Latest news with #Coruscant
Gizmodo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
This VFX Breakdown for ‘Andor' Season 2 Showcases the Power of Practical Locations
Viewing this reel of Scanline VFX's work on Andor season 2's most iconic sets makes us want to watch the show all over again. The digital effects breakdown from the post-production house showcases that VFX and practical effects orchestrated in balance are what made Tony Gilroy's take on the Star Wars universe so cinematic. The reel displays the exceptional work that went into making places like Coruscant, Mina Rau, and Yavin look so richly alive. Through the use of real locations, environments, and scenery, the next-level post-production magic seamlessly disappears into every single frame. There's no obvious LED volume used like on the other Star Wars shows, including The Mandalorian universe, and it shows. Seeing how it's all layered together is that good sort of dopamine process content that is such a joy to watch. Notice how real fields of grain were used with the silos composited in; you can hardly tell. The VFX industry is one that, while mired with rush jobs and artists not being given their due with proper time, really shines when the value is placed on the artists behind the screen. When we get wins like this in such a huge franchise, it shows that's how it should be. The Coruscant hospital was a major part of the breakdown, and how they scaled it up to be a high-rise from a backlot set is absolutely astounding. Time and time again, supporting the entertainment industry's VFX creatives produces the best art over digital environments, bar none. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Geek Girl Authority
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
On Location: Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences on ANDOR: A STAR WARS STORY Season 2
Welcome to On Location , a weekly feature spotlighting landmarks and establishments seen on screen that viewers can visit IRL. Whether you're seeking a fun selfie, breathtaking vistas, or maybe a show-accurate treat, follow along for some bucket list destinations. RELATED: Check in with On Location's visit to the Continental Hotel New York from the World of John Wick An Andor Filming Location If you believed (as I did) that all Star Wars films and series are mostly filmed in a galaxy far, far away, or on a Hollywood backlot, you'd be forgiven. After all, the franchise's world-building grounds itself in spectacularly alien-looking landscapes and skylines. And Lucasfilm's ILM literally has the word 'magic' in its name. However, in the case of Andor: A Star Wars Story 's vast and impressive Coruscant Senate complex, they found that the superlative architecture of Valencia's City of Arts and Science in Spain (known to locals as Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències ) was too perfect to pass up. Image Credit: Courtesy of Lucasfilm via The City of Arts and Sciences on Andor: A Star Wars Story Although the dome-shaped Senate Building had to be digitally inserted with the rest of the cityscape, the distinctive promenade Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly), her colleagues, and other Coruscant residents stroll along is, in reality, the South Cantilever of the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, or Museum of the Sciences. The Cantilever terrace runs along the third floor of the Science Museum, 17 meters or over 55 feet in the air. At 220 meters long (approximately 720 feet), it provides a dramatic panoramic lookout for visitors, connecting the City of Arts and Sciences' four main buildings – the Agora covered plaza, the Museum of the Sciences, the Hemisfèric , and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía opera house. RELATED: The Rebellion Is Here in Andor Season 2 Special Look The City of Arts and Sciences' Museu de les Ciències opened in 2000. Architect Santiago Calatrava designed the south façade's repetitive white concrete buttresses to resemble a dinosaur's skeleton. Built with 58,000 cubic meters (over 2 million cubic feet) of concrete and 14 tons of steel, the building houses 42,000 square meters (over 450,000 square feet) over three floors, the largest surface area of any building in Spain. Various exhibitions take up 26,000 square meters (nearly 280,000 square feet) of the space. The museum's main objective is to engage visitors with interactive science exhibits. For example, the 'Chromosome Forest' on the third floor allows guests to explore and learn about the human genome using large-scale models of the 23 pairs of chromosomes. Image Credit: Disney+ The Eye of Knowledge In Andor: A Star Wars Story Season 2, the Senate Building replaces the Agora structure at one end of the promenade, but the City of Arts and Sciences's centerpiece, the Hemisfèric, remains visible at the other end. It was the first building completed in 1998. Also designed by Calatrava, it contains: an exhibition hall; a