On March 1st, the third season of the hugely popular "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" returns to the Disney+ streaming service. In an interview with news agency Spot on News, Jon Favreau (56), the series creator, reveals what viewers and fans can expect in the new episodes, how the Baby Yoda character is brought to life, and what fascinated him about the Star Wars saga as a child.
During the interview, Favreau recalls being ten years old when he first saw the original "Star Wars" trilogy. As a child growing up in the 1970s, he remembers there wasn't much sci-fi with visual effects, aside from 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, when he saw the Star Destroyer fly over him in the cinema hall, he was blown away by the massive size of the Imperial Star Destroyer in one shot.
Every scene and every single shot is etched into my memory - I believe many people feel the same way. Waiting for the door to open, as it finally does, Darth Vader walks through, silhouetted in black against the white corridors of the ship, with the droids... Laughter echoed throughout the cinema hall and excitement filled the air. It was the first time I had seen a film that was truly made for my generation.
Back then, there were plenty of adult movies, as well as Disney cartoons and such. However, "Star Wars" was the first to be produced with the quality of a major Hollywood production, yet tailored to me as a child.
Many viewers loved the ending of the previous season of The Mandalorian. What can fans expect this time?
Favreau: Well, we'll see how the characters have changed. They were separated for a long time and then reunited in a few episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. We also saw that Grogu was trained as a Jedi. Grogu is no longer the helpless little baby he was when the Mandalorian first rescued him.
The Mandalorian has some things to put right because he took off his helmet. The only way to redeem himself is to return to his home planet, which has been destroyed, and track down the Mandalore mines. So there's room for many different types of adventures, different from what we've seen in the past. At the same time, a world is visited that has not yet been seen in this form in live-action series or films.
Judging by the trailers, we will also see a lot more of the character Bo-Katan Kryze, played by Katee Sackhoff. What can viewers expect from her?
Favreau: If you have seen The Clone Wars series, you actually know Bo-Katan pretty well. She has also appeared here and there on our show. She is a Mandalorian warrior, but she comes from a very different culture where Mandalorians take off their helmets.
The main character, Din Djarin, maintains a much more dogmatic, old-fashioned style. On the other hand, Bo-Katan comes from a more modern, secular tradition, and the two different styles don't seem to get along. Now, in Season 3, we see how the two groups interact. There used to be tension when single individuals met, but now we see what happens when a large crowd of them comes together.
A more general question, do you get occasional visits from George Lucas? Was he on set for the show's third season?
Favreau: We are in contact, and he stopped by a few times. I'm not sure which season it was, but we definitely got to see him. He looks at the different series, and not only we but also other filmmakers from the "Star Wars" world are getting in touch with him more and more. You realize what a fantastic resource he is and how much he still cares about Star Wars.
While he is not the one who tells the stories on a day-to-day basis - not like he was when he was the author of everything - he is still very generous in sharing his insights and knowledge. They are always available to us, to myself, and to other filmmakers. I think that's invaluable.
Do the "Star Wars" fans occasionally scare you personally? Sometimes, there are very strong reactions to individual films and series...
Favreau: Well, recently, what has changed is that there are so many ways to communicate. Because of social networks, there is so much feedback. It quickly creates the feeling that there are thousands of different voices out there. But basically, it has always been like this. People have always been temperamental, for or against the movies, especially Star Wars, even when I was a kid. The only difference today is that back then, it took place at school or work, in the break room, or the canteen.
In my experience, most filmmakers and storytellers have found a healthy balance in that regard. You get a sense of what the group is thinking because it's important to know if they like something or are disappointed by it. As for individual comments, though, I think right now, something programmed for conflict is being highlighted by the nature of social media algorithms - not just Star Wars. Therefore, one should not get lost in the reactions and study them too closely.
"Star Wars" fans know that Baby Yoda, or Grogu, is actually a moving doll. At the same time, computer-generated images are also used to create the end result. How exactly does this work?
Favreau: We use many different combinations of techniques. Most of the time, it's actually an animatronic doll, although we have different specimens and equipment. In the meantime, however, the demands on the doll are increasing, as it has to manage things like running or jumping. Our partners at Legacy Effects are developing various equipment for this.
However, from time to time, it's also necessary to use a bit of CGI, like when removing the bars holding the puppet or when the control team is in the picture. Then we have to remove them.
And there are times when he does something particularly acrobatic. Then we replace him completely with CGI, but we really try to limit that. In addition, the CGI model should move as if it were a doll. The aesthetics of the character represented by a puppet are very important to us - just like the original Yoda.
