Fans have been buzzing for more Obi-Wan Kenobi ever since a movie was rumored to be happening a few years ago. Those plans eventually became a Disney+ series, with Ewan McGregor donning the Jedi cloak once again. And now Lucasfilm is ready to roll on that series, announcing some huge new additions to the cast as well as an official synopsis.
Kumail Nanjiani, Benny Safdie, Hayden Christensen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Rupert Friend, Joel Edgerton, and Sung Kang are the biggest names added to the Obi-Wan Kenobi cast. They’re joined by Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), Bonnie Piesse, Simone Kessell (Terra Nova), and the previously-cast Indira Varma of Game of Thrones.
The additions of Edgerton and Piesse are notable because they played Owen and Beru in Revenge of the Sith. They’re Luke Skywalker’s doomed uncle and aunt, given custody of the boy at a young age before being killed by Imperial troopers, setting off the events of A New Hope. And of course, Christensen is Anakin Skywalker himself, so that’s going to be crazy to see him reunited with McGregor.
Others in the cast jump right out at you. Nanjiani is the comedian who scored such a huge hit with The Big Sick, and is set to star in Marvel’s Eternals. Jackson is the son of Ice Cube and star of Straight Outta Compton. Safdie is one half of the directing duo behind Uncut Gems and Good Time, which makes you wonder if he’ll also direct some Obi-Wan episodes, as well. And Kang is best-known to Fast & Furious fans as Han, due to return for F9. Wow.
Here is the new synopsis that’s been released: “The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced his greatest defeat, the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.”
A promising new priest straight from the academy – Father Daniel (Vadhir Derbez) – wants to contribute to the cause. He excelled in his studies and the archbishop believes he can be a real asset to the team. He has asked Peter to train Daniel, showing him the ropes and imparting his wisdom. Decades earlier, Peter’s own mentor Father Louis (Keith David) met an untimely end. Since then Peter was thrown into a prominent exorcist role before he felt truly prepared. Peter knows what it takes and what horrors lie ahead of Daniel. He knows that true experience and not classroom study is what matters in the real world when dealing with possessions. He instills that idea in Daniel from the jump and immediately pushes him out of his comfort zone. As they dive deeper into Daniel’s training, the stakes and dangers only amplify even more.
The Seventh Day is a hybrid of Training Day and The Exorcist. Unfortunately, it is a poor man’s version of both films individually and that doesn’t change when mixed together. However, the Training Day aspect is much stronger than the horror. Pearce’s performance is the highlight of the film and that is on full display in the first half. As Pearce is training Derbez he delivers quick and witty lines perfectly. He is certainly arrogant and rough around the edges – making for the perfect bad boy priest that toes the line. Father Peter curses, smokes cigarettes, and mocks the church’s trainings – which Pearce knocks out of the park. The issues arise as we start to get away from the interactions between the two priests and into the “horror” aspect of the film.
The first and second half of The Seventh Day are entirely different. Not to mention by the end of the film it is spiraling out of control into nonsense. The Seventh Day is lacking on originality and scares which is not a good sign for a horror film. There are a few jump scares, but only one or two images that truly stand out. Even worse than that is twists that can be seen a mile away. I give writer/director Justin P. Lange credit for trying to keep the audience guessing even if it didn’t hit. Not only are the scares basically nonexistent – some of the ones we see look so fake they ruin the atmosphere. The Seventh Day cannot capitalize on it’s solid start and Pearce’s performance relegating it to another forgettable possession film that lacks true scares.
