Star Wars: Andor filming sees Lancashire beachfront cafe transformed into a sci-fi building

Star Wars: Andor filming has seen a beachfront cafe in Cleveleys, Lancashire, transformed into a sci-fi building for the upcoming Rogue One prequel series.

Cafe Cove, on the Fylde Coast, has been altered for the new Disney+ show, which focuses on Alliance Intelligence officer Captain Cassian Andor, with shooting set to take place on Wednesday. 

It is believed that production crew, said to be E&E Industries at Pinewood Studios, have been busy setting up the impressive sci-fi scenery for eight days of filming on Tuesday. 

While staff were seen unloading set parts from large HGVs and transforming the promenade into a market or village. 

In new pictures, the beachfront cafe has been cordoned off with ‘promenade closed’ and ‘no access signs’.

While several cranes were spotted transforming the building into a sci-fi set complete with space pods.

LancsLive reports that although Pinewood Studios declined to confirm that it was  filming in Cleveleys, a source ‘close to production’ told the publication that it is for Andor.

MailOnline has contacted Pinewood Studios, Disney+ and Lucasfilm for comment.  

Just last month, LucasFilm confirmed Disney+’s Star Wars: Andor series will take place five years before the events of Rogue One. 

In a statement released by the company on the official Star Wars website, it was also announced that Genevieve O’Reilly would reprise her role as Mon Mothma for the show, while Denise Gough would also star.

The series already has Rogue One actor Diego Luna attached, who will be reprising his role as Captain Cassian Andor in a plot that will explore the early days of the Rebellion against the Empire and events leading up to those seen in the 2016 film.

Set five years before the Battle of Yavin, fans will be able to see the Empire in its full glory after being in power for around 14 years following the events of The Revenge Of The Sith.

While plot details have been kept under wraps as is expected of any Star Wars project, it has previously been stated that the show will be an espionage thriller.

LucasFilm also confirmed previous reports that Stellan Skarsgård and Kyle Soller had been cast in the show, while they also revealed that Rogue One co-writer Tony Gilroy would write, direct and act as showrunner for the series.

It was also announced that House Of Cards showrunner Beau Willimon, Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy, and The Americans writer Stephen Schiff would also be part of the show’s writing team.

Earlier that month, Diego Luna spoke in delight about the forthcoming Rogue One prequel show as he took part in a live Q&A with IndieWire via Instagram.

The Mexican actor, 41, admitted he had to keep a tight lip on plot details, but has found it a ‘nice challenge’ to return to the character given his bleak end in the Star Wars film.

The show finds Cassian during the early days of the rebellion, and prior to the events of Gareth Edwards’ 2016 spin-off film in which his character dies alongside the crew of Rogue One during their mission to steal the plans for the Death Star.

Sharing his excitement at getting to return to the character, Diego said: ‘I think it’s a nice challenge, it’s a good way to approach a show.

‘What happens when you already know the ending? Everything is in how you tell the story, how many layers you can find, this cant be a show where we surprise you, like oh no it wasn’t him, he didn’t die.

‘We know the ending… the last scene was a scene we all know so it makes a different part of your brain work, you cant use the same storylines people are used to, now we start with a character that people already know what he’s capable of.’

Rogue One also starred Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso daughter of scientist Galen, who was co-erced into building the Death Star and secretly built a defect inside that could be used to destroy it.

Determined to get the schematics for the planet killer, the duo enlisted the help of droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Imperial defector pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), and the Guardians of the Whills’ Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen).

While their mission was successful it wasn’t without its consequences, as, sadly, none of the Rogue One crew survived the operation in Scarif as K-2SO, Bodhi, Chirrut and Baze died in battle, while Jyn and Cassian were killed after the Death Star’s superlaser was used on the planet.

Gushing about working on set of the space opera, Diego went on: ‘I remember the shoot of that film as the time I experienced the most freedom in quite a long time, in every possible way.

‘The way it works its pretty much at least the one I participated in, it was a homage to the early films, it was shot like back in the day, there were no green screens, we were in the ships and everything.

‘Whatever you try to do you can do because you have the resources, the time, very talented people who are the best at what they do, so you have the chance to aim far.’

Diego went on to say that working on the film changed his life in ‘a very positive way’ as it gave him ‘the freedom to do the other stuff’ he was interested in working on, such as theatre productions or independent films.

Filming for the latest 12-part series is already underway at London’s Pinewood Studios and is currently slated for release in 2022.

In March, Empire Stormtroopers were seen lining the streets in the leafy Buckinghamshire village of Little Marlow with the set thought to be for Andor.

The upcoming series is not the only Star Wars show on Disney’s new video-on-demand platform, as the first season of The Mandalorian has already been released, with a second season on the way.

Meanwhile, an Obi-Wan Kenobi series is currently slated to come out in 2022, with prequel actor Ewan McGregor back in the leading role.