The next entry in the Star Wars universe will soon be arriving with Andor on Disney+, and ahead of the series’ release, a recent preview has shown off a new droid that will be making its debut in a galaxy far, far away.
An exclusive sneak peak from Entertainment Weekly introduced audiences to the droid, named B2EMO, that will be seen in Andor. The droid, a salvage assistant, will accompany the show’s protagonist, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), on his journey towards becoming a spy for the Rebel Alliance. Andor creator Tony Gilroy, who also serves as writer and executive producer, told Entertainment Weekly that the idea for B2EMO came about intitially as a pet-type companion for Cassian. “I said, ‘Okay, I want to have a salvage droid, and I want to have a family dog,'” Gilroy said. “It’s an old dog. That’s where we started.” Following some initial designs, the show’s creative team came up with B2EMO, a red, rusty astromech droid who has been a part of the Andor family for a number of years on the planet Ferrix. Unlike most astromechs in Star Wars, B2EMO is different in that it sports a cubical design, while most astromechs, such as the iconic R2-D2, are more spherical.
It seems that Gilroy is not the only one to have taken a liking to the new droid. Luna, reprising his role as Cassian from 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, told Entertainment Weekly that the droid, who he affectionately calls B2, “is a fantastic friend.” Luna added that the new addition to the Star Wars galaxy was “the perfect droid. I have to say, it’s a fantastic piece of design, first of all. The team behind it is amazing. He’s so expressive. With very little, he gives you so much.” As the plot details behind Andor remain shrouded in secrecy, so too does B2’s exact role in the series. However, it is known that the show will take place five years prior to Rogue One, when the Rebel Alliance is at its very beginnings and the Galatic Empire is expanding its reach across star systems. Given the droid’s apparent numerous abilities, he will likely play a large role in the overall story.
Part of the droid’s ingenuity is owed to Neal Scanlan, who helped oversee the production and design of B2EMO. Scanlan’s creature effects deparment has become legendary in Hollywood for their creation of lifelike animatronics. His team has lent their hand to all five of the Disney-helmed Star Wars films, including the main three sequel films of the Skywalker Saga: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. They were responsible for the creation of iconic Star Wars characters and droids, including the breakout star of The Force Awakens, BB-8. For Andor, Scanlan and his team worked to ensure that every aspect of B2EMO was real and controllable via remote, and that he would actually be able to do everything that was required of him on-screen.
Despite the life-like demeanor that was brought to this droid, Luna did admit that is was tricky getting used to acting with it. Unlike Rogue One, where the film’s main droid, K-2SO, was portrayed in a suit by actor Alan Tudyk, Luna said that it was weird to work with a complete robot. “I was like, ‘Holy s—!’ Before, in Rogue One with K2, I was in front of a great actor,” he said. “But here with B2, it was actually a piece of metal moving, but a metal that was as expressive as any actor I’ve worked with and as precise, too. That’s another thing that is not easy. The team making him move and talk is just the best of the best.”
The first three episodes of Andor will premiere on Disney+ on Sept. 21, followed by new episodes weekly. Get another look at B2EMO from Entertainment Weekly’s exclusive and check out the latest trailer for the series below:
