Collaboration Delights Beau Willimon on Andor and Severance Projects
In a yak with Variety, Beau Willimon, the talented scribe behind Apple TV+'s Severance and a scribbler for both seasons of Andor, shared some intriguing insights. He likened creating for Star Wars to "jamming with a band's lead guitarist on their album." His partnership with Andor maestro Tony Gilroy started on the politically tinged, Willimon-conceived series House of Cards, with Gilroy jumping onboard as a consulting producer.
When Gilroy was brewing up Andor, he asked Willimon if he fancied penning a few episodes. Willimon initially thought it was a joke because, while he's a Star Wars fan, he's no die-hard aficionado. But Gilroy, ever the pragmatist, replied, "I want to tell a human story and a grown-up story. The less you know, the better."
For six weeks, Willimon, Gilroy, and Gilroy's bro Dan Gilroy mapped out the storyline for Andor. Willimon's role was straightforward: "I just delivered scripts to my mate Tony Gilroy. As long as he liked them, I was good." Proud of the second season, Willimon lent a hand in fine-tuning the world of Severance for its second season, stepping up as an executive producer to lend a helping hand.
"With Severance, it was this incredibly crafted world and tone," Willimon shared. "I challenged myself to help bring the second season to fruition. I was in service of the story like everyone else."
His work on Andor and Severance has sparked a newfound love for producing. "At times, I have a bit of distance and perspective," he mused, "or I can simply help someone nurture their project, without having to bear the burden of it being my own."
For more sci-fi goodness, bookmark the release dates for the upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek instalments, get clued up on the DC Universe's future on the big and small screen, and keep tabs on the Doctor Who timeline.
io9 and Gizmodo might be interested in Willimon's future endeavors in entertainment as he expressed a newfound love for producing after working on Andor and Severance. In the future, we might see him involved in the creation of more movies-and-tv shows, especially since he aims to help nurture projects without the burden of them being his own. With his success in bringing Andor and Severance to life, Willimon could potentially have a significant influence on the future of television technology and the storytelling in entertainment.