projection hall, which includes an IMAX Cinema, a planetarium, and a laserium; and the Carl Sagan Perimeter Ring event space. The building's design resembles a human eye. Its nickname is 'The Eye of Knowledge.' The ovoidal roof is over 100 meters (approximately 330 feet) long. A shutter system consisting of elongated aluminum awnings forms the 'eyelid,' which opens to reveal the 'iris' of the building, the projection hall. RELATED: Mon Mothma Takes Center Stage in Andor and It's About Time The third of the ticketed venues in the City of Arts and Sciences is the Oceanogràfic , an open-air oceanographic park. It is the largest aquarium in Europe. Designed by architect Félix Candela, the complex resembles a water lily with eight petals. Each petal is a building identified with one of the following aquatic environments: Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical Seas, Oceans, Antarctic, Arctic, Islands and Red Sea, in addition to the Dolphinarium. Buying a combined ticket (starting at €49.80/approx 60USD) for the three sites is the most economical way to visit. Open from 10 am to 9 pm, it's an amazing way to spend a day AND recreate some key Coruscant moments. Water, Water, Everywhere All the water features seen around the Senate District in Andor: A Star Wars Story are real. Each building is surrounded by enormous reflecting pools of water. In total, they cover over 13,500 square meters (just under 150,000 square feet). As the land was once part of the Turia riverbed, it seems rather fitting. RELATED: 4 Places We Want to Visit in the Star Wars Universe One last seen-on- Andor filming location is located at the City of Arts and Sciences is the Umbracle. Another Calatrava design, it is a 320-meter (1000-foot) long landscaped walk enveloped by an open structure 60 meters (147 feet) wide. Free to access, the garden contains many shrubs and plant species indigenous to Valencia. These include several varieties of palms and orange trees. Inside, you'll find The Walk of Sculptures and an art gallery. Functional as well as beautiful, its ground floor is the City of Arts and Sciences' main parkade. Both seasons of Andor: A Star Wars Story are streaming on Disney+. 10 STAR WARS Characters Who Need a Novel of Their Own Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.
CNET
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Check Out This Star Wars Galactic Map, and How It Clears Up Confusion About a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Have you ever wondered about the distance between Tatooine and Naboo without all those hyperspace jumps conveniently speeding up space travel? Or where Coruscant is in relation to Alderaan? How about Obi-Wan Kenobi's accumulated mileage during the Clone Wars? The good news is that the force is with you: All of your geographical-based questions can be answered by the new Star Wars Galactic Map. The map divvies up the Star Wars galaxy into important regions. Movie fans might be familiar with the core worlds (where Coruscant is) and the outer rim (where you can find Tatooine), but the deep core, colony worlds, inner rim, expansion region and unknown regions are also included from almost all of the Star Wars movies and shows (which you can stream now on Disney Plus). You can also see who controls what parts of the galaxy, as Bothan- and Hutt-controlled planetary belts are clearly marked on the maps. It's nice to know these things, so you can avoid ending up in one of those wretched hives of scum and villainy. While this galactic map existed prior to its current iteration, a blog post by writer Jason Fry mentions that it was taken down for a massive overhaul. "The plan is to keep updating this page with periodic revisions to the map and appendix," the post reads. "I also hope to unveil redesigned regional maps with sector borders and continue the sector mapping project with the Inner Rim, Colonies, Core and Deep Core." The current iteration of the galactic map is caught up with the sequels, featuring the Jedi planet Ahch-To and Sith planet Exegol in the unknown regions of space. It also includes many of the new information from more recent Disney Plus Star Wars shows, including Andor and The Bad Batch. As it continues to be updated, it'll hopefully also add worlds to come in upcoming Star Wars movies and series like The Mandalorian & Grogu (coming in 2026) and Star Wars: Starfighter (coming in 2027). The blog post also includes an alphabetized list of planets that are shown on the map, which might make it easier to find what you're looking for. There are more than 1,000 celestial bodies to keep an eye on, so it might take you a minute to pick out a given planet if you aren't sure which sector it's located in. This resource was created as a companion piece for the Star Wars Timelines book, which contains other key information about the Star Wars universe, including chronological charts for the most important events, characters and storylines in the galaxy.
