the Heavyweight – is ninety minutes away from the most important fight of his life, but a series of obstacles,...

"The Waters of Mars" remains one of the scariest Doctor Who episodes to date, with viewers appreciating its intensity. The writer, Phil Ford, was encouraged to make a scary Doctor Who episode as long as it didn't traumatize or scar children. The episode stands out not only for its terrifying monsters but also for how it pushes the Tenth Doctor to his breaking point, showcasing the negative impact of his actions on the universe.

Doctor Who writer Phil Ford opens up about "The Waters of Mars" fourteen years later and reveals why David Tennant's penultimate Tenth Doctor story remains one of the show's scariest episodes to date. The 2009 special starred Tennant as the Doctor, alongside Eternals' Gemma Chan, Dune's Shanon Duncan-Brewster, and Andor's Joplin Sibtain as member of the crew on the first Human colony on Mars. In "The Waters of Mars," the Doctor arrives at the doomed Bowie Base One,...