Mandalorians are a fictional group of people associated with the planet Mandalore in the Star Wars universe and franchise created by Joe Johnston and George Lucas . Their appearance is often distinguished by gear such as battle helmets, armor, and jetpacks .
222-442: First conceptualized for The Empire Strikes Back as a group of white-armored "supercommandos", the idea developed into a single bounty hunter character, Boba Fett . Although Fett was not identified as a Mandalorian in the film, his popularity inspired an extensive inquisition into Mandalorians in future Star Wars media, including novels , comics , television series , and video games . The Star Wars Expanded Universe and
444-425: A Miss Piggy routine. Hamill recalled Ford giving him a kiss instead of reading his lines, which entertained the crew. Mayhew fell ill while filming Han's torture scene because the set used bursts of steam, which raised the ambient temperature to 90 °F (32 °C) while he was wearing a wool suit. Bank of America representatives visited the set in late March, concerned about rising costs. Lucas rarely visited
666-481: A Star Wars television series featuring Mandalorians to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy . Dave Filoni , executive producer on the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels , had also been conceiving a Mandalorian-focused series, and Kennedy suggested that he and Favreau meet to discuss their ideas. Favreau and Filoni had previously met at the Skywalker Ranch when Favreau
888-478: A manga about a samurai warrior and his young son. Favreau acknowledged Lone Wolf and Cub as an influence in an episode of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian . The Mandalorian's parental role in the series makes him a softer and more relatable character; he changes in a positive way because of raising the Child, becoming less selfish and self-absorbed. He risked his life and drastically changed his career as
1110-643: A virtual reality environment as if he was filming with physical cameras. For The Lion King , the results of the virtual photography were then rendered by MPC as the final animation for the film. On The Mandalorian , Favreau wanted to use virtual technology to aid live-action photography and also develop the video wall system. ILM partnered with video game developer Epic Games to create a new system named StageCraft based on Epic's game engine Unreal Engine . StageCraft consists of large LED video screens on which digital environments can be rendered in real-time for actors to perform in front of. During pre-production,
1332-662: A "climactic story event". Before Lucasfilm announced that Carano was no longer employed by the company in February 2021, The Hollywood Reporter had reported that there was potential for her to star in Rangers of the New Republic . Active development on the series had not begun by that May, and it was still on hold in November when Kennedy said the development had not reached a point where scripts were written. She said there
1554-405: A 21-foot-tall (6.4 m) set that was 75 feet (23 m) in diameter, surrounded by a 360-degree semicircular LED video wall and ceiling. The Manhattan Beach Studios set is referred to as a "volume", which is traditionally the name for motion capture stages. Favreau's initial intention was to use the video wall as a way to provide realistic interactive lighting for the actors, with a section of
1776-529: A BAFTA , among others. Subsequent releases have raised the film's worldwide gross to $ 538–549 million and, adjusted for inflation, it is the 13th-highest-grossing film in the United States and Canada . Since its release, The Empire Strikes Back has been critically reassessed and is now often regarded as the best film in the Star Wars series and among the greatest films ever made . It has had
1998-530: A Fox distribution employee with recommending Finse , Norway; Kurtz said it was Reynolds who had done so. For the bog planet Dagobah, scouts looked at Central Africa, Kenya, and Scandinavia, but Lucas wanted to avoid shooting on location. He funded the construction of a " Star Wars stage" at Elstree Studios , London, for the Dagobah and rebel base sets. Construction for the stage—which measured 1,250,000 cubic feet (35,000 m ) and cost $ 2 million—began at
2220-552: A bit too withholding— The Mandalorian is a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe that benefits greatly from the cuteness of its cargo." Metacritic , which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 for the season, based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating with an average score of 8.5/10, based on 451 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "With fan favorites and fresh faces galore both in front of and behind
2442-552: A bounty hunter guild; Werner Herzog as " the Client ", an enigmatic man; Omid Abtahi as Dr. Penn Pershing , a scientist working for the Client; Nick Nolte as the voice of Kuiil , an Ugnaught moisture farmer who helps the Mandalorian; Taika Waititi as the voice of IG-11 , a bounty hunter droid ; Gina Carano as Cara Dune , a former Rebel shock trooper turned mercenary; Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon ,
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#17327733761652664-404: A bounty hunter to a nurse droid and protector. Even after IG-11 is reprogrammed, the Mandalorian does not believe he has truly changed, because he believes droids have an essential nature and that IG-11's nature remains murderous and untrustworthy. But in reprogramming IG-11, Kuiil nurtures him and helps him to change; Kuiil feels that in the process of learning how to function again, IG-11 gained
2886-405: A bounty hunter to accept his responsibility as the Child's caretaker and guardian, marking a significant parental sacrifice. When the Mandalorian seeks work to earn money, he is now doing so to provide not only for himself, but for the Child as well. We see several examples of the Mandalorian parenting the Child throughout the series, such as when he stops the Child from pressing random buttons in
3108-611: A complete end-to-end solution, and that December, it was announced that three additional StageCraft volumes–in Los Angeles, London, and Australia–were being built. In November 2019, Walt Disney Studios CCO Alan Horn said if the series was successful, a film featuring the Mandalorian could be developed. The next month, Favreau said there was an opportunity to explore the series' characters in other Star Wars films or television series. Bob Iger said in February 2020 that spin-offs of The Mandalorian were being considered, and there
3330-555: A controlled drop at a rate of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) or 2,500 feet (760 m) a minute. A heated shelter for the helicopter had to be constructed, which delayed filming of the shot by four weeks. The second unit, scheduled to be in Finse for three weeks, was there for eight. When the crew returned to London, they had only half the planned footage, and background images for special effects shots were uneven. Empire ' s budget increased to around $ 22 million because of
3552-1016: A couple parsecs as The Mandalorian becomes more and more about the connective tissue of broader Star Wars lore, but this remains one of the most engaging adventures in a galaxy far, far away." Metacritic has assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The Mandalorian has been nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards and forty-two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (winning fifteen Creative Arts Emmys), as well as one British Academy Television Award , one Critics' Choice Television Award , one Directors Guild of America Award , one Golden Globe Award , seven Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards and four Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts TV Awards (winning one), three Hugo Awards , three MTV Movie & TV Awards , one Producers Guild of America Award , two TCA Awards , nineteen Visual Effects Society Awards (winning five), and one Writers Guild of America Award , among others. The Mandalorian
3774-494: A cut of the film until March. That month, Lucas decided he wanted an additional Hoth scene and auditioned 50 ILM crew to appear as Rebels. The final 124-minute cut was completed on April 16, which triggered a $ 10 million payment from Fox to Bank of Boston. Lucasfilm also launched an employee bonus scheme to share Empire ' s profits with its staff. Test screenings were held in San Francisco on April 19. While
3996-586: A different actor to provide Yoda's voice, but decided it would be too difficult to cast someone who could match their voice to Oz's puppetry. Jeremy Bulloch did not audition for Boba Fett; he was hired because the costume fit him. It was uncomfortable and top-heavy, making it difficult to maintain his balance, and the mask often steamed up. Bulloch assumed his lines would be dubbed over, as he had little dialogue (Fett's voice actor, Jason Wingreen, remained uncredited until 2000). Bulloch also appears as an Imperial officer who restrains Leia on Bespin. No other cast member
4218-476: A diminutive, froglike creature, Minch Yoda. Lucas drew on influences including The Thing from Another World (1951), the novel Dune (1965), and the television series Flash Gordon (1954). Around this time, Kurtz conceived the title The Empire Strikes Back . He said they avoided calling it Star Wars II because films with "II" in their titles were seen as inferior. Brackett completed her first draft in February 1978, titled Star Wars sequel, from
4440-569: A faction of ex-Imperials, was personally involved in the Great Purge and obtained the Darksaber (a unique, black-bladed lightsaber symbolising dynastic authority on Mandalore) from Bo-Katan after defeating her in combat. During the show's second season , it is revealed that Bo-Katan, along with a small number of Mandalorian warriors willing to follow her, is attempting to reclaim the Darksaber and liberate Mandalore from Imperial occupation. In
4662-564: A former Imperial officer; and Emily Swallow as " the Armorer ", a Mandalorian who forges armor and equipment from beskar steel. Esposito, Carano, Weathers, and Abtahi returned for the second season. Several actors appear as characters from previous Star Wars media, including Timothy Olyphant as Cobb Vanth , Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett , Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze , Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano , and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker . Other recurring co-stars for
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#17327733761654884-553: A full mask that his wife Elaine wore. Chimpanzee eyes were superimposed over her face; cat eyes and assistant accountant Laura Crockett's eyes were also considered. Pre-production began in early 1978. Although Kershner wanted two years, this phase only lasted a year. Seeking an area to represent the ice planet Hoth, location scouts considered Finland, Sweden, and the Arctic Circle. The location needed to be free of trees and near populated areas for amenities. Kershner credited
5106-470: A green screen. After learning lessons about the technology during the production of the first season of The Mandalorian , ILM was able to make several advancements beginning with the second season. This included transitioning StageCraft to a fully in-house product utilizing ILM's game engine, Helios, rather than Epic's Unreal Engine. In February 2020, ILM announced that it was making its StageCraft technology available to all filmmakers and production studios as
5328-467: A line mentioning Lando deliberately abandoning his people, and had Luke contact Leia through the Force instead of Obi-Wan's ghost. The fourth draft—mostly the same but with more detailed action—was submitted on October 24. Although some of Brackett's ideas remained, such as Luke's Dagobah training, her dialogue and characterization were removed. Kasdan described her take as from "a different era", lacking
5550-464: A little disturbing." Some reviewers noted, however, that the Child likely mistakenly believed the Mandalorian was in danger and intervened to help. Additionally, in the same episode, the Child uses Force healing to save Greef Karga, a power typically associated with the Light Side. Nevertheless, some writers have suggested viewers had been underestimating the Child's capacity for evil because he
5772-450: A more appropriate guardian for the Child, as in the second season's fifth episode, "The Jedi", in which he seeks to leave him with Ahsoka Tano . Several writers suggested the fact that the Mandalorian's face is concealed has a tabula rasa effect and his anonymity allows viewers to see and imagine themselves as parents. Britt said this "allow(s) us to dream about what arsenal we might deploy to protect our children". However, Singer said
