When Star Wars: Andor first hit screens, few would have predicted the seismic ripple it would send through the galaxy of Star Wars storytelling. Yet, as of August 2025, the reverberations from Tony Gilroy’s acclaimed series are being felt all the way into the franchise’s cinematic future—most notably in the hands of Simon Kinberg, whose upcoming Star Wars trilogy is now confirmed to be directly inspired by Andor’s bold, grounded approach.
Andor, which centers on the rebel Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna), took a risk by focusing on everyday insurgents rather than the usual Jedi-Sith spectacle. According to ScreenRant, that gamble paid off handsomely, as the show not only earned 22 Emmy nominations across its two seasons but also achieved a 96% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 89% Popcornmeter score. Critics and fans alike have praised its gritty, realistic portrayal of rebellion in a galaxy far, far away, with ScreenRant’s Lewis Glazebrook even calling it "the best in Star Wars' long history."
Simon Kinberg, a seasoned writer and producer, is among those who found themselves captivated by Andor’s unique vision. In a recent interview with Nerdtropolis on August 17, 2025, Kinberg didn’t mince words about the show’s influence on his creative process. “I was super-inspired and just sort of awestruck by what Tony Gilroy did with Andor,” he said. “I thought that was about as good of science fiction storytelling as you can do in any franchise.” He added, “It’s not even a dream come true—I couldn’t have dreamed it; just to be told there’d be more movies would have been unbelievable. To be allowed on the set of any of them was already a dream. My enthusiasm only grows with working on and around it.”
That enthusiasm is shared by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who confirmed in February 2025 that Kinberg’s trilogy would mark a new era for the Star Wars universe. According to Deadline, Kennedy revealed that this trilogy would "initiate a new saga" and help shape future projects, signaling a deliberate move away from the Skywalker-centric stories that have defined the franchise for decades. The trilogy is set to take place after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, the ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga, which received a mixed reception from both critics and fans.
While details about Kinberg’s trilogy remain tightly under wraps, Kennedy told Deadline that the Lucasfilm team was pleased with Kinberg’s progress in pre-production and expected to see a script by June 2025. As of mid-August, however, no public production start date has been announced, and plot specifics are still being kept secret. Still, Kinberg’s vocal admiration for Andor and his ongoing excitement are clear signals that the project is alive and well—giving fans plenty of reason to hope for a fresh, compelling chapter in the Star Wars saga.
Andor’s influence doesn’t stop with Kinberg. The series’ impact on Star Wars storytelling has been widely acknowledged by those who worked on it. In an interview with The Playlist, director Janus Metz revealed that he was asked not to watch any previous Star Wars spinoffs before directing his episodes of Andor. Metz recounted, “I said ‘Yeah, sure, I’m interested,’ and I had an interview with Tony [Gilroy] and executive producer Sanne Wohlenberg. I loved everything they were saying about what they were trying to do with Andor. This was before season one came out. I said, ‘Look, I haven’t seen all the spinoffs,’ and Tony said, ‘No, no, don’t watch anything. This is something else. Don’t watch anything, because it will just give you the wrong idea.’ With all respect to what’s been made, he really wanted to take Andor in a different direction.”
Metz described the show as the “Ken Loach version of Star Wars,” emphasizing its grounded, almost documentary-like realism. This approach was a departure from the franchise’s traditional focus on larger-than-life heroes and mystical forces. Instead, Andor depicted the gritty, day-to-day struggles of the rebels, painting a portrait of resistance that felt both intimate and epic. The result was a series of story arcs that shone a light on the sacrifices and moral ambiguities of rebellion—territory rarely explored in previous Star Wars fare.
Such critical and commercial success has prompted industry observers to wonder whether Andor’s approach will become the new template for future Star Wars projects. According to ScreenRant, the franchise is currently developing several new films and series, including The Mandalorian & Grogu, Star Wars: Starfighter (with Shawn Levy directing and Ryan Gosling starring), a Rey Skywalker sequel film, a James Mangold prequel set in the distant past, and, of course, Kinberg’s trilogy. Each of these projects spans a different era and promises a unique perspective, but the success of Andor has undoubtedly raised expectations for more grounded, character-driven storytelling across the board.
Still, as ScreenRant’s editorial cautions, it would be unwise for Disney and Lucasfilm to simply replicate Andor’s formula for every new release. While the show’s success demonstrates the value of taking creative risks and modernizing the franchise, the enduring appeal of Star Wars also lies in its ability to blend innovation with the timeless magic of its original 1977 film. The challenge for Kinberg and his fellow creators will be to strike that balance—honoring the franchise’s legacy while pushing its boundaries in new and exciting directions.
For Kinberg, the opportunity to shape the next phase of Star Wars is both exhilarating and surreal. As he told Nerdtropolis, “Just to be told there’d be more movies would have been unbelievable. To be allowed on the set of any of them was already a dream. My enthusiasm only grows with working on and around it.” With his trilogy set to begin a new saga, and with Andor’s influence as a guiding light, the future of Star Wars appears bright—and perhaps more unpredictable than ever.
As fans await further updates on Kinberg’s trilogy and the other projects in the pipeline, one thing is clear: the galaxy far, far away is entering a new era, shaped by bold creative choices and a willingness to see familiar stories through fresh eyes. If Andor is any indication, the next generation of Star Wars storytelling may be its most compelling yet.