Geek Tyrant
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
All the Awesome STAR WARS Easter Eggs in Luthen Rael's Shop in ANDOR — GeekTyrant
The Star War series Andor wasn't interested in nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. It doesn't drop in characters just to make fans point at the screen. While Tony Gilroy kept the narrative lean and meaningful, the rest of the creative team, especially the set designers, had a field day sneaking in some cool Easter eggs, and nowhere is that more evident than in Luthen Rael's elegant, mysterious antique shop. Luthen's Coruscant storefront, Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest, might just be a cover for rebel dealings, but make no mistake: it's packed with deep lore, rare relics, and blink-and-you'll-miss-it treasures that even the most devoted Star Wars fans are still picking apart. It's like the Star Wars version of a high-end gallery crossed with a lore junkie's fever dream. With Season 2 now streaming on Disney+, confirmed a whole new batch of props, alongside some returning favorites from Season 1. Let's take a tour through this gallery of galactic goodies, and unpack just how much history is packed into those shelves and pedestals. From Season 2: 1. Sith Chalice This incense burner was used in ancient rituals and looks suspiciously like the one Palpatine kept in his office in Revenge of the Sith. That artifact was found on Malachor, but Luthen? No one knows how he got his hands on his. 2. Wookiee Shields First seen in Revenge of the Sith, the Klorri-clan battle shields are back—teardrop-shaped and wrapped in bronzium bands. Season 1 teased them, but Season 2 goes big with multiples on display. 3. Togruta Pot With a sculpted Togruta perched on top, this unique pot is the first of its kind seen in Star Wars. It's especially interesting for fans of Ahsoka Tano, since the Togruta are her people. 4. Kalikori From Star Wars Rebels , the Kalikori is a Twi'lek family heirloom, passed down and added to across generations. The one here might not be the Syndulla's, but it's just as meaningful. 5. Concept Mandalorian Helmet This isn't your standard Mando gear. This helmet nods to Ralph McQuarrie's early concept art for Boba Fett, and even recalls the Rako Hardeen design from The Clone Wars . It's a gorgeous tribute to Star Wars design evolution. 6. Royal Naboo Headdress That glimmering headdress is the same style Queen Amidala wore in The Phantom Menace . Regal, iconic, and subtly heartbreaking when you remember Padmé's fate. 7. Decorative Gungan Skull Equal parts beautiful and morbid, this aurodium-inlaid Gungan skull is covered in ancient symbols. A rare, ceremonial relic from a long-gone era. Season 1: 1. Amidala-Style Headpiece Tucked in the rear of the shop, this ornate headpiece nearly matches the one worn by Padmé in Attack of the Clones . A deep pull for prequel fans. 2. Mandalorian Armor Not just any armor—this is full-on shimmering display armor, gleaming under showroom lights, placed right next to the Amidala piece. A fascinating juxtaposition of cultures. 3. Jedi Temple Guard Mask Seen for the first time in live-action, this ivory-and-gold mask originally appeared in The Clone Wars . In Luthen's shop, it looks both sacred and ominous. 4. Sankara Stones Yes, those Sankara stones from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom . They're tucked away in the back room, one of several cheeky nods to Lucasfilm's other iconic universe. 5. Sith Holocron Hidden among the 'not-for-sale' dark side goods, this Holocron is a red flag for any Jedi. But in a shop like this, it's just another antique. 6. Starkiller's Dark Lord Helmet Straight from The Force Unleashed's dark side ending, this helmet sits in the shadows, part of a larger set of armor. A sly reference to a fan-favorite game. 7. Wookiee Helmet The traditional war helmet of Kashyyyk warriors, on full display. Alongside the shields, Luthen's clearly curated quite a collection of Wookiee history. 8. Gungan Shield These energy-screen shields made their debut in The Phantom Menace , but this one's the real deal—not CG. A practical prop with real-world weight. 9. World Between Worlds Tablet A deep cut from Rebels and Ahsoka , this mystical tablet is inspired by the realm that plays with time, space, and destiny. It's tucked by the left wall, waiting for someone who knows what they're looking at. 10. Carbonite Blocks A loving homage to Empire, but look closer: the subjects frozen inside aren't just smugglers. One's the fertility idol from Raiders of the Lost Ark . Another? An Engineer head from Prometheus . These blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos are pure geek joy. Luthen Rael's shop may be a rebel front, but it's also one of the best Easter egg museums in Star Wars . The attention to detail isn't just about references, it's about world-building. These props remind us that the galaxy is ancient, layered, and brimming with stories we haven't even heard yet.
