StarWars.com's Kristin Baver talks with director Jon Favreau about the upcoming Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu.
After discovering Star Wars at the age of ten in the summer of 1977, Favreau was working as a cinema usher by the time of the release of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is an opportunity for Favreau to open up that metaphorical toy chest, exploring his love of monster movies with a Dejarik chess set that comes to life and bringing Amanin into the spotlight from the shadows of Jabba the Hutt's palace.
“Being able to bring this [film] to the theater not only to people who have always loved Star Wars, but also to introduce it to a new generation, knowing that you want to reach people and make them as excited about Star Warsas you are, and make them feel the same way I felt when I first saw that movie... I think it's a big responsibility,” he says. Favreau. “And we thought about it a lot because we've been working together for so long. We want to create an experience that doesn't rely on someone already loving Star Wars, but gives them the opportunity to love it as much as we do."
Archetypes and family connections
The premiere of The Mandalorian, touted as a gritty Western, surprised everyone with the appearance of Grogu, a Force-sensitive alien in need of protection. “Star Wars” is always about people,” says Favreau, “archetypes, mythology and family ties. And ultimately, what we here didn't expect when we first heard about the show years ago was that it would be about parenthood. It will be about father and son.”
In The Mandalorian and Grogu's episode, we see Grogu continue training with his adoptive father Din Djarin.“Now he not only protects the child, but also teaches him, prepares him, like all of us, for the future and for passing the baton from one generation to the next.”
Behind the scenes, the film also featured multiple generations ofStar Warscreators, including stop-motion animation legend Phil Tippett, model maker John Goodson, special effects artists from Industrial Light & Magic, including visual effects supervisor John Knoll, and Los Angeles-based Legacy Effects, which brought Grogu and countless other realistic creatures and aliens to life. suits. “I think this is where we really roll up our sleeves and start playing. And there's an escape pod that emerges from an AT-AT, based on mini models, Kenner toys that were never seen on screen, and a dragon snake taken from animation."
The film will also feature an older version of Rotta, a muscular Hutt played by Jeremy Allen White. Favreau first became acquainted with the character when he appeared in the film Star Wars: The Clone Warsas a small Hutt, the son of the famous Jabba the Hutt. “When people first heard about it, they thought it was a false rumor that we were spreading,” Favreau recalls with a laugh. This addition allows Favreau to explore a different type of father-son relationship. “We all know Jabba. What is it like to be [his son], and how can you add depth to this image?
Newcomers to the cast include Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward and Martin Scorsese in a cameo as Ardennes cook Hugo. Favreau says he watched Weaver interact with Grogu in real time and incorporated that into the storytelling. “Sigourney really liked Grogu,” says Favreau, noting that between takes she talked to him, picked him up, wanted to take pictures. “That was one of her comments,” Favreau says. "Sigourney said, 'I want to work with this guy.' So we created a few things that I think work really well.”
As for Scorsese, Favreau worked with the legendary director onThe Wolf of Wall Street.Hugo is a reference to Rio Durant, the Ardennes pilot and cook whom Favreau voiced inSolo: A Star Wars Story. “I'm a big fan of his. I was lucky enough to work on his film, but I grew up watching his films,” Favreau notes. And once Scorsese accepted the role, the character's design helped cement his image. “We did a recording session and the animation teams were really inspired by his performance,” says Favreau. "I really like the work they did on this character."
Read the full interview here, and the films Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu are released in theaters May 22. Tickets in the US can be purchased at Fandango.com.
