Tony Gilroy Opens Up About Frustration with ‘The Little Mermaid’ Filming During ‘Andor’ Production

Tony Gilroy, the creator of the Star Wars series Andor, recently shared a humorous anecdote about filming at Pinewood Studios in England. While working on the show’s first season, Gilroy encountered an unexpected neighbor on the studio’s backlot: Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid film.

In an interview, Gilroy recounted the situation:

“When we started season 1, pre-COVID, I had an office in Pinewood, and my window looked out at the backlot. We were trying to build Ferrix. And like Ferrix is this huge thing, we were gonna stake all this money on it, it’s gonna take like 6 acres to build, and out my window, is the backlot, and who’s [in] the backlot, little fucking mermaid.”

“And, little mermaid is there like the whole time to haunt me[…] I really hated The Little Mermaid. We were gonna go to Marlow, like 18 more miles away from the hotel in the middle of nowhere, and build it.”

Ferrix is a key location in Andor, representing a gritty, industrial planet. Constructing its set required significant space and resources. However, the presence of The Little Mermaid production nearby posed challenges.

The Little Mermaid was filmed at Pinewood Studios between January and July 2021. The production utilized various facilities, including the studio’s Underwater Stage, to bring its aquatic scenes to life.

Despite the logistical hurdles, Andor successfully completed its first season, earning critical acclaim for its storytelling and production quality. Gilroy’s candid remarks highlight the complexities of coordinating multiple large-scale productions within shared studio spaces

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!