5994-464: A new Star Wars series for Disney+ in March 2018. Kennedy added that the series was an opportunity for a diverse group of writers and directors to be hired to create Star Wars stories after the franchise's films had been criticized for being written and directed solely by white men. In May, Favreau stated that he had written scripts for four of the series' eight episodes before being officially hired for
6216-467: A new personality. Kuiil insists to the Mandalorian: "Droids are not good or bad — they are neutral reflections of those who program them." Keith Phipps of Vulture wrote of IG-11 and the nature versus nurture theme: "He's not bad. He's just programmed that way, and with care and change he can do a lot of good in the world." The Kuiil and IG-11 scenes also demonstrate that how the "child" character
6438-671: A people dissolved, and instead, the Mandalorians develop into a culture of wandering mercenaries . Through instructions from Revan , as depicted in Knights of the Old Republic and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords , Canderous Ordo assumes the title of Mand'alor and reunites the warrior clans. Canderous thus redefined Mandalorians from a species to the idea 'that anybody who follows
6660-695: A profit percentage. He had profited substantially from Star Wars and did not need to work, but was too invested in his creation to entrust it to others. Lucas had concepts for the sequel but no solid structure. He knew the story would be darker, would explore more mature themes and relationships, and would continue to explore the nature of the Force. Lucas intended to fund the production independently, using his $ 12 million profit from Star Wars to relocate and expand his special effects company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and establish his Skywalker movie ranch in Marin County, California , with
6882-425: A reason to fire her for two months. The February 2021 posts were "the final straw", and the decision to fire the actress was made by Lucasfilm executives rather than Favreau. The Walt Disney Company's then-CEO Bob Chapek said Carano was fired because her posts did not align with the values of Disney, which he said were "universal" and not political. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Carano's role of Cara Dune
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7104-536: A river that acts as a natural moat . Keldabe is described as an "anarchic fortress" characterized by dissimilar architectural styles. Mandalorians debuted in Marvel's Star Wars #68: "The Search Begins", which describes the super-commandos, the official protectors of the planet Mandalore. They are described as being two of three survivors of the Clone Wars, in which they fought for Emperor Palpatine . In Tales of
7326-399: A second, third, and fourth film, but Ford had declined similar terms because of earlier bad experiences; he agreed to return because he wanted to improve on his Star Wars performance. Hamill spent four months bodybuilding and learning karate, fencing, and kendo to prepare for his stunts. David Prowse hesitated to return as Darth Vader because, as he was hidden behind a costume, he believed
7548-524: A sequel was swiftly put into production. In case Star Wars had failed, creator George Lucas had contracted Alan Dean Foster to write a low-budget sequel (later released as the novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye ). Once the success of Star Wars was evident, Lucas was reluctant to direct the sequel because of the stress of making the first film and its impact on his health. The popularity of Star Wars brought Lucas wealth, fame and positive attention from
7770-595: A shot of the Star Destroyer launching probes. He continued tweaking elements to improve the special effects, but even with ILM staff working up to 24 hours a day, six days a week, there was not enough time to do everything they wanted. A Dagobah pick-up scene, in which R2-D2 is spat out by a monster, was filmed in Lucas's swimming pool; the Emperor's scenes were filmed in February 1980. Fox executives did not see
7992-421: A significant impact on filmmaking and popular culture and is often considered an example of a sequel superior to its predecessor. The climax, in which Vader reveals he is Luke's father, is often ranked as one of the greatest plot twists in cinema. The film spawned a variety of merchandise and adaptations, including video games and a radio play. The United States Library of Congress selected it for preservation in
8214-406: A single parent and a working parent since the Mandalorian struggles to continue his day job as a bounty hunter and mercenary while serving as the sole caretaker of the Child. Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter described the show as "the adventures of a single dad looking for a job". Several reviewers have compared the dynamic between the Child and the Mandalorian to Lone Wolf and Cub ,
8436-489: A sister (not Leia), Han goes on a mission to recruit his powerful stepfather, and Lando is a clone from the Clone Wars . Lucas made detailed notes and attempted to contact Brackett, but she had been hospitalized, and died of cancer a few weeks later, on March 18. The strict schedule left Lucas no choice but to write the second draft himself. Though Brackett's draft followed Lucas's outline, he found she had portrayed
8658-427: A slimy creature to a small blue one; each version retained the character's long life and wisdom. Yoda was intended to teach Luke to respect everyone and not judge by appearances, and defy audience expectations. The draft tightened or expanded dialogue to better pace action scenes, added more romance, and added or changed locations, such as moving a Vader scene from a spaceship deck to his private cubicle. Lucas removed
8880-402: A soft, pink nerve." Likewise, Vulture writer Kathryn VanArendonk said the show ignores or does not address many parenting details that make fatherhood difficult, such as what the Child eats, when he goes to sleep, and whether he wears diapers. She wrote: " The Mandalorian is uninterested in diapers, and so Mando gets to be a very particular image of fatherhood: the guy who doesn't have to sweat
9102-483: A story conference to discuss Lucas's draft. The group collaborated on ideas, with Lucas embracing their challenges and input. Mandated to deliver a fifth of the script every other week, Kasdan began his rewrite, focusing on developing character relationships and psychologies; he completed the third draft by early August. This version refined Minch Yoda—alternately named "the Critter", Minch, Buffy, and simply Yoda—from
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9324-549: A story conference. Lucas had core ideas in mind but wanted Brackett to piece them together. He envisioned one central plot complemented by three main subplots, set across 60 scenes, 100 script pages, and a two-hour runtime. They formed a general outline and ideas that included the Wookiee homeworld, new alien species, the Galactic Emperor, a gambler from Han's past, water and city planets, Luke's lost twin sister, and
9546-497: A subsidiary of Lucasfilm, opened a new division in November 2018 called ILM TV, specifically intended for episodic and streaming television. Based in London with support from ILM's San Francisco, Vancouver, and Singapore locations, one of the first projects for the new division was The Mandalorian . While directing The Jungle Book (2016), Favreau had used large screens on set to create interactive lighting so when live-action footage
9768-564: A war with the Jedi that occurred before the timeframe of the series. The New Mandalorian people built their cities, such as the capital Sundari, in large biodomes . The design of Sundari draws on Cubist elements, and murals located in the city mimic Pablo Picasso 's Guernica . The concept of Mandalore as a "large desolate planet of white sand with these cube-like buildings" was developed by Lucas early in development for The Clone Wars season two. Lucas also wanted layers of glass incorporated into
9990-455: A weapon that would kill Mandalorians. Upon returning to Mandalore, she gained the support of her estranged mother Ursa. Sabine and her mother had differences of opinion as her mother turned to the Empire for support. Ultimately House Wren sides with Sabine. With the Darksaber, she rallies Clan Wren and takes arms against Clan Saxon, which has the backing of the Empire. After Clan Saxon is defeated,
10212-409: A week later. The typical purpose of the second unit was to do time-consuming filming for special effects shots, but they were now filming main scenes—including Luke's ice cave imprisonment—because the schedule had overrun by around 26 days. Hamill was unavailable for several days after injuring his hand during a stunt jump from a speeder bike . Having been called in for the stunt the same day his son
10434-478: Is " the Child "—colloquially known as "Baby Yoda" by viewers—an infant of the same species as Yoda , created with animatronics and puppetry (augmented with visual effects). He becomes the Mandalorian's ward, and is revealed to be named Grogu in " Chapter 13: The Jedi ". The Mandalorian is also portrayed by stunt doubles Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder . The first season features several recurring co-stars, including Carl Weathers as Greef Karga , leader of
10656-522: Is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan , based on a story by George Lucas . The sequel to Star Wars (1977), it is the second film in the Star Wars film series and the fifth chronological chapter of the " Skywalker Saga ". Set three years after the events of Star Wars , the film recounts the battle between
10878-399: Is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+ . It is the first live-action series in the Star Wars franchise and begins five years after the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983). It follows a lone bounty hunter who protects a Force -sensitive child, Grogu , from remnant Imperial forces. Pedro Pascal stars as
11100-459: Is brought to the actors." The environments were designed by the series' visual art department, led by Lucasfilm's creative director Doug Chiang and production designer Andrew L. Jones. During filming, the digital environments were rendered on a video wall in real-time, allowing the filmmakers and actors to see the environments. ILM used a smaller version of the technology for Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), but on The Mandalorian they utilized
11322-408: Is learning to become violent himself as a result. Phipps wrote of this: "That look of wonder in the Child's eyes as IG-11 kills and kills again is hilarious, but also a little chilling." One particular scene in "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" led many reviewers and fans to question whether the Child may be demonstrating evil tendencies. During a scene on the Mandalorian's spaceship, the Child observes as
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#173277337616511544-488: Is one of the most overt discussions about the challenges of caring for the Child. When the Mandalorian accidentally wakes the child, who had been sleeping in Peli's arms, she chides him: "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?" She also condemns the Mandalorian for leaving the child alone on the ship, saying: "you have an awful lot to learn about raising a young one". ScreenCrush writer Matt Singer argued
11766-486: Is raised makes a significant difference in whether the child becomes an asset or a threat to those around him. The droid was a dangerous assassin before Kuiil reprogrammed him, but thanks to the Ugnaught's parenting, he becomes a protector and helper instead. Some writers have likewise suggested the Child is not inherently good or evil, but that instead, like all children, he is impressionable and does not fully understand
11988-495: Is scheduled for release in May 2026. A fourth season of the series had been in development, but it is unclear if it will proceed following the announcement of the film. Interconnected spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , and Skeleton Crew expand on The Mandalorian 's timeframe, with an untitled feature film directed by Filoni set to serve as a conclusion to the interconnected stories. Beginning five years after
12210-477: Is scheduled to be released in 2024. In January 2024, Lucasfilm announced a film, The Mandalorian & Grogu , that would continue the stories established in the series. Favreau was announced to direct, co-write with Filoni, and produce the film with Kennedy and Filoni. Filming began by August 2024, and the film is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2026. Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios and the Anzellan species from
