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Andor Season 2 Directors Confirmed By Showrunner
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy reveals who will direct episodes for season 2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story began the process of expanding the Star Wars universe under the Disney umbrella. Now that universe has expanded again thanks to the Disney+ Rogue One spinoff Andor.
But the expansion represented by Andor is not one of scale so much as tone. Before Andor, Star Wars lived in the realm of entertainment targeted at audiences of all age-groups, resulting in shows like The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi. But now with Andor, Star Wars has proven that it can live in the adult prestige TV realm, telling complicated stories about morally ambiguous characters. And critics have noticed too, as evidenced by Andor season 1’s 92% Rotten Tomatoes score.
And fans of Andor season 1 already know that they won’t have to worry about the show’s future, as it’s long-since been renewed for season 2. Now fans have received another Andor season 2 update from showrunner Gilroy, who revealed to Collider the directorial roster for that second season. Gilroy says Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz and Alonso Ruizpalacios will divide up episode helming duties, replacing Andor season 1 directors Toby Haynes, Susanna White and Benjamin Caron.
What Andor Season 2's Directors Mean for the Show's Future
Right away it is evident that Andor season 2 will maintain a similar approach to season 1. The first season had three directors, and the second season will follow suit. And as Gilroy explained to Collider, the workload will be divided among the three directors in the same way it was in season 1. Kleiman will step into the role assigned to Haynes in season 1, directing six of the 12 episodes. Metz and Ruizpalacios then will each be responsible for three episodes apiece. Haynes getting half the directorial work in season 1 meant he directed the first three episodes as well as three later episodes, while Caron was tasked with helming the final two.
It’s easy to see why Gilroy and company would return to this approach for Andor season 2, given how well it worked out for them in season 1. Breaking the season up into three-episode blocs indeed proved to be a very successful storytelling approach, as it created natural climaxes throughout the course of the season. The choice of episode directors was also crucial to the plan of course, as the show hired helmers with backgrounds in television drama and thrillers, to help it achieve a tone that skewed more adult than previous Star Wars shows. And Season 2’s directorial roster unsurprisingly has a similar background: Kleiman directed episodes of The Resort and Yellowjackets, Metz worked on True Detective and Ruizpalacios helmed eps of Narcos: Mexico and Outer Range. This lineup of directors should help Andor season 2 maintain its thriller feel, while assuring strong performances from its (mostly British) cast.
