The recent deadly incidents in Minnesota’s Twin Cities have intensified discussions about Tony Gilroy’s Tony Gilroy Andor interview, highlighting the chilling parallels between real-world events and the show’s second season. The shootings of Minneapolis residents Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents echo a storyline from Andor’s Ghorman Massacre arc, where the Galactic Empire’s masked forces brutalized civilians and protestors. Much like Good and Pretti, the victims in Ghorman were immediately labeled as dangerous insurgents by official sources.
Gilroy dismisses the idea that his series is clairvoyant, explaining that the show’s narrative was intentionally modeled on extensively researched historical facts, rather than prediction or guesswork.
The Foundations of Andor’s Story: Historical Models Over Prescience
In an interview, Gilroy explained the framework behind Andor’s portrayal of fascism, noting,
“You get out your Fascism for Dummies book for the 15 things you do, and we tried to include as many of them as we could in the most artful way possible,”
Tony Gilroy tells The Hollywood Reporter.
“How were we supposed to know that this clown car in Washington was going to basically use the same book that we used? So I don’t think it’s prescience so much as the sad familiarity of fascism.”
He underlined that the show’s inspiration stemmed from the repeated patterns of authoritarian tactics noted throughout history.
During the early marketing of Andor, Disney reportedly advised Gilroy to avoid using the term “fascism” to prevent distracting controversy, especially given the studio’s recent experience with politically charged backlash against another production. Gilroy confirmed this approach, revealing,
“The actors have a broad spectrum of political ideas, and we didn’t want anybody to perjure themselves or violate their conscience. So we came up with a legit historical model,”
and that promoting the show through this lens was
“a very, very safe and legitimate place for us to sell the show without ever having to say what I’m free to say now.”
Addressing Today’s Political Climate Through Andor’s Lens
Gilroy discussed his frustrations while watching recent U.S. political developments, emphasizing that the themes explored in Andor resonate tragically with current events. He described the situation as a “gothic nightmare” and connected the story of authoritarianism depicted in Andor’s Empire with present-day governmental actions.
“It’s a great place to deal with those issues, and as we’ve discussed many times before, we had this wide open canvas to deal with it,”
he stated.
He reiterated that the tactics portrayed in Andor—such as manufacturing pretexts for oppression, targeting communities, and controlling information—are part of a persistent playbook. Gilroy expanded,
“Get rid of truth, get rid of a free press, destroy communities, nationalize the businesses, find an arbitrary enemy that you can elevate and false flag them through propaganda. Flood the zone with as much gak and atrocity as you can so that nobody can pay attention to what just happened, and pray that you have an overwhelming majority of sheep that will follow you. It’s just tragically and sadly familiar. It’s on them; it’s not on us.”
Comparing the Ghorman Occupation and Contemporary Policies
In Andor, the Empire’s occupation of Ghorman centers on controlling a rare mineral necessary for their superweapon, achieved by fabricating an insurgency pretext and empowering local collaborators like Syril Karn. Gilroy drew a line between this fictional narrative and recent actions by U.S. federal agencies in Minnesota, particularly deportations and demands placed on the state’s voter rolls.
He articulated his concern that immigration enforcement serves as a pretext for broader political objectives, warning of a dangerous goal to undermine elections entirely in favor of authoritarian rule.
“I think the overall goal is to stop elections and to have a complete fascistic state. Any controversy that they can make and elevate to a hysterical pitch allows them to cancel elections or modify elections in any way they want. I think fair elections are what they’re absolutely after,”
Gilroy said.
Despite this danger, he maintained that such forces are hindered by their own limitations, lacking effective narratives or skilled propagandists to successfully consolidate power.
“They have an incredible appetite. They have an incredible flood-the-zone ground game, but they have no narrative ability,”
he observed.
“They don’t really have a [Joseph] Goebbels or a Mike Deaver in there. They don’t have a presentation. They don’t have a Leni Riefenstahl in there. They do not have a way to get their message out in a narrative fashion. They’re terrible at that, and they’re never going to be good at it.”
Resource Control and the Real-World Parallels of Ghorman
Gilroy clarified that Ghorman is a stand-in for any place targeted for strategic resources, such as Greenland in the story’s context. The pursuit of rare earth minerals is a crude, transparent justification for oppression, reflecting global geopolitical dynamics.
“We want the rare earth, we want this,”
he simplified, tying the fictional scenario closely to real-world resource conflicts like those involving oil in Venezuela.
Manipulating Narratives and the Threat of Reality’s Fragmentation
The difficulty of challenging propaganda is a major theme in Andor, notably in the depiction of peaceful Ghorman protesters being portrayed as terrorists without the means to counter misinformation. Gilroy emphasized this, recalling the line,
“They don’t even bother to lie badly anymore. I suppose that’s the final humiliation.”
He also voiced concern about technology’s role, especially artificial intelligence, in further eroding truth and fragmenting perceptions of reality. While uncertain about the full implications, he suggested AI’s unchecked growth might exacerbate societal fractures.
“Everyone’s wondering, ‘Why is Silicon Valley going along with all this? Why hasn’t anybody raised their hand?’ And I think that there’s a much more terrifying tech reich that’s lurking in the background of all of this,”
he noted, distancing current political players from control over such technological power.
Gilroy framed this as part of a “cascade of failures,” from loss of economic opportunities to climate neglect, lamenting the inadequate leadership currently managing these crises.
