Lucasfilm's Obi-Wan Kenobi show for Disney+ is undergoing significant changes, which now includes reducing the episode count. Rumors of a possible show starring the fan-favorite Jedi Master have circulated for years, but Lucasfilm finally confirmed last year that they were true. It was announced at D23 that Ewan McGregor will play Obi-Wan again in a Disney+ series, with The Mandalorian's Deborah Chow hired to direct all six episodes.
When Lucasfilm made these announcements about the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, it was said that every script was finished and production would begin in 2020 ahead of a likely 2021 launch on Disney+. However, the recent negative buzz about Obi-Wan Kenobi's development has turned out to be true. Instead of moving full-steam ahead on Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lucasfilm has reportedly put the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on hold due to concerns over the story. This indefinite delay won't just change the story the series has, but may also reduce the number of episodes.
After the initial report of Obi-Wan Kenobi being put on hold, THR provided additional details about what they've heard regarding the show's status. According to their sources, the plan is for the new story to only account for four episodes instead of the six-episode count that was announced prior. Despite these changes, McGregor still remains attached to star and Chow is still onboard to direct, but a new writing team will be found.
A reduced episode count for Obi-Wan Kenobi only further illustrates the ups and downs of Lucasfilm's attempt to bring McGregor back. He was at one point supposed to star in his own Obi- Wan movie, which some hoped could generate an entire trilogy. While some were disappointed with the news that Kenobi's return wouldn't happen on the big screen, the potential of Obi-Wan Kenobi coming to Disney+ as a six-episode show indicated to many that six hours of content was on the way. Not only is that episode count now down to four, but the episodes may be closer to 30 minutes apiece than an hour each, if it follows The Mandalorian's lead.
At this point though, it is too early to tell whether cutting two episodes from Obi-Wan Kenobi is a good move or not. In the eyes of fans who want to see as much of McGregor's Kenobi as possible, this will not be met favorably. But, it is also possible these changes will result in a tighter story for the series. As widely acclaimed as The Mandalorian's first season was, some feel that even it could've lost an episode or two to speed up the story. With no release date set for Obi-Wan Kenobi, it is unclear when viewers will know for sure whether Lucasfilm made the right decision.
Source: THR