31 October,2020 08:00 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The Mandalorian/picture courtesy: PR
The Mandalorian enraptured audiences as well as critics across the globe with its exemplary storyline and groundbreaking visual effects. The Child, more popularly known as Baby Yoda, became an adorable new pop-culture icon and the series went on to bag seven Emmy Awards. Following its massive global success, the show is set to return with Season 2 on Disney+ Hotstar Premium starting October 30th, 2020.
As the saga continues with The Mandalorian and The Child taking their journey forward, facing enemies and rallying allies, here are five lesser-known facts about the series. These interesting secrets and anecdotes about The Mandalorian - featuring an ensemble cast of actors like Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Taika Waititi in pivotal roles - will even be a revelation for Star Wars fans.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni are two of the creative masterminds behind "The Mandalorian," so it's very telling that their very first meeting was on George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch more than a decade ago. "I met Dave because I was up at the Ranch mixing the first 'Iron Man' movie and he was secretly working with George on 'The Clone Wars' before anybody had ever heard of it," reveals Jon Favreau.
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"I secretly showed him 'Iron Man' and he showed me 'The Clone Wars' - and I was blown away. I was like, 'If you ever need a voice on this, I'd love to do it.' That eventually turned into me playing a Mandalorian named Pre Vizsla on his show. That was the start of our history of working together."
Stay alert when you watch the action unfold because there are tons of treats in the show for eagle-eyed Star Wars fans. "We wanted to make sure that if you were watching and you know Star Wars then you will be rewarded," explains Jon Favreau. "And this is where Dave has been a treasure trove of information.
We tried different ways to work stuff in, whether it's humorously by making a reference to Life Day, or a reference to a prop that has been appreciated by a core group of fans over time. It's been exciting to put these little Easter eggs into the story; it rewards the people who've been putting the time in over the years since they were kids growing up with it."
Thankfully, the stellar concept art for "The Mandalorian" hasn't been locked away in a secret Star Wars vault. Instead, the jaw-dropping visuals created by artists, including Doug Chiang, Jama Jurabaev, John Park, Christian Alzmann, Ryan Church, Nick Gindraux and more, are on display in every episode. "We have included some of the artwork at the end of the show," reveals Jon Favreau. "Each week, you see some of the images in the end credits."
Famed movie director Werner Herzog steps in front of the camera to play the mysterious role of The Client in "The Mandalorian" - and he blames it all on Jon Favreau. "Let's face it, it's Jon Favreau who got me into the mess," Herzog says with a smile. "I knew within less than sixty seconds that this was going to be big, because I saw the universe, I saw the costumes and I saw the spacecraft. Secondly, when Jon explained a little bit about the character to me, I knew it was going to be easy. I enjoyed every single moment of it." And he especially enjoyed The Child. Herzog was affected emotionally by the character and taken aback by how realistic the practical puppet was.
If you take a look at Jon Favreau's social media, you might spot a photograph of a Star Wars icon on the set of "The Mandalorian." "It was a very special day when George Lucas came to visit," recalls Jon Favreau. "The cast were on set that day, but George really came by to see Dave. He didn't say it in front of Dave, because he didn't want to embarrass him, but I could see that George was very proud that Dave was moving on to the next step.
George discovered Dave, and they ended up working together for 10 years on 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars.' They have a long relationship and understanding of filmmaking; of Star Wars. And now, Dave has taken the next step into live-action directing. I think that's a big reason George was there."
Watch The Mandalorian S2 only on Disney+ Hotstar Premium starting 30th October 2020!
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