12432-484: Is so adorable. Fans speculated the Child could be presenting a false personality or using the Force to manipulate people into caring about him to help ensure his survival. However, Caitlin Gallagher of Bustle suggested rather than building toward making the Child evil, the show could be suggesting the Mandalorian needs to find a way to raise the Child in a less violent environment. The Mandalorian premiered on
12654-560: Is unusual in Star Wars stories and that past examples of parenting in the franchise have tended to be poor ones, from the murderous Darth Vader , father of Luke Skywalker , to the neglectful Galen Erso , father of Jyn Erso in Rogue One (2016). Britt wrote: "For years the Star Wars franchise avoided depicting a parent-child dynamic. With Mando and Baby Yoda, that's finally changing." The dynamic between Kuiil and IG-11 also reflect
12876-415: Is voiced by Clive Revill and portrayed physically by Elaine Baker. The bounty hunter Boba Fett is portrayed physically by Jeremy Bulloch and voiced by Jason Wingreen (who remained uncredited until 2000). Other bounty hunters include Dengar (portrayed by Morris Bush) and the humanoid lizard Bossk (Alan Harris). Following the unexpected financial success and cultural impact of Star Wars (1977),
13098-471: The Legacy of the Force novels, set forty years after the original Star Wars film, where Boba Fett is convinced by his granddaughter Mirta Gev to assume the title of Mand'alor and again reunite the Mandalorian people. Beskar is also described as being lightsaber -proof in the reference book The Jedi Path (2010). In the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , set roughly 4000 years before
13320-600: The Republic Commando novels, set during the Clone Wars, Mandalore is an independent planet, although many Mandalorian warriors fight for the Separatists. However, a group of Mandalorians had also acted as training sergeants for the clone trooper army under the direction of Jango Fett, and many clone troopers practice Mandalorian customs and traditions. After the establishment of the Galactic Empire,
13542-451: The Republic Commando novel series . Mando'a is a primarily spoken, agglutinative language that lacks grammatical gender in its nouns and pronouns. The language is also characterized as lacking a passive voice , instead primarily using the active voice . It is also described as having only three grammatical tenses — present , past , and future —but it is said to be often vague and its speakers typically do not use tenses other than
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#173277337616513764-940: The Falcon ' s hyperdrive and the vessel escapes. After the group joins the rebel fleet, Luke's missing hand is replaced by a robotic prosthesis . He, Leia, C-3PO , and R2-D2 observe as Lando and Chewbacca depart on the Falcon to find Han. The film also features Alec Guinness as Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, and John Hollis as Lobot, Lando's aide. The Rebel force includes General Rieekan (portrayed by Bruce Boa ), Major Derlin ( John Ratzenberger ), Cal Alder ( Jack McKenzie ), Dak Ralter ( John Morton ), Wedge Antilles ( Denis Lawson ), Zev Senesca ( Christopher Malcolm ), and Hobbie Klivian ( Richard Oldfield ). The Empire's forces include Admiral Piett ( Kenneth Colley ), Admiral Ozzel ( Michael Sheard ), General Veers ( Julian Glover ), and Captain Needa ( Michael Culver ). The Emperor
13986-585: The Jedi Master Yoda . Han Solo discovers Luke and insulates him against the weather inside his deceased tauntaun mount until they are rescued the next morning. Alerted to the Rebels' location, the Empire launches a large-scale attack using AT-AT walkers , forcing the Rebels to evacuate the base. Han, Princess Leia , C-3PO and Chewbacca escape aboard the Millennium Falcon , but
14208-679: The Marvel Cinematic Universe , where smaller stories exist within the larger narrative, as a potential guide for spin-offs. Additionally, both Favreau and Pascal were open to the idea of the Mandalorian appearing in a Star Wars film, but Favreau was in "no rush" to do this. In December 2020, the spin-off series Rangers of the New Republic , Ahsoka , and The Book of Boba Fett were announced, with all three series developed by Favreau and Filoni, set within The Mandalorian ' s timeframe and planned to culminate in
14430-660: The National Film Registry in 2010. Return of the Jedi (1983) followed Empire , concluding the original Star Wars trilogy . Prequel and sequel trilogies have since been released. Three years after the destruction of the Death Star , the Imperial fleet, led by Darth Vader , dispatches probe droids across the galaxy in search for the Rebel Alliance . One probe locates the rebel base on
14652-537: The Star Wars films. Favreau also acknowledged that much of the technology involved in StageCraft is not proprietary and is readily available to others, it just had not been combined in this way before. Favreau invited other filmmakers and studios to visit the series' set and see how the new technology was being used, noting that Lucas and other filmmakers such as James Cameron had done the same when they had been working on innovative film projects. Favreau added that
14874-541: The Star Wars property. Lucas took an executive producer role, enabling him to focus on his businesses and the development of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). By late 1977, Kurtz began hiring key crew members, including production designer Norman Reynolds , consultant John Barry , makeup artist Stuart Freeborn , and first assistant director David Tomblin . Lucas rehired artists Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston to maintain visual consistency with Star Wars , and
15096-543: The Star Wars stage. By February 25, the Finse location crew had arrived in Norway to receive flown-in equipment containers and begin digging trenches for battle scenes. The musical score for The Empire Strikes Back was composed and conducted by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra , at a cost of about $ 250,000. Williams began planning the score in November 1979, estimating
15318-560: The acetate film brittle, camera lenses iced over, snow seeped into equipment, and effects paint froze inside the tin. To counter these effects, lenses were kept cool but the camera body was warmed to protect the film, battery, and camera operators' hands. The crew was outside for up to 11 hours at a time, being subjected to thin air, limited visibility, and mild frostbite ; one crewman slipped and broke two ribs. The difficult conditions led to strong camaraderie among crewmembers. Avalanches blocked direct transport links, and trenches dug by
15540-450: The crew credits at the end of the film to avoid interfering with the opening. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Directors Guild of America (DGA) had allowed this for the first film because Lucas directed and it opened with the logo for his namesake Lucasfilm, but for Empire they refused to allow Kershner or the first and second unit directors to be credited only at the end, fined Lucas $ 250,000 when he ignored them and tried to have
15762-416: The first season was released through December 27. A second season was released from October to December 2020, and a third season was released from March to April 2023. The series has received largely positive reviews from critics and several accolades, including Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award wins for all three seasons. A feature film, The Mandalorian & Grogu , is being directed by Favreau and
15984-550: The season two finale , Djarin defeats Moff Gideon in combat, thus becoming the rightful owner of the Darksaber and the legitimate ruler of Mandalore, which Bo-Katan accepts; even though Djarin is not interested in ruling and would rather pass the Darksaber to her as they intended, she insists she needs to obtain it through combat. The season thus ends with a cliffhanger, as Djarin could either help Bo-Katan and her forces liberate Mandalore in exchange for their assistance in taking down Gideon, or they could become hostile over possession of
16206-624: The title character , with Katee Sackhoff co-starring in the third season. Star Wars creator George Lucas had begun developing a live-action Star Wars television series by 2009, but it was deemed too expensive to produce. He sold Lucasfilm to Disney in October 2012, and work on a new Star Wars series began for Disney+. Favreau signed on as writer and showrunner in March 2018. He executive produces alongside Dave Filoni , Kathleen Kennedy , and Colin Wilson ; Rick Famuyiwa joined them for
16428-446: The Child because of his childhood, when he was orphaned upon the death of his parents and was adopted by the Mandalorian culture as a "foundling". Nevertheless, fatherhood is not a role the Mandalorian initially seeks, and he makes repeated initial attempts to avoid this responsibility. He first does so in "Chapter 3: The Sin", when he first leaves the Child with the Client. He does so again in "Chapter 4: Sanctuary" when he plans to leave
16650-448: The Child with Omera, a protective mother on the planet Sorgan, who is willing to take the Child into her own family. The Mandalorian does not fully commit to the role of fatherhood until the first-season finale, "Chapter 8: Redemption" when the Child himself is also adopted into the Mandalorian culture as a "foundling" and the Mandalorian is formally declared to be his father figure. He nonetheless continues to search for what he feels may be
16872-468: The Child. As examples, she cited Obi-Wan Kenobi serving as a mentor to the adolescent Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia lamenting over her grown son Kylo Ren , or the absence of Rey 's parents. Britt argued strong parental examples in Star Wars are important because the franchise is so often associated with the childhoods of its fans. The Mandalorian particularly highlights the challenges of being
17094-496: The Clones (2002) introduces the bounty hunter Jango Fett , who also wore Mandalorian armor, and was the adoptive father of Boba, a clone of Jango. More spin-off material explored Mandalorian lore, including the violent Death Watch sect. Following the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney in 2014, most existing spin-off material was declared to be non-canon. Only the films and spin-off works produced after April 25, 2014, are part of
17316-678: The Darksaber and ideological differences. Despite his loyalty to the Creed-following Mandalorians who raised him, Djarin seems ever more open to Bo-Katan's Mandalorian views of the Way, as illustrated by his new willingness to remove his helmet on one occasion in front of living organisms. Eventually Kryze and Djarin were able unite Djarin's tribe and Kryze's followers into reclaiming Mandalore from Gideon's Inperial remnant. After Gideon's demise, all mandalorians were to return to Mandalore. In April 2014, Lucasfilm rebranded most of
17538-488: The Empire seemingly backs off from Mandalore, and Sabine renounces ownership of the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze , sister of the late Duchess Satine Kryze, who promises to unite all Mandalorian clans under her leadership and restore peace to Mandalore. At some point during the Galactic Civil War, between the events of Rebels (5–1 BBY) and Return of the Jedi (4 ABY), the Empire returned to Mandalore and purged
17760-576: The Force . The duo then travel to Mandalore so Djarin can redeem himself for the transgression of removing his helmet. Pedro Pascal stars as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian , the series' title character. Pascal compared Djarin, a lone bounty hunter with advanced combat skills and "questionable moral character", to Clint Eastwood . The character's real name is not given until " Chapter 8: Redemption ", but Pascal accidentally revealed it early in November 2019. His bounty in " Chapter 1: The Mandalorian "
17982-501: The Jedi (1983) and the prequel film Attack of the Clones (2002), the latter of which established him as a clone , raised by his genetic template, Jango Fett , to be his son. Jango is also a bounty hunter who is not explicitly identified as a Mandalorian in the film, but wears Mandalorian armor, which passes down to Boba Fett. In The Mandalorian , Boba refers to his father as a Mandalorian foundling. The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars expands upon Mandalorian lore with
18204-526: The Jedi , set thousands of years before the original Star Wars film, the Mandalorians are a major military power who side with the Sith in their war against the Jedi, and their leader is manipulated by the Sith into triggering a war with the Republic. They are defeated with the aid of Revan and Malak , and Revan ensures a new Mand'alor, the sole ruler of the Mandalorian people, cannot rise. Their unity as