“The perfect president and the perfect monitoring of AI and the perfect global summit meetings would’ve gathered like-minded governments together to say, ‘Hey, how much trouble are we in? What’s going to happen to the labor force? What’s going to happen to society because of AI?’ But none of those things are going to happen now, and we will suffer for it.”
Political Leadership and the Importance of Effective Storytelling
Gilroy expressed hope for political figures with the right combination of skills: curiosity, empathy, progressiveness, and problem-solving ability across the ideological spectrum. He prefers “empathetic technocrats” who bring thoughtful solutions instead of rigid ideology. Moreover, he stressed the crucial role of communication, regretting that many effective leaders lack the ability to clearly convey their messages.
“The Biden White House had a great story to tell, but they never had a messenger or any way to sell it whatsoever,”
Gilroy said. He also reflected on past political messaging failures, saying,
“Controlling the narrative is really valuable. The progressive politics and democratic politics and sensible politics have really failed in great measure by not having really good stories to tell and not telling them properly.”
Exploring Andor’s Reflection of Real-World Injustices
Gilroy incorporated themes of bureaucratic obstacles and internal disputes within rebel movements, mirroring challenges in democratic leadership. The wrongful incarceration of Cassian Andor in the Narkina 5 prison parallels contemporary stories of wrongful detentions in ICE centers. Gilroy acknowledged that while the show’s foresight has surprised audiences, the reality behind it is “really sad,” pointing out fascism’s ultimate failure and self-destructive nature.
He remarked,
“Fascism doesn’t just take down the oppressed. It doesn’t just come for the people it’s trying to control. It inevitably destroys the people who have worked the hardest to build it.”
Navigating Promotion Amid Political Sensitivities
The necessity of avoiding politically charged language during Andor’s early promotions reflects the complicated media environment. Gilroy and lead actor Diego Luna cautiously handled early press, aware of the intensity such topics might provoke.
“We studied history to make the show, and we based it on historical models. We don’t have a crystal ball. There’s comps for everything that we did all through history,”
he said, confirming the deliberate choice to frame the series historically rather than overtly political.
The Changing Landscape at Lucasfilm and Future Creative Risks
With Kathleen Kennedy’s departure from Lucasfilm, Gilroy acknowledged her vital role in supporting Andor’s economic and creative ambitions. He noted the studio’s apparent hesitation to endorse riskier projects moving forward, referencing shelved works by Steven Soderbergh and fellow Andor writer Beau Willimon. Although he refrained from expressing disappointment, Gilroy affirmed his personal preference for creativity driven by risk rather than safety.
“If I was going to do that job, I would rather go down swinging. I’d rather go down in flames,”
he stated, emphasizing that risk-taking has always been central to his approach.
Clarifying the Relationship with Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm
Reports surfaced suggesting Dave Filoni, the new co-president of Lucasfilm and a renowned Star Wars purist, did not favor Andor. Gilroy unequivocally denied any such conflict, emphasizing cordial relations and mutual respect among creative teams.
“We only have our show because of them,”
Gilroy said, acknowledging The Mandalorian’s role in paving the way for Andor.
“It has never been anything but cordial and pleasant, ever, ever, ever, ever. I don’t know anything that you don’t know. I really don’t.”
The Role of Music in Gilroy’s Creative Journey
Gilroy described his long-standing passion for music and its influence on his creative process, especially during Andor. Collaborations with composers Nicholas Britell and Brandon Roberts deepened his enthusiasm for scoring, inspiring his upcoming film about a composer, Behemoth! While Britell is not involved in the new project, Roberts contributes, with a total of nine composers participating. Gilroy praised the experience on Andor as a “finishing school in scoring,” noting its 20 hours of musical composition enriched his own artistic growth.
Directing After a Long Hiatus and Behind-the-Scenes Choices
Having not directed since 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, Gilroy found returning to the director’s chair challenging but rewarding.
“It took a few days to feel comfy in it, but I don’t know if you should ever get too comfortable as a director,”
he remarked, underlining the importance of remaining alert and engaged.
When asked about budget limitations affecting storylines, specifically the absence of a full mission involving the character Bix alongside Cassian, Gilroy stated the mission took place off-screen for narrative reasons. He explained,
“So often in films or whatever, it’s not what you want to say; it’s where you can say it. Where’s the opportunity to do it?”
Reflecting on Andor’s Legacy and Impact
As his involvement with Andor concludes, Gilroy expressed a mixture of pride and nostalgia. He shared his experience preparing a foreword for The Art of Andor coffee table book, calling the show’s production “a hive mind mania” fueled by a team of talented and driven collaborators.
“To be proud of the thing that you made in the end and have so many people respond to it, it’s really been such a pleasing chapter,”
he noted with warmth, while expressing contentment in moving on without dwelling on post-project emptiness.
Gilroy also reflected on seeing his brother Dan accept an Emmy for writing on Andor, recognizing that while awards are gratifying, true value lies in the creative process itself.
“If you’re not enjoying it while you’re doing it along the way, you’re missing the train,”
he said.
A Possible End to Large-Scale Live Productions in the Streaming Era?
Addressing the future of ambitious, live-action storytelling like Andor’s extensive and costly production, Gilroy voiced uncertainty.
“So I’m not sure if we’ll ever see something like Andor again — made live, not by AI,”
he said, reflecting on the challenges of financing and producing such projects in today’s entertainment environment. Yet, he celebrated the achievement as a significant accomplishment, noting,
“We got away with it, and we feel pretty good about it.”
