It has been a while since we last heard about a Hayden Christensen film or series. Now, the wait is over, as the Canadian actor is gearing up for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.
"I felt like I had this great thing in Star Wars that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me," he told the LA Times previously, in 2015, about why he didn't take any big-screen gigs after his time with Star Wars. "I didn’t want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave."
So, what do we know about this series? How will it align with the Star Wars prequel timeline? Will any big names turn up later? To sum it up, here's everything we know about Hayden Christensen's Hollywood comeback.
8 Titled 'Obi-Wan Kenobi,' The Series Will Star Ewan McGregor As The Title Character From The Prequel
As the title of the upcoming series suggests, Obi-Wan Kenobi will also see Ewan McGregor reprising his infamous role as the titular hero. In fact, he's more than ecstatic to reunite with Christensen, promising it will be a "rematch of the century."
"The most beautiful thing of all is that it's brought me back together with Hayden," said McGregor in footage screened exclusively for the Disney Investor Day back in 2020. "It'll be amazing to bring those characters back together again, very unexpectedly."
7 The Original Project Was Intended To Be A Spin-Off Film
Obi-Wan Kenobi will be a limited series consisting of six episodes. However, the original plan was to develop it as a spin-off film. Lucasfilm tapped director Stephen Daldry to lead the project with Hossein Amini penning the script but later reworked it as a limited series due to the financial failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The latter film, released in 2018, had many big stars like Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, and more, but it performed poorly against its $275 million budget. While the film amassed over $393.2 million worldwide, it is still the lowest-grossing Star Wars live-action film of all time.
6 The Storyline Was Entirely Rewritten Because Lucasfilm Wasn't Happy With Amini's Script
Obi-Wan Kenobi was set to be produced during last year's summer. However, Lucasfilm put the series on indefinite hold because Kathleen Kennedy, the production house's president, wasn't thrilled with Amini's script. As noted by The Hollywood Reporter, the company later hired Joby Harold to pen the story, directed by The Mandalorian's Deborah Chow.
5 It Will Be Set Ten Years After The Events Of 'Revenge Of The Sith'
Obi-Wan Kenobi will pick up ten years from what Revenge of the Sith left off. The two opposing sides have shared so much perplexing dynamic, giving the writers a wide canvas to paint the series.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, where he faced his greatest defeat: the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned-evil-Sith-Lord, Darth Vader," the president said during the Investor Day 2020 announcement.
4 Are There Any Other Cast Members Announced?
Besides Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Christensen as Darth Vader, many former Star Wars actors are set to reprise their respective roles. Joel Edgerton joined as Owen Lars, with Bonnie Piesse as his love interest and Luke Skywalker's aunt. There are also plenty of big names confirmed in undisclosed roles, including O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Moses Ingram (The Queen's Gambit), Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), and more.
3 The Filming Took Place In Los Angeles In April 2021
After a series of delays caused by the script's rewriting and the ongoing global health crisis, the live-action limited series had begun its filming in April 2021. It was reported last year that the set would take place in London and Boston, England, but the actor revealed that the team would take place in Los Angeles instead.
2 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Will Be Released In 2022
Obi-Wan Kenobi will be a limited series, meaning that there will only be six episodes in the season. The series itself will be released through Disney+ in 2022, and the exact release date is yet to be announced.
More news in the Disney+ universe, we will also see Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Indiana Jones 5, The Marvels, and Avatar 2 getting their streaming release next year.
1 Christensen Was Recently Set To Appear At San Antonio Celeb Fan Fest, But He Pulled Out
Other news in the Hayden Christensen world, the actor was initially set to appear at San Antonio's Celebrity Fan Fest this summer to promote the upcoming series further. Unfortunately, the actor and the rest of the crew members, including McGregor and Owen Wilson, pulled out of the convention due to the "recent spike of COVID cases and the aggressive nature of the Delta variant."
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