The Mandalorian

Following in the footsteps of the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges within the Star Wars galaxy. The Mandalorian unfolds after the collapse of the Empire and before the rise of the First Order. The series follows a solitary gunfighter's journeys in the galaxy's remote outer reaches, far from the authority of the New Republic....

In 2005, George Lucas embarked on the development of a live-action TV series that would delve into the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars universe. Rick McCallum, the producer, drew comparisons to Deadwood and The Godfather, and hinted at the inclusion of bounty hunters. A poster at the 2007 Toy Fair teased upcoming Star Wars projects, with a picture of Boba Fett representing the TV series. After the completion of 50 scripts, Lucas and McCallum came to the conclusion that producing the show with the available technology would be too costly, leading them to postpone the project. In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company. Under Disney's ownership, a film focusing on Boba Fett was reportedly planned as part of its Anthology Series.

In September 2017, Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Lucasfilm, contacted Jon Favreau to explore potential ideas for Disney+, as the company aimed to create original content. Favreau expressed his interest in working with the Mandalorians, reflecting on concepts he had developed when he first learned of Disney's acquisition of the franchise. In November, Favreau presented his idea for the show to Kennedy and Carrie Beck. During the meeting, Kennedy informed him that Dave Filoni also had an interest in telling Mandalorian stories. (Filoni had previously discussed with Kennedy his desire to work in live-action, leading her to arrange visits for him to the sets of contemporary Star Wars films for production study.) Favreau was acquainted with Filoni, having voiced the Mandalorian character Pre Vizsla in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. A few days later, the three met again, this time joined by Filoni and Christopher Yost. Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney, announced the new TV series during a Disney quarterly earnings call on November 9, 2017.

During an interview with Anthony Carboni at the premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story on May 10, 2018, Favreau revealed that he was halfway through writing a season of the upcoming live-action Star Wars series. Producer Kennedy recalled, "I'd been talking to him, off and on, for a few years. He had this story, and suddenly the two of us realized, not only could this be told in the television space, but we could also push technology." In an interview with Dan Casey of Nerdist at the premiere, Favreau confirmed that the show would be set seven years after the Battle of Yavin and would feature entirely new characters. Favreau also shared that he had written four scripts before securing the job to demonstrate his vision to Lucasfilm and ensure its realization on screen. Throughout the writing process, he engaged in numerous discussions with co-executive producer Filoni, who provided feedback based on his direct experience working with George Lucas on The Clone Wars. Filoni would create sketches of Favreau's ideas, which were then shared with the department. Reflecting on the writing process, Favreau told GQ Middle East, "One thing [George Lucas] said to me was, 'remember, Jon, the real audience for all stories and all myths is the kids that are coming of age', because he's really a Joseph Campbell adherent." He also made a conscious effort to appeal to all types of Star Wars fans, telling Entertainment Weekly: "Part of what's fun is to see if we could merge the worlds of the original trilogy, the prequels, the sequels, The Clone Wars, and what's been considered canon up to this point and what's been considered part of Legends."

On August 6, 2018, The New York Times reported that Favreau's Star Wars series, produced for Disney's new streaming service, was projected to cost around $100 million for 10 episodes. In an email to The New York Times, Favreau stated that the service would enable the telling of stories that span multiple chapters. On October 26, 2018, reports surfaced that the rumored Boba Fett film had been abandoned, with Lucasfilm shifting its focus to The Mandalorian. On November 13, 2018, Pedro Pascal was reported to be in talks to play the lead role in the series. Variety announced the addition of Gina Carano to the cast the following day. Variety further reported on November 30 that Nick Nolte had joined the show's cast. Lucasfilm officially revealed the cast on December 12, confirming the casting of Pascal, Carano, and Nolte, along with Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Omid Abtahi, and Werner Herzog.

The majority of the series is filmed on soundstages in Los Angeles, with occasional plate photography in various international locations. At the suggestion of Rob Bredow, it incorporates "Stagecraft," a novel technology with special effects powered by a video game engine developed by Epic Games. ILM also established a new London-based division, ILM TV, to contribute to The Mandalorian and other projects.

Favreau likened his role as showrunner to that of a chef: "It's a lot like being a chef. You write the menu, you staff up with people who are great at what they do, you oversee and help guide the people who are actually cooking the food, working the line, and then at the end, you plate." He drew parallels between his work on the series and Iron Man (in that the release of the former would mark the launch of Disney+, whereas the latter marked the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), noting that he didn't feel much pressure on either project. Director Bryce Dallas Howard described the production process as highly collaborative, with all directors sharing an office and producers remaining receptive to director's ideas. During production, Favreau shared photos on his Instagram account. George Lucas visited the set during production as part of a birthday surprise for Favreau. While filming at a studio in Manhattan Beach, California, equipment was stolen from the set, leading to a police investigation.

Filming for the first season concluded in February 2019. Reports indicate that each episode of the season cost 15 million to produce. Robert Iger reviewed each Season One episode multiple times, providing notes and monitoring the show's progress. Members of the Star Wars costuming fan organization the 501st Legion participated as extras because the producers lacked sufficient stormtrooper costumes.

On April 2, 2019, Lucasfilm reportedly ordered a second season of The Mandalorian. During an interview with Collider regarding his live-action remake of The Lion King, Favreau mentioned that he was writing the second season and that pre-production was underway. Filming for the second season wrapped in March 2020.