18426-643: The Jedi after discovering it is Force-sensitive. According to Bo-Katan Kryze in " Chapter 11: The Heiress ", Djarin was found by the "Children of the Watch", a group of religious zealots who follow the ancient "Way of the Mandalore", consisting of various forgotten Mandalorian traditions, such as never removing their helmets in front of others; they were excluded from the mainstream of Mandalorian society for trying to spread their beliefs. Djarin thus finds out he's part of an extremist group without ever having known it; he
18648-474: The Mandalore system, armed with weapons built into white suits and known for battling the Jedi . Initially, the soldiers were called Super Troopers and were intended to look alike. The group eventually developed into a single bounty hunter character, Boba Fett , and the costume was reworked, but it retained elements such as wrist lasers, rocket darts, a jetpack, and a missile. In a 1979 issue of Bantha Tracks ,
18870-488: The Mandalorian and Cara Dune engage in a friendly arm wrestling match. During the contest, the Child uses the Force to choke Cara, nearly strangling her before the Mandalorian intervened. Throughout the Star Wars franchise, that ability has been most commonly associated with the Dark Side of the Force, particularly Darth Vader. Sarah Bea Milner of Screen Rant wrote: "The moment is genuinely shocking — and more than
19092-624: The Mandalorian language, created by Philip Metschan for the display screens of Jango Fett's ship, the Slave I , in Attack of the Clones , later re-appeared in The Clone Wars and Rebels . Composer Jesse Harlin, needing lyrics for the choral work he wanted for the 2005 Republic Commando video game, invented a spoken form, intending it to represent an ancient language. It was named Mando'a and extensively expanded by Karen Traviss , author of
19314-405: The Mandalorian people are characterized as wary of and reluctant to aid the Empire but unwilling to declare open rebellion because Mandalore lacks the resources to wage war. However, Death Watch reappears and openly supports the Empire. The Empire wishes to mine the planet for its beskar, a blaster-resistant steel, and establishes a garrison in the capital. Mandalore and its people reappear again in
19536-399: The Mandalorian people, leaving only a few surviving clans and stealing large quantities of the precious Beskar metal, which no blaster or lightsaber can penetrate; this event became known as the "Great Purge" among Mandalorians. The Mandalorian follows the exploits of Din Djarin , also known simply as "The Mandalorian", or "Mando" for short, a bounty hunter not originally from Mandalore. He
19758-549: The Mandalorian warrior way could become a Mandalorian'. Jango Fett: Open Seasons , set shortly before the Clone Wars, depicts the fighting between two factions: Death Watch, led by Tor Vizsla, and the True Mandalorians, led by Jango Fett's adoptive father Jaster Mereel and later Jango himself. A ruse orchestrated by Vizsla tricks the Jedi into attacking and killing all of the True Mandalorians except Jango, but Jango eventually kills Vizsla and scatters Death Watch. In
19980-458: The Mandalorian's parenting errors makes the show that much more appealing because making mistakes is a large part of being a parent. Eileen Chase of Today echoed this: "He is not an ideal parent, just like the rest of us who have to balance parenting and work." The nature of good and evil and the question of nature versus nurture is raised repeatedly throughout The Mandalorian , perhaps most overtly through Kuiil's reprogramming of IG-11 from
20202-506: The Mandalorians' home planet. It was originally inhabited by the Taung, a simian species originally native to Coruscant who renamed themselves Mandalorian and created the culture practiced by later non-Taung Mandalorians after being expelled from Coruscant by pre-historic humans known as the Zhell. Mandalore is largely sparsely populated wilderness, and its capital city of Keldabe is located on
20424-406: The adventures of Luke Skywalker . The draft contained a city in the clouds, a chase through an asteroid belt, a greater focus on the love triangle between Luke, Han, and Leia (who is portrayed as a damsel in distress ), the battle of Hoth and a climactic duel between Luke and Darth Vader. The ghosts of his father and Obi-Wan visit Luke, leaving Vader a separate character. The draft reveals Luke has
20646-433: The angle it was being looked at just as a real 3D environment would. This effect causes some distortion to the image on the video wall but looks like a real environment when viewed through the camera. The images rendered on the video wall in real-time were often of a high enough quality to be used as final effects when filmed on set. Physical elements were added to the volume to match the digital backgrounds, such as dirt on
20868-458: The animosity between the Mandalorians and the Jedi, Tarre Vizsla became the first Mandalorian Jedi. As a Jedi, Vizsla built the Darksaber and used it to unite his people as their Mand'alor . During Star Wars Rebels , a Mandalorian named Sabine Wren of Clan Wren discovers the Darksaber from Maul 's hideout. With the Darksaber, she hoped to unite Mandalore and get her honor back after creating
21090-419: The back half rendered digitally. The environments could be manipulated in StageCraft on set as required, allowing the filmmakers to request changes to the environment and have them rendered on the video wall on the same day. The production was able to change between environments within half an hour, or even faster if the physical elements within the volume were not visible and did not need to be changed. One of
21312-440: The camera, The Mandalorian ' s sophomore season solidifies its place as one of Star Wars ' s most engaging and exciting sagas." Metacritic assigned a score of 76 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". For the third season, Rotten Tomatoes has reported an 85% approval rating with an average score of 7.55/10, based on 240 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "Mileage may vary by
21534-576: The character's dialogue later. In February 2021, Lucasfilm said Gina Carano , a recurring co-star during the first two seasons, was no longer employed by the company. This came after Carano made a social media post comparing being a Republican in the United States to the treatment of Jewish people during the Holocaust , with Lucasfilm saying the post was "abhorrent and unacceptable". Carano had been repeatedly warned about her social media posts by Lucasfilm executives who reportedly had been looking for
21756-406: The characters differently than he intended. Lucas completed his handwritten, 121-page draft on April 1. He found the process more enjoyable than on Star Wars because he was familiar with the universe, but struggled to write a satisfying conclusion, leaving it open for a third film. This draft established Luke's sister as a new character undertaking a similar journey, Vader's castle and his fear of
21978-441: The childrearing theme in The Mandalorian . The two have a relationship similar to that of a father and son, as demonstrated in the scene in which Kuiil teaches IG-11 how to operate and function after the droid is reprogrammed. Vulture writer Kathryn VanArendonk argued that parenting has been the subject of past Star Wars stories, but almost always during later stages of parenthood, rather than an infant in early stages such as
22200-406: The cockpit of the Mandalorian's spaceship, ultimately by holding him in his lap. In another example, the Mandalorian establishes a car seat for the Child in the cockpit of his ship, so he can be seated safely and comfortably during their travels. The relationship between the Mandalorian and the Child is an example of unexpected fatherhood. The Mandalorian feels a connection and parental bond with
22422-410: The companies working on the series' new technologies—including ILM, Epic, and MPC—were being encouraged to share their work and develop the technology further beyond the requirements of the series. Several actors working on the series, including Carl Weathers and Giancarlo Esposito, gave high praise to the technology and the way it allowed them to act within the environment rather than pretend in front of
22644-615: The company and Lucasfilm, granting himself 5% of the box office gross profits . He also founded Black Falcon to license Star Wars merchandising rights, using the income to subsidize his ongoing projects. Development for the sequel began in August 1977, under the title Star Wars Chapter II . Lucas considered replacing producer Gary Kurtz with Howard Kazanjian because Kurtz had not fulfilled his role and left problems unresolved while filming Star Wars . Kurtz convinced him otherwise by trading on his longtime loyalty to Lucas and knowledge of
22866-421: The conclusion to the interconnected stories of The Mandalorian , The Book of Boba Fett , and Ahsoka , among others. Filoni is expected to begin work on the film following the second season of Ahsoka . A documentary series, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian , features interviews with the cast and crew of The Mandalorian , behind-the-scenes footage, and roundtable conversations hosted by Favreau that explore
23088-402: The crew quickly filled with snow. Scenes could be prepared only a few hours in advance and many scenes were filmed just outside the crew's hotel as the shifting weather regularly altered the scenery. Although Fisher was not scheduled to film scenes in Norway, she joined Hamill on location because she wanted to observe the process. Ford was not scheduled for the Finse phase, but to compensate for
23310-515: The crew, including Kershner, and tactics were used to delay its impact, including paying staff biweekly instead of weekly and Lucas borrowing money from his merchandising company Black Falcon. Lucas worried he would have to sell Empire and its associated rights to Fox to sustain the project, losing his creative freedom. Fox was also threatening to buy out the bond and take over filming. With about 20% of Empire left to film, Lucasfilm president Charles Weber arranged for Bank of Boston to refinance
23532-524: The dark side and help him destroy his master, the Emperor , so they may rule the galaxy together. Luke refuses, citing Obi-Wan's claim that Vader killed his father, prompting Vader to reveal that he is Luke's father. Distraught, Luke plunges down the air shaft and is ejected beneath the floating city, latching onto an antenna. He reaches out through the Force to Leia, and the Falcon returns to rescue him. They are attacked by TIE fighters but narrowly evade capture by Vader's Star Destroyer when R2-D2 repairs
23754-510: The dark side tree on Dagobah. A wrap party was held on the set to mark the official conclusion of filming on September 5, 1979, after 133 days. Guinness filmed his scenes against a bluescreen the same day. Kershner and the second unit continued filming additional footage, including Luke's X-Wing being raised from the swamp. Kershner left the set on September 9, and Hamill finished 103 days of filming two days later. The second unit finished filming on September 24 with Hamill's stunt double. There
23976-431: The dark side, wanting to instead explore this in the next film. Lucas believed it was important the characters be inspirational and appropriate for children. His typed draft is titled Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back . In June 1978, impressed with his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark , Lucas hired Lawrence Kasdan to refine the draft; Kasdan was paid $ 60,000. In early July, Kasdan, Kershner and Lucas held
24198-434: The delays and having to rework scenes to compensate for the missing footage. Filming at Elstree began on March 13, 1979. Production remained behind schedule without Stage 3 (which had been destroyed by fire), and the incomplete Star Wars stage lacked protection from the cold weather. The result was that the crew had to work out of any available space. To save time, some scenes were shot simultaneously, such as those set in
24420-484: The delays, he was brought there instead of creating a separate set in a Leeds studio. On a few hours' notice, he arrived in Finse, having traveled the last 23 miles (37 km) of the snow-laden journey by snowplow. Production returned to England after a week, though Hamill had an additional day of filming. The second unit remained in Norway through March to film explosions, incidental footage, and battle scenes featuring 35 mountain rescue skiers as extras. The skiers' work
