Disney+’s Rogue One prequel series, Andor, is arguably one of the most celebrated Star Wars series ever produced. With its massive $650 million budget for 24 episodes over two seasons, it seemed like no expense was spared, even regarding some things that may have gone unnoticed by fans.
Andor’s production designer, Luke Hull, shared a stunning Easter Egg that viewers may have overlooked during the series run. Hull shared the pic via his Instagram. Much like a Disney “Hidden Mickey,” there was a secret picture within a mural depicted on the show.
Fan Reaction to the Mosaic
Within a mural of a Ghorlectipod, or Ghorman spider from the planet Ghorman, if one looks closely, the body of the spider is the face of an iconic Star Wars villain — Darth Maul. X (formerly Twitter) user Jammin333 noted that the mosaic design is a deliberate homage to Darth Maul.
“Andor production designer Luke Hull shared one of the gorgeous Ghorlectipod spider mosaics from the Ghorman cafe. This one appears to embody Darth Maul, who at one point in The Clone Wars became half cyber-spider. Love the design details down to the inverted crescent moon chin,” Jammin333 said in their post.
A Darth Maul Show is in Development
Earlier this year, Lucasfilm announced that Darth Maul would be getting his own animated series titled Maul — Shadow Lord. The series, which will star Sam Witwer as the voice of Darth Maul, is set to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2026. Witwer also voiced Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The character of Darth Maul first debuted in 1999’s The Phantom Menace. At that time, he was played on-screen by Ray Park and voiced by Peter Serafinowicz.
Showrunner Talks the Show’s Huge Budget
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy commented on the series’ massive budget, which allowed for detailed Easter eggs like the spider mural, last month during a Q&A at the ATX Television Festival.
“I mean, (for) Disney this is $650 million,” Gilroy said, per IndieWire. “For 24 episodes, I never took a note. We said ‘F**k the Empire’ in the first season, and they said, ‘Can you please not do that?’ In Season 2, they said, ‘Streaming is dead, we don’t have the money we had before,’ so we fought hard about money, but they never cleaned anything up. That (freedom) comes with responsibilities.»
With its lofty budget, Andor cost more than three times as much to make as Rogue One, which reportedly had a budget of $200 million.
Andor (Disney+)
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Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
IMDb Rating |
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96% |
89% |
8.5/10 |
Gilroy Addresses the Series’ Political Themes
As for streaming being “dead,” Andor proved to be a hit at Disney+, in part due to its political messaging. The series, which follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), seems to have resonated with its audience.
Gilroy commented on a speech made by Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) to the senate in the series and its use of the word “genocide.” The showrunner said, “It’s really sad how many people can find a place to put this (word) in some place that’s meaningful for them. And, you know, I’ve been allowed to start using the word ‘fascism’ the last couple of weeks.” Gilroy said it has been “liberating” to use words like that in the show.
“But I don’t think it should be any surprise or even be too slippery or complicated for people to understand the road I have to walk to do all this, to maximize the audience and protect the investment of a really brave (company),” Gilroy added.
Andor is streaming on Disney+.
