Diego Luna says Andor scale unlikely again as Ashes reaches San Sebastian

Diego Luna says his years leading the “Star Wars” series “Andor” “can’t compare to anything else” and are unlikely to be repeated.

The actor and director made the remarks at the San Sebastián Film Festival, where he arrived with “Ashes,” his latest project as a director, according to Variety. He used the visit to contrast a festival tour for an independent film with work on a major Hollywood production like “Andor.”

The difference is attention. Luna put it down to the “level of attention” around each project. A global franchise brings mass press and scrutiny. A small festival film travels lighter, with the film-maker close to the audience.

“Ashes,” known in Spanish as “Ceniza en la boca,” is Luna’s sixth feature as a director. The 98-minute Mexico-Spain co-production, meaning companies in both countries shared the making of it, premiered earlier in 2026 in Special Screenings, a non-competition showcase for notable films, at the Festival de Cannes, according to the San Sebastián Festival.

The film is adapted from a novel by Brenda Navarro. It follows 21-year-old Lucila and her brother Diego as they settle in Madrid, eight years after their mother left Mexico to build a better life in Spain, as described by Screen Daily. Anna Díaz plays Lucila, Sergio Bautista plays Diego and Adriana Paz plays their mother, who has been working without papers in Madrid for eight years.

Luna played the title role in “Andor,” the Disney+ “Star Wars” spin-off, on Disney+’s subscription streaming service, about a thief-turned-spy pulled into rebellion, as earlier described by AP. The series closed with its second season in 2025 and brought Luna two Golden Globe nominations for best actor, according to Variety. He was also once tipped as a possible Emmy contender in lead actor in a drama.

At San Sebastián, Luna also called for more “curiosity” in talk about immigration, amid hate speech aimed at newcomers. He has previously said the second season of “Andor” connects with real social and political questions beyond the show, as reported by Reuters.

For fans, this means two very different jobs side by side. One is fronting a galaxy-wide saga. The other is walking a festival carpet with a small, Spanish-language family story you realise stays close to real lives.