Today, it was announced that we’re getting a new promotional strategy from Disney, which will see the episodes from the first season of the acclaimed “Star Wars” series “Andor” heading to Hulu and YouTube. A move, starting now, that expands the show’s reach beyond regular Disney+ subscribers and could help to get as many eyeballs as possible on that first season ahead of the season two debut in April.
How this new access will break down: The entire first season will be able to stream on Hulu, while the first three episodes will stream on the Disney+ channel on YouTube. Additionally, a 14-minute recap of that previous season is available now on YouTube (watch it below).
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There’s more too. On Thursday, March 13, at 3:00 P.M. ET, tune in to “Andor Season 1 with Tony Gilroy,” a live re-watch event on YouTube with select talent. The one-hour broadcast, hosted by “Andor” creator Tony Gilroy, will include a discussion with special guests about season one, reactions to key scenes, behind-the-scenes information and the opportunity for fans to ask questions. Following the live event, clips will be available across the Disney+, Hulu and Star Wars YouTube and social channels.
As reported, “Andor” season two is divided into four years. It begins one year later after the events of season one, and every three episodes take place essentially over the three days of one year during the rebellion’s fight against the Empire. In their minds, it’s also even more cinematic than season one.
“[It’s like] Friday, Saturday, Sunday, It’s a really specific moment where we drop back in,” “Andor” creator/showrunner/writer Tony Gilroy explained in an interview with The Playlist last week (more from it coming soon). “They really work as films. And that’s the way we think about it, [all] the people who made the show: we think we kind of made eight ‘Star Wars’ movies over five years. That’s how we look at it.”
Diego Luna leads a cast that also features the likes of Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Alan Tudyk, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, Elizabeth Dulau, Ben Mendelsohn and Forest Whitaker.
A logline for the final season from Lucasfilm reads:
The second season takes place as the horizon of war draws near, and Cassian becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. Everyone will be tested, and as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices, and conflicting agendas will become profound. Rife with political intrigue and danger, the series is a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which portrayed a heroic band of rebels who steal the plans to the Empire’s weapon of mass destruction—The Death Star—setting the stage for the events of the original 1977 film. “Andor” sets the clock back five years from the events of “Rogue One” to tell the story of the film’s hero, Cassian Andor, and his transformation from disinterested, cynical nobody into a rebel hero on his way to an epic destiny.
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This sounds like a proactive move from Disney to help boost the viewership for the second season of “Andor,” and it gets as many folks to embrace the fantastically written series before that final round of episodes start making their way on Disney+. This would be the first time a live-action “Star Wars” series has been accessible to audiences outside of the Disney app.
Season one episodes can now be viewed on Hulu and YouTube, with the final season of “Andor” making its debut on April 22 exclusively on Disney+. Watch the 14-minute recap video below and revisit some of the season one trailer below.