24642-401: The design. Because Sundari did not look enough like a giant city, the production team developed it into a dome with cubes on it. Filoni noted that the desolate and barren appearance was "kind of a Moebius -influenced design". Filoni had the shapes of Boba Fett's armor worked into the windows and the design of the architecture, feeling that the shapes were "emblematic" and that the warrior culture
24864-408: The digital environment. Using StageCraft, the reflections in the Mandalorian's armor were already correct on set. It also allowed for the series' cinematographers to light scenes in a way that would match the background, rather than lighting the set and hoping the digital background would match in post-production as they would have to do with the green screen. A technique used by the production to ensure
25086-535: The director's indulgences. Kurtz had also given Kershner more leeway because of the delays caused by the Stage 3 fire. Kershner's slower work pace had frustrated Lucas. He described his filming style as frugal, performing two or three takes with little coverage film that could later compensate for mistakes. Watts and Reynolds said Kershner often looked at new ways of doing things, but this required planning that only delayed things further. Kershner had tried replicating
25308-479: The emperor, distinct power levels in controlling the Force, Yoda's unconventional speech pattern, and bounty hunters, including Boba Fett. Lucas wrote Fett like the Man with No Name , combining him with an abandoned idea for a Super Stormtrooper . Lucas's handwritten draft included mention of Vader being Luke's father, but the typed script omitted this revelation. Despite contradictory information in drafts that included
25530-439: The end of August. Sets were the single biggest expense of the production, costing a total of $ 3.5 million. By December, the budget had increased to $ 21.5 million, more than double the original estimate. Financial projections for The Chapter II Company suggested it would run a monthly deficit of $ 5–25 million by the end of 1979, including over $ 2 million in production costs and $ 400,000 to fund ILM. As
25752-453: The ending was unclear about where Luke and Leia were in relation to Lando and Chewbacca. In the three-week window between its limited and wider release, Lucas, Johnston, and visual effects artist Ken Ralston filmed enhancement scenes at ILM, using existing footage, a new score, modified dialogue, and new miniatures to create establishing shots of the Rebel fleet and their relative positions. By
25974-432: The equipment that would be necessary to complete their work. Compared to the 360 special effects shots for Star Wars , Empire required around 600. The crew, supervised by Richard Edlund and Brian Johnson , included Dennis Muren , Bruce Nicholson , Lorne Peterson , Steve Gawley , Phil Tippett , Tom St. Amand, and Nilo Rodis-Jamero . Up to 100 people worked on the project daily, including Stuart Freeborn, who
26196-428: The events occurring around him. He is learning about the world around him and needs guidance as he develops his abilities. It will largely fall to the Mandalorian to provide this guidance, as when the Mandalorian stops him from strangling Cara Dune. However, multiple writers have questioned whether the violent acts the Child has repeatedly witnessed throughout The Mandalorian are hurting his development and that he
26418-550: The events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983) and the fall of the Galactic Empire , The Mandalorian follows Din Djarin , a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter working in the outer reaches of the galaxy. He is hired by Imperial remnant forces to retrieve the child Grogu , but instead goes on the run to protect the infant. While looking to reunite Grogu with his kind, they are pursued by former Imperial commander Moff Gideon , who wants to exploit Grogu's connection to
26640-399: The experience was like fighting blindfolded because of the costume. Hamill spent weeks practicing his fencing routine, eventually growing frustrated and refusing to continue. The next scene, where Vader confesses he is Luke's father, was shrouded in secrecy. Prowse was given the line "Obi-Wan Kenobi is your father" to read because he was known for repeatedly leaking information. Only Kershner,
26862-542: The featurette "Honoring the Magistrate: A Tribute to Carl Weathers", "Galactic Legacy: The Creatures and Droids of The Mandalorian", and "Forging the Covert: Part Three". According to Nielsen , The Mandalorian ' s first season amassed 5.42 billion minutes of viewing time during its seven-week run, topping at 1.15 billion minutes during the week its finale premiered. It added 800 million more minutes
27084-572: The film removed from theaters. Because Lucas had followed the laws relevant to the United Kingdom where it was produced, the DGA was unable to sanction him and instead fined Kershner $ 25,000. Lucas paid his fine but was so frustrated that he left the WGA, DGA, and Motion Picture Association , which restricted his ability to write and direct future films. The Mandalorian The Mandalorian
27306-489: The film would require 107 minutes of music. For two weeks across 18 three-hour sessions just after Christmas, Williams recorded the score at Anvil Studios and Abbey Road Studios , London. Up to 104 musicians were involved at a time, playing such instruments as oboes, piccolos, pianos, and harps. Principal photography began on March 5, 1979, on the Hardangerjøkulen glacier near Finse, Norway, representing
27528-412: The film, The Mandalorian & Grogu , instead. It was unclear whether the fourth season would still be made because there was potential for future Mandalorian stories to instead be told through film sequels if the first film was a success. In November 2018, Pedro Pascal was confirmed to be portraying the Mandalorian after being rumored to be cast in the role for some time. Pascal initially thought he
27750-402: The filmmakers played down his involvement to portray the droid as a real being. He ultimately agreed, however, for an improved salary. Alec Guinness said he could not return as Obi-Wan because his failing eyesight required him to avoid bright lights. Recasting him was considered but, determined to recruit him, Lucas agreed to a deal in late August 1979 which gave him a more limited role. Guinness
27972-474: The floor to match the dirt displayed on the video wall. Interior spaces were also created, such as an office used by Imperial agents where the walls and ceiling were displayed on the video wall around a physical table. The production had several physical sections of the Razor Crest , the Mandalorian's ship, that could be placed within the volume, such as having the front half of the ship physically built and
28194-526: The full-scale Millenium Falcon . These scenes had to be filmed efficiently, so the Falcon could be dismantled to make way for the Dagobah set. Filming began on the carbon chamber scene in late June while the second unit filmed anything they could. The raised set was largely incomplete, and low lighting and steam were used to conceal any obvious flaws. The fog machines and heat from the steam made many cast and crew members sick; it took approximately three weeks to film. The confession of love between Leia and Han
28416-426: The genre attempting to profit by association and big-budget entries such as Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Black Hole , both released just months before The Empire Strikes Back . Sequels were not expected to perform as well as their originals, and there were low expectations for merchandising. Even so, tie-in deals were arranged with Coca-Cola , Nestlé , General Mills , and Topps collectibles. Fox
28638-479: The ghost of Luke's father, Lucas said he had always intended for Vader to be Luke's father and omitted it from scripts to avoid leaks. Lucas included elements such as Han's debt to Jabba, and recontextualized Luke leaving Dagobah to rescue his friends: in Brackett's draft, Obi-Wan instructs Luke to leave; Lucas had Luke choose to do so. He also removed a scene of Luke massacring stormtroopers to convey him falling to
28860-510: The group to the Empire, knowing Luke will come to their aid. Meanwhile, Luke travels with R2-D2 in his X-wing fighter to Dagobah, where he crash-lands. He meets Yoda, a diminutive creature who reluctantly accepts him as his Jedi apprentice after conferring with Obi-Wan's spirit. Yoda trains Luke to master the light side of the Force and resist negative emotions that will seduce him to the dark side , as they did Vader. Luke struggles to control his anger and impulsiveness and fails to comprehend
29082-567: The ice cavern and medical bay. Kershner wanted each character to make a unique entrance in the film. While filming Vader's entrance, the snow troopers preceding Prowse tripped over the polystyrene ice, and the stuntman behind him stood on his cape, breaking it off, causing Prowse to fall onto the snow troopers. The shoot was strenuous and mired in conflicts. Fisher suffered from influenza and bronchitis, her weight dropped to 85 pounds (39 kg) while working 12-hour days, and she collapsed on set from an allergic reaction to steam or spray paint. She
29304-455: The ice planet Hoth . While Luke Skywalker is scouting near the base, a wampa captures him before he can investigate a meteorite, but he escapes by using the Force to retrieve his lightsaber and wound the beast. Before Luke succumbs to hypothermia , the Force spirit of his deceased mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi , instructs him to go to the swamp planet Dagobah to train as a Jedi Knight under
29526-588: The impact of John Williams ' score on the Star Wars films, but also wanted the music of the series to be different from the films. He wanted the series to sound "a little grittier, a little edgier and a little more tech-oriented". Göransson first met with Favreau in November 2018, when Favreau showed the composer concept art for the series and discussed his inspirations for the story and tone, including Western and samurai films. They also discussed how they felt when they first heard Williams' Star Wars music , and Göransson set out to recreate those feelings and "capture
29748-422: The insurers refused to allow him to perform a 15-foot (4.6 m) fall out of a window. He accidentally fell from a nine-inch ledge 40 feet (12 m) high but rolled on landing to avoid injury. Lucas returned to the set on July 15 and stayed for the rest of filming. He rewrote Luke's scenes on Dagobah, removing or trimming them so they could be shot in just over two weeks. Most of the cast completed filming by
29970-528: The introduction of new characters, such as Duchess Satine Kryze , the pacifist leader of Mandalore and a romantic interest for Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi , and Pre Vizsla , the leader of the Death Watch faction of Mandalorians who seek to overthrow Satine and restore Mandalore's warrior traditions. Mandalore is depicted as the fictional home planet of the Mandalorian people, located in the Outer Rim in
30192-503: The latter was sold by Lucas to ABC's parent company the Walt Disney Company in October 2012. In November 2017, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney and Lucasfilm were developing a live-action Star Wars television series for the new streaming service Disney+ . While working on The Lion King (2019), a photo-realistic remake of the 1994 animated film , in 2017, director Jon Favreau pitched an idea he had for
30414-502: The licensed Star Wars novels, comics, and video games produced since the originating 1977 film Star Wars as Star Wars Legends and declared them noncanon to the franchise. Within the Legends continuity, the name "Mandalorian" is associated with a multi-species culture of warrior clans who adhere to the tenets of the Mandalorians. While most of them are humans, there are also Mandalorians of various other species. Mandalore serves as
30636-412: The lighting from the video wall looked natural was to have the actors in shadow, with light from the environment behind them, often creating silhouettes. Composer Ludwig Göransson was recommended by several of his previous collaborators to Favreau, including directors Ryan Coogler and Anthony and Joe Russo , and musician Donald Glover . Favreau knew that music would be important to the series due to
30858-488: The loan to $ 31 million, including $ 27.7 million from Bank of Boston and $ 3 million guaranteed by Fox in exchange for an increased percentage of the theatrical returns and 10% of merchandising profits. Lucasfilm took out the loan, making the company directly liable. The Star Wars stage was completed in early May. It was too small to house the Rebel hangar and Dagobah sets, and an extension had to be funded and built. The producers mandated filming begin on
