A new report from IndieWire announces that Ahsoka Season 2 has secured its filming window. Filming for the highly anticipated sophomore season, starring Rosario Dawson as the titular lead, is expected to commence in April 2025.
Season 1 of Ahsoka was an immense success for both Disney+ and Lucasfilm. Developed by George Lucas’ protégé Dave Filoni, the series is a spinoff of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and takes place after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI—Return of the Jedi.
However, a new update from IndieWire reveals that the Star Wars TV series will change its filming location to the United Kingdom to use “different film techniques” for Season 2, teasing Lucasfilm’s strategy to reduce its reliance on the Volume.
For those unfamiliar, the Volume is a filming technology used in the Star Wars universe to create virtual environments for live-action actors and sets. Almost all modern Star Wars projects have used the Volume. It is a large-scale enclosure of ultra-HD LED screens that display CGI backdrops. The screens move along with the camera to preserve the 3D aspect of the scene.
Lucasfilm’s decision to shift the filming location from Los Angeles to the UK is a big blow for the former city’s film industry. As per IndieWire, “the show will utilize multiple different film techniques.”
This is indeed a promising sign for Ahsoka Season 2 and other planned Star Wars projects. Season 1, while benefiting immensely from the lead actors’ sensational performances, intense lightsaber duels, chemistry among the performers, Kevin Kliner’s rousing musical score, and Dave Filoni’s confident creative direction, appeared somewhat bland in terms of CGI and overall visual appeal.
Given Dave Filoni’s animation experience, the Volume’s ability to offer meticulous control over production was likely a key factor in his decision for Ahsoka Season 1. However, we cannot deny that filming on actual locations offers a more immersive viewing experience. Let’s see how Season 2 turns out. Stay tuned for more updates.