Jon Favreau lifts the lid on the first ever live-action Star Wars series
Prepare yourself for a wild ride.
Star Wars Celebration has been an incredible event so far. Not only have we been treated to the mind-blowing teaser trailer for the highly anticipated finale to the Skywalker saga Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but EA Star Wars have also added to the prestige by revealing the trailer for the awe-inspiring and immersive new Star Wars game: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
And today, thanks to Jon Favreau and his special guest, the illustrious Dave Filoni we are delighted to be able to share with you details about the first ever live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian. The hotly anticipated series, which is set to headline the new Disney+ streaming service when it launches this November follows the adventures of a lone Mandalorian gunfighter battling his way through the darkest recesses of the Outer Rim five years after the fall of the Empire. Boba Fett fans have been pleading for new Mandalorian content for some time and with Jon Favreau in charge, a visionary director who adores the heritage of Mandalorian mythology, it would appear those appetites are about to be satisfied.
- Taking to the stage, Favreau and Filoni revealed that The Mandalorian was based upon the classic westerns and Kurosawa movies that inspired George Lucas whilst making the original Star Wars trilogy.
- Favreau revealed that he wanted to bring in elements from every aspect of the Star Wars franchise even drawing upon elements from the old Expanded Universe and Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure.
- Gina Carano has been revealed as playing a new character named Kara Dune. Dune is a former Rebel Fleet Trooper struggling to reintegrate into normal society following the fall of the Empire.
- Hollywood legend Carl Weathers is playing a character known as Greef. Greef runs a guild of bounty hunters. He’s a nefarious character who hires The Mandalorian to obtain a rare resource.
- The production found itself short of Stormtrooper costumes and called upon the services of the famous 501st Battalion to take part in the series.
- Jon Favreau confirmed that the series would be employing cutting edge technology similar to the template used on The Jungle Book and The Lion King which would be integrated with contemporary live-action effects to create a truly unique landscape.
- The Mandalorian’s ship is aptly named “The Razor Crest”. The craft is a repurposed Republic Gunship redesigned to endure the harsh landscapes of the Outer Rim.
- Gina Carano decided to film many of the stunts herself and refused to rely on the services of a stunt double.
- Pedro Pascal confirmed his Mandalorian character took inspiration from the iconic screen performances of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood.
- Footage was shown of the Razor Crest being designed and modelled and filmed using the same techniques used to film the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: A New Hope.
Having seen the footage, I am totally blown away by The Mandalorian and cannot wait to immerse myself in its glory. The footage revealed images of The Mandalorian entering a backwater cantina on a hostile snow planet and encountering Kara Dune, facing off against Stormtroopers and TIE Fighters, encountering Jawas, riding Dewbacks and even encountering saga legend IG-88. In another masterstroke by the filmmakers, The Mandalorian will also be utilising the pronged plasma rifle made famous by Boba Fett in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. The footage shown revealed our hero raising the plasma rifle and aiming it at the screen in true badass fashion.
The series looks utterly immersive and boasts elements from every shred of the Star Wars fabric ever to be put on film. The inclusion of elements from the Expanded Universe and the cult classic Ewok movies will make for stunning viewing and will bring an aesthetic quality, unlike anything we have ever seen before. It is dark, gritty and hauntingly similar to the atmosphere made famous in the cantina sequence of A New Hope.
The series represents a significant breakthrough for Lucasfilm which has been desperate to drag the Star Wars television genre into the realm of live-action for some time. George Lucas attempted the endeavour in the run-up to the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney but was forced to shelve the idea when the budget for each episode reached excessive levels.
Thankfully, Disney and Lucasfilm have worked tirelessly to remedy this failing and The Mandalorian will be speeding towards our screens in all its glory, and on the strength of this footage, I think it’s safe to say it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Stay tuned to The Future of the Force for the latest reveals as they happen.
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Phil Roberts is Future of the Force’s owner, daily content manager, the editor of thefutureoftheforce.com, and a writer. He loves Star Wars, Batman, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, King Kong and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Follow him on Twitter @philthecool where he uses the force frequently!
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
