Disney+ Star Wars Series Starring Diego Luna Taps Stephen Schiff As Showrunner

Photo: Jonathan Olley/Lucasfilm/Kobal/Shutterstock

EXCLUSIVE: The recently announced Star Wars series for Disneys upcoming family focused streaming service, Disney+, is being shepherded by former The Americans executive producer Stephen Schiff.

Schiff serves as executive producer and showrunner on the live-action series, a Star Wars prequel based on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is toplined by the films star Diego Luna reprising his role as Cassian Andor.

Lucasfilm produces the series, which follows the adventures of rebel spy Cassian Andor (Luna) during the formative years of the Rebellion and prior to the events of Rogue One. The project has hired writers as it prepares to open a writers room. Production is slated to begin next year.

“Going back to the Star Wars universe is very special for me,” Luna told StarWars.com at the time of the announcement of the series. “We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.”

This is one of two Star Wars-themed original series created for the streaming service. Director Jon Favreau is spearheading The Mandalorian, an origin story based on the warrior race from which bounty hunters Jango Fett and son Boba Fett sprung, with Pedro Pascal and Nick Nolte expected to star.

Schiff is coming off a five-year stint on the acclaimed FX drama series The Americans, which he joined at the start of Season 2, rising to executive producer and sharing in the series two best drama Emmy nominations. Schiff, who started his career in features, has written/co-written such movies as Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Deep End of the Ocean, True Crime, Lolita and, most recently, the 2017 American Assassin.

Original Article