31080-495: The main instruments which he augmented with synthesizers and other digital manipulation. Walt Disney Records released a soundtrack album for each episode of the first season . Because of the COVID-19 pandemic , orchestra players were recorded remotely or in smaller, distant groups for the second season . Two albums were released for the second season, each covering four episodes of the season. In February 2023, Joseph Shirley
31302-512: The malevolent Galactic Empire , led by the Emperor , and the Rebel Alliance , led by Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia . As the Empire goes on the offensive, Luke trains to master the Force so he can confront the Emperor's powerful disciple, Darth Vader . The ensemble cast includes Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Billy Dee Williams , Anthony Daniels , David Prowse , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew , and Frank Oz . Following
31524-469: The nature and power of the Force until he witnesses Yoda use it to levitate the X-wing from the swamp. Luke has a premonition of Han and Leia in pain and, despite Obi-Wan's and Yoda's protestations, abandons his training to rescue them. Although Obi-Wan believes Luke is their only hope, Yoda asserts that "there is another." Leia confesses her love for Han before Vader freezes him in carbonite to test whether
31746-693: The necessary tone. Kazanjian did not believe the Writers Guild of America West would approve of her receiving credit, but Lucas liked Brackett and supported her credit as co-writer. He also provided for her family beyond her contracted pay. The fifth draft was completed in February 1979. It revised some scenes and introduced a "Hogmen" species devised by Kershner; Lucas did not like the idea because he perceived them as slaves. Mark Hamill (Luke), Carrie Fisher (Leia), Harrison Ford (Han), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2) all reprised their Star Wars roles. Hamill and Fisher were contracted for
31968-706: The newsletter of the Official Star Wars Fan Club, Boba's armor was described as that of the "Imperial Shocktroopers, warriors from the olden time" who "came from the far side of the galaxy" and are few in number because they "were wiped out by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars ". The backstory of the Mandalorians was first extensively explored in issues of Marvel Comics ' original Star Wars series and various other Star Wars Legends media , including comics by Dark Horse and video games by LucasArts . Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of
32190-637: The non-Mandalorian Maul , has been variously characterised as a clan, a crime syndicate, and a warrior faction. Individuals such as Din Djarin (adopted into Mandalorian culture as a foundling by the Children of the Watch, which formed out of the Death Watch) are also shown as members of multi-ethnic organizations, such as the Nevarro-based Bounty Hunters' Guild. The Protectors of Concord Dawn were an organisation assigned to protect
32412-575: The original Star Wars film, the Mandalorian leader (referred to as Mandalore the Ultimate) has been defeated, and no one rules the Mandalorian clans. Mandalorians are also present in the sequels: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords , where players can visit a Mandalorian base on a moon called Dxun (where a new leader, Mandalore the Preserver, has ascended to the position), and The Old Republic , an MMORPG set almost four centuries after
32634-630: The planet Hoth. Initially scheduled to conclude on June 22, by the end of the first week it was obvious it would take longer and cost more. Filming the Hoth scenes on a set was considered, but ultimately rejected as inauthentic. The location filming coincided with the area's worst snowstorm in half a century, impeding the production with blizzards, 40-mile-per-hour (64 km/h) winds, and temperatures between −26 °F (−32 °C) and −38 °F (−39 °C). The weather cleared only twice; some days, filming could not take place. The frigid conditions made
32856-506: The present. The language is described as having a mutually intelligible dialect called Concordian spoken on the planet Concord Dawn, as stated in Traviss' novels Order 66 and 501st , and a dialect spoken on Mandalore's moon Concordia is heard in "The Mandalore Plot", a season-two episode of The Clone Wars . The Empire Strikes Back The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back )
33078-425: The previous two games. Many Mandalorians were organised in clans, such as Eldar, Kryze, Rook, Saxon, Vizsla, and Wren. Sometimes organisations were formed that transcended the usual boundaries between the clans, such as the Death Watch during the Clone Wars, which any Mandalorian and even non-Mandalorians could join and lead. The Death Watch, originally founded and led by members of Clan Vizsla, but later taken over by
33300-456: The primary advantages of using video wall technology was the realistic lighting, with the wall providing ambient light and accurate reflections on the actors. This was especially important for the Mandalorian, who wears reflective armor. Traditionally, on production using a green screen, the visual effects team would have to remove the green reflections from a reflective character or object in post-production, and then add new reflections that matched
33522-520: The process will safely imprison Luke. Han survives and is given to Fett, who intends to collect his bounty from Jabba the Hutt . Lando frees Leia and Chewbacca, but they are too late to stop Fett's escape. The group fights its way back to the Falcon and flees the city. Luke arrives and engages Vader in a lightsaber duel over the city's central air shaft. Vader defeats Luke, severing his right hand and separating him from his lightsaber. He urges Luke to embrace
33744-411: The producers' favor if it exceeded $ 100 million. Filming had to begin by January 1979 for release on May 1, 1980. The deal offered the possibility of significant financial gain for Lucas, but he risked financial ruin if the sequel failed. To mitigate some of the risk, Lucas founded The Chapter II Company to control the film's development and absorb its liabilities. He signed a contract between
33966-408: The producers, and Hamill knew the actual line. While filming the scene, Hamill was positioned on a platform suspended 35 feet (11 m) above a pile of mattresses. Footage of his fall into the reactor shaft was damaged during processing and the scene had to be reshot in early August. The Vader confrontation took eight weeks to film. Hamill insisted on doing as many of his stunts as possible, though
34188-421: The production of the series. The first season premiered on Disney+ on May 4, 2020, Star Wars Day . An hour-long special covering the second season was released on December 25, 2020, with a second special episode covering the season two finale released on August 25, 2021. A special covering the third season was released on June 28, 2023. Lucasfilm announced a publishing campaign of tie-in books and comics for
34410-525: The project's conclusion, around 700 people had worked on Empire . Lucas's firm, Industrial Light & Magic, developed the special effects for The Empire Strikes Back at a cost of $ 8 million, including staffing and the construction of the company's new facility in Marin County, California. The building was still under construction when staff arrived in September 1978, and initially lacked
34632-430: The project's conclusion. Released on May 21, 1980, the highly anticipated sequel became the highest-grossing film that year , earning approximately $ 401.5 million worldwide. Unlike its lighthearted predecessor, Empire met with mixed reviews from critics, and fans were conflicted about its darker and more mature themes. The film was nominated for various awards and won two Academy Awards , two Grammy Awards , and
34854-439: The project. On October 3, Favreau announced that the series was titled The Mandalorian and revealed the premise for the show. The following day, Lucasfilm announced that Filoni, Kennedy, and Colin Wilson would executive produce the series alongside Favreau, with Karen Gilchrist acting as co-executive producer. The series premiere was set to be available with the launch of Disney+ in November 2019. Star Pedro Pascal described
35076-400: The public, but it also brought negative attention in the form of threats and many requests for financial backing. Conscious that the sequel needed to exceed the original's scope—making it a bigger production—and that his production effects company Lucasfilm was relatively small and operating out of a makeshift office, Lucas considered selling the project to 20th Century-Fox in exchange for
35298-570: The quick pacing of Star Wars , not lingering on any scene for too long, and encouraged improvisation, modifying scenes and dialogue to focus more on characters' emotions, such as C-3PO interrupting Han and Leia as they are about to kiss. Kazanjian said many mistakes were made but blamed Weber, Lucasfilm vice president John Moohr, and primarily Kurtz. Actor John Morton called Kurtz an unsung hero, who brought his experience of filming war to Empire . The schedule overrun resulted in filming and post-production taking place simultaneously; filmed footage
35520-451: The remainder as collateral for a loan from Bank of America for the film's $ 8 million budget. Fox had the right of first negotiation and refusal to participate in any potential sequel. Negotiations began in mid-1977 between the studio and Lucas's representatives. Fox had already given Lucas controlling interest in the series' merchandising and sequels because it had thought Star Wars would be worthless. Terms were agreed quickly for
35742-587: The restructured canon, including television series such as The Clone Wars , Rebels , and The Mandalorian , the latter of which heavily focuses on the Mandalorian creed. Mandalorians made their live action cinematic debut in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), with the bounty hunter Boba Fett , a supporting antagonist . The character previously appeared in the television special Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), and returned in Return of
35964-496: The role offered little job security; he returned after being told further delays would lead to his being replaced. James Earl Jones returned to voice Vader but, as with Star Wars , declined a credit because he considered himself "special effects" to Prowse's physical performance. He earned $ 15,000 for half a day's work, plus a small percentage of the profits. Anthony Daniels was reluctant to return as C-3PO because he had received little acknowledgment for his previous performance, as
36186-509: The royal house of Mandalore. After the Great Purge, Bo-Katan Kryze formed a cross-clan unit seeking to retrieve the Darksaber and restore Mandalore. Voice: Jason Wingreen ( The Empire Strikes Back ), Temuera Morrison ( The Empire Strikes Back [Special Edition]), Daniel Logan ( The Clone Wars ) Voice: Katee Sackhoff ( The Clone Wars and Rebels ) Voice: Jon Favreau ( The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett ) Voice: Tiya Sircar ( Rebels and Forces of Destiny ) The written form of
36408-411: The same species as the Star Wars character Yoda which became " The Child ". Favreau wanted to explore the "scum and villainy" of the Star Wars universe following the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983). He began spending several hours at the end of each day developing the series while he was directing The Lion King . Lucasfilm announced that Favreau would write and executive produce
36630-494: The screen behind the actors displaying a green screen so a higher quality version of the background could be added in post-production. During filming tests with the technology, the team realized that the Unreal Engine could render visuals fast enough that they could have the background move with the camera. This allowed the system to maintain the appearance of parallax , where the environment would appear differently based on
36852-544: The season include Amy Sedaris as Peli Motto , reprising her role from the first season; Misty Rosas, the on-set performer for Kuiil in the first season, as the Frog Lady; Mercedes Varnado as Koska Reeves ; and Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand , also reprising her first season role. Sackhoff returns to star in the third season, while Swallow, Weathers, Sedaris, Abtahi, Varnado, and Esposito returned as co-stars. Wayne and Crowder receive co-star credit beginning with
37074-426: The season was beginning. In September, co-star Giancarlo Esposito said the second season would "start to lay the groundwork for the depth and breadth that's going to come in season 3 and season 4, where you're really gonna start to get answers". Rick Famuyiwa , who directed in the first two seasons, was made an executive producer for the third season. By late May 2022, Favreau was writing a fourth season, noting it
37296-417: The second season, and were joined by Favreau (who was unable to direct during the first season because of his commitment to The Lion King ), Peyton Reed , co-star Carl Weathers , and Robert Rodriguez . Howard, Weathers, and Famuyiwa directed again for the third season, while being joined by Rachel Morrison , Lee Isaac Chung , and Peter Ramsey . Visual effects studio Industrial Light & Magic ,
37518-468: The sector and system of the same name. It has an inhabited moon called Concordia, a mining settlement to which Mandalorian warriors were exiled. Concord Dawn , located in the Mandalore sector, is also the homeworld of several Mandalorian characters, including Jango Fett, and the base of operations for the Protectors. In The Clone Wars , the planet Mandalore is a largely uninhabitable desert, caused by
37740-402: The sequel compared to the original, in part because Fox executive Alan Ladd Jr. had been supportive of the original and was eager for the sequel. The 100-page contract was signed on September 21, 1977, dictating that Fox would distribute the film but have no creative input, in exchange for 50% of the gross profits on the first $ 20 million earned, with the percentage increasing to 77.5% in
37962-606: The sequel to a film as successful as Star Wars , and his friends warned him against taking the job, believing he would be blamed if it failed. Lucas convinced Kershner it was not so much a sequel as a chapter in a larger story; he also promised him he could make the film his own way. Lucas began formulating ideas in August 1977. These included the Emperor, Luke's lost sister, and an explanation of facial injuries Hamill had suffered from an accident after filming Star Wars (Lucas told Hamill that, had he died, his character would have been replaced, not recast). Hamill recounted being told
38184-414: The series as taking the space Western undertones from the Star Wars films "and infusing it with steroids". In July 2019, Favreau confirmed that there would be a second season of the series and that he had begun writing it. Iger announced in February 2020 that the second season would premiere that October. By late April, Favreau had been writing a third season for "a while" and further development on
38406-442: The series for the fact that the Mandalorian repeatedly leaves the Child alone or in the hands of relative strangers, as well as for making decisions that place the Child in danger. One example is in "Chapter 6: The Prisoner", when he allows a team of dangerous mercenaries to use his ship while the Child is on board, nearly resulting in the Child's death. An interaction the Mandalorian has with Peli Motto in "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
38628-498: The series in June 2020. The campaign was announced to include The Art of The Mandalorian (Season One) by Phil Szostak, an original adult novel written by Adam Christopher and published by Del Rey Books , a visual guide written by Pablo Hidalgo and published by DK , a junior novelization of the first season written by Joe Schreiber , and comic books inspired by the series to be published by Marvel Comics and IDW . One month later,
38850-487: The series, while Brendan Wayne appears as Lieutenant Lander. A second season was announced to be in development with Filoni in January 2024. A new series, Skeleton Crew , was announced in May 2022 after being developed by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford . Favreau and Filoni were revealed to be serving as executive producers on the series, which is also set in the timeframe of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka . The series
39072-409: The set, but arrived on May 6 after realizing the production was behind schedule and over budget. An official Lucasfilm memo instructed staff to misstate the film's direct costs as $ 17 million. At this point, Kurtz and Lucas estimated it would cost $ 25–28 million to complete filming. Finances ran out in mid-July when Bank of America refused to increase the loan. The crisis was kept from
39294-480: The ship's hyperdrive malfunctions. They hide in an asteroid field , where Han and Leia grow closer amid the tension. Vader summons several bounty hunters, including Boba Fett , to find the Falcon . Evading the Imperial fleet, Han's group travels to the floating Cloud City on the gas planet Bespin , which is governed by his old friend Lando Calrissian . Fett tracks them there, and Vader forces Lando to surrender
39516-486: The show's second season drew 1.04 million households. The Hollywood Reporter reported that The Mandalorian lead Disney+'s live action series with the majority minutes (8.4 billion) came from the eight weeks the second season debuted. For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating with an average rating of 8/10 based on 338 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Action-packed and expertly-crafted—if at times
39738-421: The show's setting in space make the challenges of child-rearing seem more exciting and exotic than they might otherwise be. Anthony Breznican of Vanity Fair has noted that none of the day-to-day difficulties of parenthood are portrayed in the series: "There is no shrill squawking from Baby Yoda, no tantrum, no spit-up, no uncontrollable shrieking that burrows into a parent's psyche like a dentist's drill shredding
39960-401: The sister character might be Leia, which he found disappointing. Lucas had written Star Wars but did not enjoy developing lore for an original universe. Science-fiction writer Leigh Brackett , whom Lucas met through a friend, excelled in quick-paced dialogue. He hired her for $ 50,000, aware that she had cancer. Between November 28 and December 2, 1977, Lucas and Brackett held
40182-412: The small stuff." VanAnderonk described this as a wish fulfillment fantasy for parents or prospective parents: "a vision of parenting stripped so thoroughly of all detail and specificity that all that's left are archetypes: the parent, the child". The Child encounters a handful of other protector figures throughout the first season, including Omera, IG-11, and Peli Motto. Some observers have criticized
40404-510: The soul of what Star Wars is" but in a new way. Göransson was announced as the composer for the series in December 2018. The basis of the main theme was created from Göransson experimenting with a bass recorder, digitally manipulating it to make it more "futuristic". Guitars, a piano, drums, and synthesizers are also featured in the main theme. A 70-piece orchestra was used for the first season, combined with recordings of Göransson playing
40626-556: The spin-off series, which created interconnected stories and characters within a "very rich fabric for us to explore". A spin-off miniseries focused on Boba Fett was reported in November 2020. It was officially announced as The Book of Boba Fett a month later and was already in production by that point. Favreau, Filoni, and Robert Rodriguez executive produced, with Morrison and Wen reprising their respective roles as Fett and Fennec Shand. Pascal, Swallow, Sedaris, Olyphant, Dawson, and Hamill also reprise their roles, along with Favreau as
40848-540: The spin-offs in August 2022, explaining that The Mandalorian , The Book of Boba Fett , Ahsoka , and Skeleton Crew were all set in the same timeframe—during the 30 years between Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)—which had "a lot of room for us to tell stories, and there are a lot of characters that are in play because we know who's around at that time". He noted that they were using The Mandalorian to remind fans of these characters or introduce them to unfamiliar audiences before they appeared in
41070-415: The stage on May 18, regardless of its state. The hangar scene involved 77 rebel extras, which cost £2,000 per day. Around 50 short tons (45 long tons) of dendritic salt , mixed with magnesium sulfate for a sparkle effect, were used for the snowy sets; this combination of substances gave the cast and crew headaches. Second unit director John Barry died suddenly in early June; Harley Cokeliss replaced him
41292-400: The start of August, including Ford, Fisher, Williams, Mayhew, and Daniels. Hamill began filming on the Dagobah set with Yoda. They only had 12 days to film because Oz was scheduled for another project. With the film now over 50 days behind schedule, Kurtz was removed from his role and replaced by Kazanjian and associate producer Robert Watts . One of the last scenes shot was of Luke exploring
41514-528: The start of filming in January 1979 loomed, a fire on Elstree's Stage 3—where The Shining (1980) was being filmed—destroyed the space planned for Empire ' s sets. The impact was significant, resulting in the Empire production being forced to give up two stages so The Shining could continue filming. Sixty-four sets had to be moved through nine stages and the filming schedule had to be altered. Poor weather delayed construction of necessary sets, props, and
41736-703: The streaming service Disney+ on its United States launch day, November 12, 2019. The second season premiered on October 30, 2020. The third season premiered on March 1, 2023. " Chapter 1: The Mandalorian " aired on Disney's linear networks ABC , Freeform , and FX on February 24, 2023, in anticipation of the season three premiere on the service. The first two seasons of The Mandalorian were released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on December 12, 2023, with Steelbook packaging, concept art cards, and "never-before-seen" bonus features. The third season will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 3, 2024. Bonus features include
41958-881: The success of Star Wars , Lucas hired Brackett to write the sequel. After she died in 1978, he outlined the whole Star Wars saga and wrote the next draft himself, before hiring Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) writer Kasdan to enhance his work. To avoid the stress he faced directing Star Wars , Lucas handed the responsibility to Kershner and focused on expanding his special effects company Industrial Light & Magic instead. Filmed from March to September 1979 in Finse , Norway, and at Elstree Studios in England, The Empire Strikes Back faced production difficulties, including actor injuries, illnesses, fires, and problems securing additional financing as costs rose. Initially budgeted at $ 8 million, costs had risen to $ 30.5 million by
42180-417: The tauntaun special effect was criticized, audiences liked Han's reply of "I know" to Leia's confession of love. Lucas was unimpressed by the scene, believing it was not how Han would act. Because the magnetic soundtrack could flake from the film reels, Kurtz hired people to watch the film reels 24 hours a day to identify defects; 22% were defective. Shortly after the film's theatrical release, Lucas decided
42402-574: The television series The Clone Wars , Rebels , and The Mandalorian expanded upon Mandalorian lore with the introduction of additional characters, and established the Mandalorians not as an " alien race or species ", but a distinct ethnic cultural ideology of humans and various aliens from Mandalore and nearby worlds united by a common creed with a stoic , spartan warrior tradition. In production for The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston designed armor intended to be worn by soldiers described as super-commandos from
42624-457: The third season appear along with a new version of the Razor Crest , the Mandalorian's ship which was destroyed in the second season. In December 2020, it was revealed that The Mandalorian and its related series were planned to culminate in a "climactic story event". At Star Wars Celebration London in April 2023, it was announced that Filoni was directing a feature film that would serve as
42846-425: The third season. Star Wars creator George Lucas began development on a live-action Star Wars television series known as Underworld in early 2009. More than 50 scripts were written for the series by 2012, but they were deemed too expensive to produce. In January 2013, ABC president Paul Lee said his network would be discussing potential live-action Star Wars television series with Lucasfilm after
43068-567: The third season. The title was announced in October 2018 when filming started at Manhattan Beach Studios in California. Visual effects company Industrial Light & Magic developed the StageCraft technology for the series, displaying digital backgrounds on a 360-degree video wall . This has since been adopted by other film and television productions. The Mandalorian premiered with the launch of Disney+ on November 12, 2019. The rest of
