Jon Favreau Almost Directed a Christmas Special for The Mandalorian
In some better, weirder timeline, The Mandalorian got its own Christmas special, and Peli Motto apparently played a major role in that operation.
In the new interview for ComicBookdedicated to the seriesThe Mandalorian and GroguJon Favreau revealed that he once thought about creating a newStar Wars Christmas specialdedicated to Din Djarin's corner of the galaxy. And yes, he even mentioned one great specific detail: “I don’t know how you would have done it without Peli Moto,” referring to Amy Sedaris’s gloriously chaotic Tatooine mechanic.
Honestly? Perhaps he is right.
Apparently, this was one of the first such ideas.
Favreau said the idea came up in the first season, before The Mandalorianhad even aired. He also tried to lower expectations early on, saying that there were no plans for a live-action Christmas special and that they were "discussing it as a joke."
But this does not sound like a random, fleeting phrase.
It sounds like one of those Star Wars ideas that starts out as a joke, hangs around for too long, and then suddenly becomes strangely plausible. If you've got Grogu, Din Djarin, Peli Motto and a festive setting, you're halfway to creating a TV series that could either be a family classic or a wonderful disaster.
To be fair, that's exactly the energy that the phrase "Star Wars: The Holiday Special" has had since 1978.
The Mandalorian could very well pull this off.
That's what's funny.A modern-day Christmas special of The Mandalorian could very well be successful.
The original Star Wars: Holiday Special is still so notorious that it can be seen in any room ten seconds before its reputation completely evaporates. But Lucasfilm has already proven with the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Specialthat the concept doesn't have to be damned forever. And unlike many Star Wars projects, The Mandalorian actually has the tone that allows things like this to work.
Dean is serious. Grogu is expressive chaos. Peli Motto is one continuous uncontrollable weather phenomenon in human form. This is a real comic twist.
If you're looking to create something warm, funny, and a little sentimental for Life's Day, this team can do the job.
Probably dead, but still very funny.
In reality, this most likely will not happen. Lucasfilm is clearly back in movie mode, withThe Mandalorian and Grogubeing positioned as a theatrical event rather than just another side project for streaming platforms. We recently looked at how the film's creators are trying to not feel like it's Star Wars homework, and the holiday special doesn't quite fit into that strategy.
Nevertheless, this idea is correct.
The Mandalorianholiday specialfeaturing Grogu, Peli Motto, and the kind of awkward holiday energy that Din Djarin might accidentally experience seems like the kind of thing that Star Wars could do once and never explain again.
And now that Favreau has said it out loud, the image is impossible to forget.
Somewhere Peli Motto is already decorating a droid for Life Day.