Tony Gilroy’s “Andor” Origin Story Born from His Son’s Mockery: Building Rebellions on Hope

“My son is a huge Star Wars enthusiast and frequently teases me for knowing so little about it,” Gilroy remarks with humor.

  • Andor
    provides a backstory for one of the most memorable quotes
    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
  • Initially, this didn’t make it into the script as Tony Gilroy believed the line came from another part of the established lore.
  • However, when his son ridiculed him for lacking knowledge of their history, he understood that he needed to include it.

Revolt springs from hope.

It’s an iconic response in
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
First, Cassian Andor (
Diego Luna
) says it to Jyn Erso (
Felicity Jones
When he clarifies that they will need to rely on her name being sufficient to secure them a meeting with Saw Gerrera.
Forest Whitaker
).

Subsequently, Jyn employs this expression while attempting to persuade the Rebel council to approve the mission aimed at acquiring the Death Star plans.

Now,
Andor
has added an extra layer to the echoing notion of “hope” throughout the galaxy. In episode 8, “Who Are You?”, Cassian travels back to Ghorman, this time using the pseudonym of a journalist. There, he encounters the same bellhop, Thela (Stefon Crepon), he met back in episode 5.

Thela identifies Cassian without revealing his disguise. Upon hearing Cassian express his wish for success, Thela retorts, “Revolutions thrive on hope,” crafting a battle cry to inspire them both.

Nevertheless, this element was never included in creator Tony Gilroy’s original vision. Actually, he incorporated it into the season 2 script following some playful teasing from his son. “My son loves Star Wars,” says Gilroy, “and frequently visits and teases me at my desk for knowing so little.” One time when he came over just to clown around with me, he asked mockingly, ‘So, who will say “rebels are fueled by hope”?’

“And I respond, ‘What do you mean?’” Gilroy proceeds. “He then says, ‘Well, in
Rogue One,
Diego utters it, and Jyn echoes it. Then I say, ‘Isn’t that quote from somewhere?’ He responds, ‘No way, man. What are you thinking? You should check that out.’”

When their discussion concluded, Gilroy realized he didn’t have much time left for developing additional content in his script. Consequently, he chose to allocate some narrative space to the secondary role of a bellhop advocating for his community in Ghorman. He mentions, “I find the hotel clerk to be quite an engaging minor figure.” This addition stemmed from feedback provided by his son who pointed out during one of the initial drafts that this element was missing. Acknowledging the insight, he incorporated it into the story.

For Luna, though, it represented a significant moment in Cassian Andor’s journey, adding deeper significance to the quoted line.
Rogue One.
The line is incredibly potent,” states the actor. “I believe this is due to why viewing it has such an impact.
Rogue One
After watching season 2, it’s going to pack a significant punch for viewers. Everything will be utterly electrifying.”

Luna goes on, ‘When something like this happens, a line that was already unforgettable will make you think of this child’s face whenever you hear it now.’ She adds, ‘Every word carries a sacrifice with it. While studying revolutions, we often concentrate heavily on the moments they occur, yet the truly fascinating part lies in the history leading up to those events.’


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“As he contemplates, this piece of writing conveys, ‘Indeed, we value those who gave their all for these initiatives.’ However, the sacrifices made by all these individuals lie in the past. That’s precisely when this narrative takes on critical importance. It will make [viewing
Rogue One
and
A New Hope
It feels more personal for you as an audience now that you have all these images and memories to reflect upon.

So, now the Force — and this bit of dialogue — will be with you always.

Additional contribution by Dalton Ross.

Read the initial article on
Entertainment Weekly

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