Geek Tyrant
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Luthen Rael's Dark Backstory in ANDOR Hit Harder Than Fans Were Ready For — GeekTyrant
Star Wars has given us plenty of memorable characters over the years, heroes, villains, and the complicated in-betweens. But Andor managed to introduce one of the franchise's most quietly devastating figures in Luthen Rael, played with weary intensity by Stellan Skarsgård. His mysterious, layered presence kept fans guessing for two seasons. And then, in the final episodes of Season 2, we finally learned the truth, and it wrecked me. While the show may be named Andor , the finale pivots its focus toward Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau), Luthen's right hand, whose story unexpectedly becomes the emotional core of the last arc. With Luthen arrested and clinging to life, it's Kleya who steps forward orchestrating his mercy killing, escaping Coruscant, and carrying the rebellion forward with the help of Cassian, Melshi, and K-2SO. But it's in the flashbacks intercut through this final stretch that we finally uncover Luthen's tragic backstory, and it's far more haunting than anyone predicted. Forget the fan theories about him being a Jedi or a rogue Separatist. In Episode 10, 'Make It Stop,' we learn that Luthen was once a sergeant in the early Imperial military. Not just a cog in the machine, but a man directly complicit in a genocidal assault on a civilian population. The sequence is bleak and raw. There are no familiar Imperial visuals no Stormtroopers, no TIE fighters flying in action, just the cold, mechanical horror of warfare. We see Luthen hunkered down in a vehicle, drowning his guilt in drink as radio chatter floods in: 'Runners on the hill.' 'Strafe it.' 'If it's moving, kill it.' Then comes the moment that breaks him… He finds a child hiding in the vehicle, Kleya, and instead of turning her in, he chooses to protect her. From there, the story jumps forward. The two are now fugitives, surviving by selling antiquities, a business that eventually places them in the halls of Coruscant high society. We don't get all the details, but Kleya's age makes it clear this happened in the early days of the Empire. What started as a chance meeting between victim and soldier became something far more complicated: a bond forged in blood and moral ruin. Their relationship is messy and Dulau put it bluntly in Andor Season 2 Declassified: 'It is not a father-daughter relationship. For it to become that, it would mean that Kleya forgives him for having done that to her family. There are parts of Kleya that really hates this man. That day is not going anywhere, it will always be between them, but love does grow around it.' It reframes everything we've seen between them, the tension, the silence, the strange relationship. They are not just colleagues or co-conspirators. They're two people tethered by a shared trauma, building a rebellion out of ashes. The most heartbreaking detail is that Luthen's guilt is his fuel. When he tells Kleya, 'I need to know you're making a choice. I lived most of my life without ever realizing that that was a possibility,' it's a man trying to give someone else the freedom he never had. He's not asking for forgiveness. He's asking not to make the same mistake again. By the end, Luthen knows his story won't make it into Rebel legend. The newer, shinier leaders of the Alliance have no room for ghosts like him, and yet, his final arc is one of the most impactful in Star Wars history, not because he dies a hero, but because he never believed he was one to begin with. In a galaxy full of destiny, prophecy, and chosen ones, Luthen Rael's legacy is something far more human. He led a life defined by regret, and a rebellion lit from the ruins of his past.