On April 21, 2020, Variety reported that Lucasfilm was reportedly working on a third season of The Mandalorian. On December 10, 2020, Kathleen Kennedy hinted that the "next chapter" of The Mandalorian would premiere on Christmas of 2021. However, on December 21, 2020, Jon Favreau appeared on Good Morning America on the ABC Television Network and clarified that The Book of Boba Fett was currently in production and would be released in December 2021, while the third season of The Mandalorian would begin production after the completion of filming for The Book of Boba Fett. A StarWars.com post later that day reiterated this and stated that The Mandalorian Season Three would begin production in 2021. Filming commenced in September 2021 and concluded in March 2022.

On December 19, 2018, Ludwig Göransson was announced as the composer for the show's music. Göransson had previously composed the music for Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler's 2018 film. Favreau met him through Coogler and discussed the project a year before production began on The Mandalorian. As Favreau told the Los Angeles Times, he wanted the music to be "a little grittier, a little edgier and a little more tech-oriented, something that felt half-tech, half-classic." Göransson drew initial inspiration from a nature hike, aiming for an "organic" sound that heavily incorporated woodwinds, combined with electronic instruments and orchestral music. The first season's soundtrack was released as a limited 8-LP set, produced exclusively by mondoshop.com.

Göransson also composed the music for the show's second season. The soundtrack of the first four episodes of the second season was digitally released on November 20, 2020. The soundtrack of the last four episodes of the second season was digitally released on December 18, 2020.

Favreau, Filoni, and most of the cast participated in a panel at Celebration Chicago on April 14, 2019, where the first footage was exclusively shown to fans in attendance. A few days later, the cast appeared on Good Morning America. On August 23, 2019, The Mandalorian's first trailer was released at the D23 Expo in Anaheim at a panel featuring Favreau, Filoni, and cast members Pascal, Carano, Weathers, Waititi, and Ming-Na Wen. The show was featured as the cover story for the September 2019 issue of Entertainment Weekly. On October 19, Disney showcased 27 minutes of footage for members of the press as part of their press day for Disney+. A second and final trailer was released on October 28, 2019. The series premiered on November 12, 2019. On November 13, a premier was held at Hollywood's El Capitan Theater. Three episodes were screened at the event, and the cast and crew participated in a Q&A livestream.

Following the success of the first season, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced on February 4, 2020, that the second season would premiere on Disney+ in October 2020. He also hinted at the possibility of introducing characters to the show who might receive their own spin-offs. Alan Horn, the CCO of The Walt Disney Company, suggested that a film adaptation for either Disney+ or a theatrical release could be possible if the series proved successful. On September 2, 2020, the second season of the show was announced to be released on October 30, 2020. The show was highlighted in the October 2020 issue of Entertainment Weekly.

The spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett premiered on December 29, 2021, featuring several characters from The Mandalorian after the events of the second season.

The third season is set after the events of The Book of Boba Fett. During Celebration Anaheim in 2022, it was announced that the season would premiere in February 2023, and an exclusive teaser was shown. It was also announced that Rick Famuyiwa would executive produce and direct in the third season. The release was later pushed back to March 1.

On August 21, 2023, the release of the first two seasons of The Mandalorian on 4K Blu-ray in steelbook packaging was announced. The release will include bonus features such as original box art by Attila Szarka, concept art cards, and never-before-seen featurettes. It was scheduled to be released on December 12, 2023, though pre-orders would start on August 28.

The Mandalorian's merchandise line was launched as part of Triple Force Friday, which took place on October 4, 2019. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, a series focusing on behind-the-scenes aspects of The Mandalorian, premiered on May 4, 2020. A Mandalorian publishing program commenced in the fall of 2020. On September 21, 2020, Lucasfilm announced the "Mando Mondays" marketing campaign, in which new Mandalorian merchandise would be released each Monday, from October 26 through December 21. Elements from the show have been integrated into various video games, including Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, Minecraft Star Wars, Fortnite, and The Sims 4. Star Wars: The Old Republic, a video game within the Star Wars Legends continuity, received an update with new player armor inspired by The Mandalorian in the game's Cartel Market.

The series ranked among the most-watched series of 2019. In July 2020, the first season received 15 Emmy Awards nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. By September, it had won 7 of those nominations. In February 2021, the second season was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Best Television Series (Drama)". In July 2021, the second season received 24 Emmy awards nominations. By September, it had won 7 of those nominations.

• The Mandalorian on StarWars.com (backup link)
• The Mandalorian on Lucasfilm.com (backup link)
• The Mandalorian (Season 1) on Industrial Light & Magic's official website (backup link)
• The Mandalorian (Season 2) on Industrial Light & Magic's official website (backup link)
• The Mandalorian (Season 3) on Industrial Light & Magic's official website (backup link)
• The Mandalorian on Disney.com (backup link)
• The Mandalorian Season 2 on Disney.com (backup link)
• The Mandalorian Season 3 on Disney.com (backup link)
• The Mandalorian on Disney+ (backup link)
• The Mandalorian on Wikipedia
• The Mandalorian at the Internet Movie Database
• The Mandalorian's Next Mission? Pinball. on StarWars.com (backup link)
• STAR WARS™ - The Mandalorian™ Animated Short! on the Original Funko YouTube channel (backup link)