43290-410: The three began conceptualizing the Hoth battle in December. By this point, the budget had increased to $ 10 million. Lucas wanted a director who would support the material and accept that he was ultimately in charge. He considered around 100 directors, including Alan Parker and John Badham , before hiring his old acquaintance Irvin Kershner in February 1978. Kershner was reluctant to direct
43512-461: The virtual photography process developed for The Lion King was used to plan the series' filming and determine what environments would be needed on set. The digital environments were then created by ILM and added to StageCraft ready for live-action photography with the actors. Some of these environments were based on location photography in countries such as Iceland and Chile , on which Favreau said, "The actors aren't brought on location. The location
43734-527: The voice of Paz Vizsla , Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Carson Teva, and W. Earl Brown as the Weequay bartender. Grogu also appears. The seven-episode series was released from December 2021 to February 2022. A limited series titled Ahsoka , featuring Dawson reprising her role as Ahsoka Tano, was revealed in December 2020 with Filoni writing and executive producing alongside Favreau. The series premiered on August 22, 2023. Lee reprises his role as Carson Teva in
43956-508: The week after its finale. According to Nielsen , the second season became the most watched streaming television series in the U.S. from December 14 to December 20, with 1.336 billion minutes of viewing time. It also ranked at the fourteenth place on Nielsen's list of most watched streaming television shows and movies of 2020 with 14.5 billion minutes watched during the year. The show became the first non- Netflix show that landed at number one on Nielsen's streaming ranker. According to Samba TV,
44178-445: Was a token role , but was assured it was not specifically written for a black actor. Kershner said Williams had the fantastic charm of a "Mississippi riverboat hustler". Howard Rollins , Terry Alexander , Robert Christian , Thurman Scott, and Yaphet Kotto were also considered for the part. Yoda was voiced and puppeteered by Frank Oz, with assistance from Kathryn Mullen , David Barclay , and Wendy Froud . Lucas had intended for
44400-531: Was also allergic to most makeup. Her overuse of hallucinogens and painkillers worsened her condition, as did the anxiety she experienced while performing her speech to the rebels. Stress and personal traumas led to frequent arguments among Hamill, Fisher, and Ford. Ford and Hamill fell ill or were injured at different times. Hamill was depressed by his isolation from human cast members, as his scenes required him to interact mostly with puppets, robots, and actors whose voices would be added later or dubbed over. He
44622-431: Was approximately 400,000 feet (120,000 m) of film, or 80 hours of footage. The final budget was $ 30.5 million. Kurtz blamed inflation , which had increased resource, cast, and crew costs significantly. Lucas blamed Kurtz for lack of oversight and poor financial planning. Watts said Kurtz was not good with people and never developed a working relationship with Kershner, making it difficult for him to temper
44844-463: Was available for this role, so Kurtz had him quickly change out of the Fett costume to stand in. John Morton portrays Fett in the same scene. There was no extensive casting for the Emperor. Lucas chose Clive Revill to provide the character's voice, and actress Marjorie Eaton physically portrayed the Emperor in test footage. The footage proved unsatisfactory, and special effects artist Rick Baker created
45066-495: Was being cast as the Star Wars character Boba Fett because of the visual similarities between that character and the Mandalorian, but the latter is a separate character named Din Djarin. Favreau called Pascal "a classic movie star" who "had the presence and skill[s]" necessary to portray a character largely concealed under a helmet. The Mandalorian is also portrayed by stunt doubles Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder , and Barry Lowin. Pascal worked with Favreau and Filoni to record
45288-434: Was being informed by the series Ahsoka (2023) and Skeleton Crew (2024). Writing for the fourth season was completed by February 2023, with pre-production occurring by that April. Filming was expected to begin in September 2023. However, this was delayed by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike . Lucasfilm then re-evaluated their plans for the franchise and decided to prioritize
45510-428: Was born, aggravated by the salt-laden setting, and exhausted, he angrily chastised Kurtz for not using a double for the scene. Kershner's hands-on directing style, which included him acting out how he wanted a scene performed, agitated Hamill; Kershner, for his part, was frustrated that Hamill was not following his advice. The life-size hangar set was dismantled in mid-June to allow the construction of other sets around
45732-407: Was combined with a digital environment in post-production the effect would be more realistic. He found the process to be effective, but time-consuming. When he began working on The Lion King , Favreau worked with visual effects vendor Moving Picture Company , technology developer Magnopus, and the game engine software Unity to develop a new virtual camera system that allowed him to film scenes in
45954-511: Was compensated with a donation to the Norwegian Red Cross . To film the Imperial probe landing, eight sticks of dynamite were placed on the glacier and set to explode at sunrise, but the demolitions expert in charge knocked the battery out of his radio and received the message too late to capture the intended shot. The opening sweeping shot of the area was captured by flying a helicopter to 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and performing
46176-612: Was confident in the film and spent little money on advertising, taking out small advertisements in newspapers instead of full-page spreads. The studio's market research showed 60% of those interested in the film were male. Lucasfilm set up a telephone number allowing callers to hear a message from cast members. Fox demanded a minimum 28-week appearance in theaters, although 12 weeks was the norm for major films. Estimates suggested Empire needed to earn $ 57.2 million to be profitable, after marketing, distribution, and loan interest costs. As with Star Wars , Lucas wanted to place all of
46398-404: Was meant to use an earpiece to hear Oz's Yoda dialogue, but for various reasons this did not work, and he struggled to form a relationship with the character. The Dagobah set was liberally sprayed with mineral oil, which caused him physical discomfort for long periods. Hamill called it a "physical ordeal the whole time ... but I don't really mind that". At one point, Oz cheered Hamill up with
46620-448: Was not expected to be recast, though industry insiders felt that was still a possibility because of story and merchandising reasons. The series is filmed at Manhattan Beach Studios in California. Filoni directed the series' first episode, making his live-action directorial debut, with Rick Famuyiwa, Deborah Chow , Bryce Dallas Howard , and Taika Waititi also directing for the first season. Filoni, Howard, and Famuyiwa returned for
46842-418: Was orphaned on another planet during the Clone Wars (22–19 BBY) when Separatist battle droids killed his parents; saved by a Mandalorian clan called "The Tribe", Djarin was adopted as a Foundling and raised with their Creed ("The Way of the Mandalore", or simply "The Way"). The Yoda-like toddler that he adopts, Grogu , also known as "the Child", is also considered a foundling, but Djarin decides to return it to
47064-422: Was paid 0.25% of Empire ' s box office gross for his few hours of work. Billy Dee Williams was cast as Lando Calrissian, making him the first black actor with a starring role in the series. He found the character interesting because of his cape and Armenian surname ; Williams believed this gave him room to develop the character. Williams said Lando was much like himself—a "pretty cool guy". He believed it
47286-405: Was potential for ideas from the series to be incorporated into The Mandalorian 's "next iteration". A new series, Skeleton Crew , was announced in May 2022 after being developed by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford . Favreau and Filoni were revealed to be serving as executive producers on the series, which is also set in the timeframe of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka . Favreau discussed
47508-424: Was potential to add more characters to the series to then give them their series. Favreau said in October that as more characters are introduced in the series, "we are beginning to explore where we could go". He felt Lucasfilm could be "more responsive" to audience reactions in determining potential spin-offs due to the faster production time for television series than films. Favreau looked to his experience working in
47730-471: Was raised by The Armorer to believe only people who choose to follow the Creed are true Mandalorians. But this confrontation with Kryze's group of Nite Owls revealed that there were also other Mandalorians who were Mandalorian by ancestry, which share some broad cultural ideas and practices with the Watch such as wearing Mandalorian armor, but have no rule against removing one's helmet. Moff Gideon , leading
47952-690: Was responsible mainly for crafting the Yoda puppet. Various techniques, including miniatures , matte paintings , stop motion , articulated models and full-size vehicles were used to create Empire ' s many effects. Industry professionals expected comedies and positive entertainment to dominate theaters in 1980 because of low morale in the United States caused by an economic recession . This generally increased theatrical visits as audiences sought escapism and ignored romantic films and depictions of blue-collar life . A surge of interest in science fiction following Star Wars led to many low-budget entries in
48174-409: Was revealed to be scoring the third season. Shirley previously provided additional music for the first two seasons and used Göransson's themes to compose the score for The Book of Boba Fett . One of the primary themes of The Mandalorian is parenting and fatherhood, particularly through the father–son relationship dynamic between Din Djarin and the Child. Ryan Britt of Fatherly wrote that this
48396-459: Was scripted with both of them admitting their feelings for the other. Kershner felt this was too "sappy". He had Ford improvise lines repeatedly until Ford said he would do only one more take; his response to Leia's confession of love in the final take was "I know". By the end of the month, cast and crew morale was low. Hamill returned in early July to film his climactic battle against Darth Vader, portrayed by stunt double Bob Anderson , who said
48618-416: Was shipped immediately to ILM to begin effects work. A rough cut resembling the finished film (minus special effects) was put together by mid-October 1979. Lucas provided 31 pages of notes about changes he wanted, mainly alterations in dialogue and scene lengths. Jones recorded Vader's dialogue in late 1979 and early 1980. In early 1980, Lucas changed the long-planned opening of Luke riding his tauntaun to
48840-471: Was so strong it was embedded into the architecture. It is established in Star Wars Rebels that Mandalorians had colonized other worlds, such as Concord Dawn and Krownest. The Mandalorians eventually came into contact with the Old Republic and fought their Jedi protectors. Upon seeing the Jedi's force abilities, the Mandalorians created gadgets, weapons and armor to counter Jedi abilities. Despite
49062-515: Was the first production to be filmed using real-time rendering for realistic, parallax environments. Favreau believed that the StageCraft technology developed for the series would have a significant impact on the production of films and television series moving forward. He attributed the breakthroughs made with the technology to the support of Kathleen Kennedy, who was in charge of both Lucasfilm and ILM, as well as to his drive for innovation, and to previous work done by George Lucas on new technology for
49284-402: Was working on Iron Man (2008) and Filoni was working on the first season of The Clone Wars , and Favreau subsequently voiced the Mandalorian character Pre Vizsla in The Clone Wars for Filoni. When Favreau met with Filoni about his series idea, they were able to combine Filoni's knowledge of Mandalorian history with Favreau's lone-gunslinger concept. Filoni also drew a doodle of a baby of
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