Collaborative Delights: Insights from Beau Willimon on Partnering on Andor and Severance
Laid-Back Chat with Beau Willimon: Behind the Scenes of Severance and Andor
Hop on a casual chat with Beau Willimon, the man behind some of your favorite series, as he shares his current projects and experiences: he's an EP on Apple TV+'s Severance and a writer for both seasons of Andor.
In a recent conversation with Variety, Willimon likened writing for Star Wars to being a session musician for someone's album. This collaboration with Andor's creator Tony Gilroy kicked off during the creation of House of Cards, with Gilroy joining as a consulting producer. Willimon shared that Gilroy asked if he wanted to pen a few episodes for Andor, to which he thought Gilroy was just joking. But he eagerly accepted the offer, excited to dive into the galaxy far, far away.
Writing for Andor meant telling a human and mature story, as Gilroy wanted less Star Wars aficionados involved. Willimon spent six weeks collaborating with the Gilroys on breaking the story. He enjoyed the unique experience of simply delivering scripts to friend Tony Gilroy, as long as they were up to par, he was good to go. He's especially proud of the second season of Andor.
When it comes to Severance, Willimon stepped in as an EP to lend a helping hand during production. Although not his typical role, he found the experience incredibly rewarding, especially since there's no show like Severance out there. He admits to feeling a bit out of his depth at first but was determined to help the team bring season two to life.
This latest venture into producing has given Willimon a renewed love for the role. He appreciates the distance and perspective he can offer while helping someone else raise their creative baby, so to speak. So sit back, relax, and binge-watch more io9 news: find out when Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who will be returning to the small screen.
Fun Fact:
- Severance is a psychological thriller series on Apple TV+ created by Dan Erickson[3][4], where Willimon serves as an EP. Using his expertise from complex narratives like House of Cards, he may assist in ensuring the creative vision aligns with the show's direction.
- Willimon is a writer for Andor, a Star Wars series on Disney+, alongside Tony Gilroy and Dan Gilroy[5]. His humble beginnings in the galaxy far, far away required him to have less understanding of the franchise, which allowed him to focus on crafting a human and mature story.
- Beau Willimon, the EP of Severance on Apple TV+ and a writer for Andor on Disney+, has found a new passion in producing, especially since there's no show like Severance out there. He appreciates the distance and perspective he can offer while helping someone else raise their creative baby, such as Dan Erickson's psychological thriller series Severance.
- Although Willimon admits to feeling a bit out of his depth at first when he stepped in as an EP for Severance, he found the experience incredibly rewarding. He is also proud of the human and mature story he helped create for Andor, a Star Wars series on Disney+.
- As technology continues to evolve, entertainment platforms like io9 and Gizmodo will keep us updated on the future of movies and TV, such as return dates for popular series like Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who on the small screen.
