Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Official description

Following the narratives of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior makes his presence known in the Star Wars world. The Mandalorian is set in the time after the fall of the Empire and before the rise of the First Order. The show chronicles the journeys of a lone gunslinger operating in the galaxy's outer reaches, far removed from the authority of the New Republic....

Development

In 2005, George Lucas started the development of a live-action TV series designed to explore the criminal aspects of the Star Wars universe. Rick McCallum, the producer, drew comparisons to Deadwood and The Godfather, also hinting at the involvement of bounty hunters. At the 2007 Toy Fair, a poster hinted at future Star Wars projects, with the TV series represented by an image of Boba Fett. After the completion of 50 scripts, Lucas and McCallum came to the conclusion that the show's production costs would be too high with the available technology. As a result, they opted to postpone the project. In 2012, Lucas sold Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company. Under Disney's ownership, a film focused on Boba Fett was reportedly planned as part of its Anthology Series.

In September 2017, Kathleen Kennedy, head of Lucasfilm, contacted Jon Favreau to discuss potential ideas for Disney+, as the company was interested in creating original content. Favreau expressed his interest in working with the Mandalorians, recalling some concepts he had considered when he initially learned of Disney's acquisition of the franchise. In November, Favreau presented his show idea to Kennedy and Carrie Beck. During the meeting, Kennedy revealed that Dave Filoni also had an interest in telling Mandalorian stories. (Filoni had previously spoken with Kennedy about his desire to work in live-action; she then arranged for him to visit the sets of several contemporary Star Wars films to study the production process.) Favreau was already familiar with Filoni, having provided the voice for 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, 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 show. 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 mentioned that he had written four scripts prior to securing the job to demonstrate his vision for the show to Lucasfilm and ensure its realization. As the writing process continued, 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 given to 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 deliberate effort to appeal to all 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 streaming service, was expected to have a budget of approximately $100 million for 10 episodes. In an email to The New York Times, Favreau stated that the service would provide the opportunity to tell stories spanning multiple chapters. On October 26, 2018, reports indicated that the rumored Boba Fett film had been canceled, with Lucasfilm shifting its focus to The Mandalorian. On November 13, 2018, it was reported that Pedro Pascal was in talks to play the lead role in the series. Variety announced the casting of Gina Carano the following day. On November 30, Variety once again reported the addition of Nick Nolte to the show's cast. Lucasfilm officially revealed the cast on December 12, confirming the casting of Pascal, Carano, and Nolte, alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Omid Abtahi, and Werner Herzog.

Production

The majority of the series is filmed on soundstages in Los Angeles, with occasional plate photography taking place in various international locations. At the suggestion of Rob Bredow, the production employs a new technology called "Stagecraft," which utilizes special effects powered by a video game engine developed by Epic Games. To work on The Mandalorian and other projects, ILM also established a new division based in London, known as ILM TV.

Favreau described his role as showrunner as being "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 a comparison between his work on the series and Iron Man (as the release of the former would coincide with the launch of Disney+, similar to how the latter marked the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe), stating that he didn't experience significant pressure on either project. Director Bryce Dallas Howard described the production process as highly collaborative, with all directors sharing an office and the producers remaining open to ideas from the directors. Throughout production, Favreau shared photos on his Instagram account. As a birthday surprise for Favreau, George Lucas visited the set during production. During 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 indicated that each episode of the season had a production cost of 15 million. Robert Iger watched each Season One episode multiple times, providing notes and monitoring the show's progress. Members of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming fan organization, also participated as extras because the producers lacked a sufficient number of stormtrooper costumes.

On April 2, 2019, Lucasfilm reportedly ordered a second season of The Mandalorian. In 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 developing a third season of The Mandalorian. On December 10, 2020, Kathleen Kennedy hinted that the "next chapter" of The Mandalorian would be released 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. He added that 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 confirmed this and stated that production for The Mandalorian Season Three would commence in 2021. Filming began in September 2021 and concluded in March 2022.

Music

On December 19, 2018, it was announced that Ludwig Göransson would be composing the music for the show. Göransson had previously composed the music for Ryan Coogler's 2018 film Black Panther. 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's initial inspiration came from a nature hike, resulting in 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 released digitally on November 20, 2020. The soundtrack of the last four episodes of the second season was released digitally on December 18, 2020.

Release and reception

Favreau, Filoni, and the majority of the cast hosted 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 made an appearance on Good Morning America. On August 23, 2019, The Mandalorian's first trailer was unveiled at the D23 Expo in Anaheim during a panel featuring Favreau, Filoni, and cast members Pascal, Carano, Weathers, Waititi, and Ming-Na Wen. The show served as the cover story for the September 2019 issue of Entertainment Weekly. On October 19, Disney presented 27 minutes of footage to 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 premiere event was held at Hollywood's El Capitan Theater. Three episodes were screened at the event, and the cast and crew participated in a live Q&A session.

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 who would later receive their own spin-offs. According to Alan Horn, the CCO of The Walt Disney Company, the series' success could lead to a film adaptation for either Disney+ or a theatrical release. On September 2, 2020, it was announced that the show's second season would be released on October 30, 2020. The show was featured in the October 2020 edition of Entertainment Weekly.

The spinoff series The Book of Boba Fett debuted on December 29, 2021, and featured several characters that had previously appeared in The Mandalorian following 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 presented. It was also announced that Rick Famuyiwa would serve as an executive producer and director in the third season. The release was later pushed back to March 1.

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. That September, it ultimately won 7 of the nominations. In February 2021, the second season was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of "Best Television Series (Drama)". In July 2021, the second season received 24 Emmy awards nominations. That September, it ultimately won 7 of the nominations.

Home Video

On August 21, 2023, the announcement came that the initial two seasons of The Mandalorian would be made available on 4K Blu-ray in steelbook cases. The bonus content includes original box illustrations by Attila Szarka, concept art prints, and featurettes that have never been seen before. The release was scheduled for December 12, 2023, with pre-orders commencing on August 28.

Adaptations and tie-in media

The Mandalorian's line of merchandise was first released as part of Triple Force Friday, which occurred on October 4, 2019. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, a series that delves into the behind-the-scenes aspects of The Mandalorian, premiered on May 4, 2020. A Mandalorian publishing program was launched in the fall of 2020. On September 21, 2020, Lucasfilm announced the "Mando Mondays" marketing campaign, which involved the release of new Mandalorian merchandise every Monday, starting on October 26 and continuing through December 21. Elements from the show have been incorporated 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.

Media

Seasons

Credits

Sources

Notes and references

External links

• 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 Lucasfilm's official website (backup link)

• The Mandalorian on StarWars.com (backup link)

• The Mandalorian Season 3 on Disney's official website (backup link)

• The Mandalorian Season 2 on Disney's official website (backup link)

• The Mandalorian on Disney's official website (backup link)

• The Mandalorian on Disney+ (backup link)

• The Mandalorian on Wikipedia

• The Mandalorian at the Internet Movie Database

• STAR WARS™ - The Mandalorian™ Animated Short! on the Original Funko YouTube channel (backup link)

• Related categories:

• Star Wars: The Mandalorian

• Star Wars: The Mandalorian