has been dreaming about making a Star Wars movie for most of his life.
He was 10 and half when the first film was released in theaters in 1977, which he went to see with his dad. From the opening shot of that Imperial Star Destroyer filling the screen, he was forever changed. It made him fall in love with the movies: The wonder, the world, the spectacle and the shared experience.
By the time 鈥淩eturn of the Jedi鈥� came out he鈥檇 even found a job that was a little closer to the action: Movie theater usher.
For a screenwriter, director, actor and producer who has a to his name, in addition to all that comes with being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he鈥檚 always been ready to raise his hand when it comes to Star Wars. He voiced a Mandalorian in 鈥淭he Clone Wars,鈥� played an alien in 鈥淪olo鈥� and helped create 鈥淭he Mandalorian鈥� series and his immensely popular counterpart, Grogu (aka Baby Yoda). But believe it or not, he only ever got to direct one episode of the show (the first of the second season). So, yes, Favreau has paid his dues and now, at 59, he finally has a Star Wars movie of his own coming to theaters on May 22.
Inviting a new generation to Star Wars
is not simply Season 4 of the show on the big screen. Favreau should know, since he wrote both. And, perhaps more importantly, he knew there couldn鈥檛 be any presumption of Mandalorian knowledge. Writing a show, he said, you can assume that the audience will have seen the prior season. A movie is different; it has to be if it鈥檚 going to be a blockbuster.
鈥淓ven though in our hearts we are Star Wars fans, we make it for Star Wars fans, and we know that there鈥檚 a certain set of expectations around what Star Wars should be that we collectively hold, there is the responsibility to invite a whole new generation of people into Star Wars,鈥� Favreau said. 鈥淭hat means that if a Star Wars fan brings somebody who鈥檚 not, they鈥檝e got to have as good of a time as the fans do.鈥�
It鈥檚 been nearly seven years since there was a new Star Wars movie released in theaters. That means there鈥檚 a whole group of a six-and-a-half-year-olds who鈥檝e yet to have a first time experience of their own.
鈥淚 want to make the next generation feel the way about Star Wars that I did when I saw it for the first time,鈥� Favreau said.
It can be intimidating going into a movie knowing that there were three seasons of television leading up to it. But the nice thing about Star Wars is, even people who don鈥檛 know it at least kind of know it. Remember, Favreau said, George Lucas plopped audiences in the middle of an adventure in 1977 without a lot of explanation.
鈥淕eorge has always understood that you have to fit into the mythic structure,鈥� Favreau said. 鈥淭here are certain story types that we connect with and understand and even if we might not know the particulars of the story he鈥檚 telling, we could drop right in and understand and know who to cheer for.鈥�
For this film, Favreau is pretty sure that most people have heard of Baby Yoda and can pick up on the dynamic between the little green guy and his enigmatic bounty hunter counterpart, played once again by . If you are a newcomer, that鈥檚 pretty much all that you need to know. Also, the Mandalorian has a name: Din Djarin.
Din Djarin is a bit different
Season three left Din Djarin and Grogu at peace, at least for a moment. He’s adopted Grogu as his son and apprentice, and they plan to live in a small cabin and take some jobs here and there to help protect the Outer Rim.
鈥淗e made it clear that he was only going to work for the good guys now,鈥� Favreau said. 鈥淲e switched the Western archetype from the bounty hunter to the guy who鈥檚 hunting down the bad guys in the wanted posters on the post office wall for the sheriff.鈥�
When we meet him again in the film, 鈥渉e鈥檚 a bit different from when we first met him, but he鈥檚 still, at his heart, a gunfighter and a warrior,鈥� Favreau said. They’re hunting down ex-Imperial warlords who seem to be organizing. (Remember, these events happen after 鈥淩eturn of the Jedi鈥� and before )
And he鈥檚 not exactly thrilled about his new assignment which will put him back in the orbit of the Hutt family. Yes, Jabba the Hutt had a son, his name is Rotta, he is played by internet boyfriend Jeremy Allen White 鈥� and he’s a gladiator.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of those fun things for people who may have been following along since the first 鈥楥lone Wars鈥� film,鈥� Favreau said. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 know who he is, you鈥檙e going to figure it out pretty quick. And he鈥檚 a lot different than people remember, and I think we have a bit of fun with that.鈥�
Also, for superfans, Favreau is pretty sure they don鈥檛 ever refer to him by his nickname, 鈥淪tinky.鈥�
White isn鈥檛 the only Star Wars newcomer. Sigourney Weaver plays a New Republic leader; is an alien shopkeeper.
Upping the spectacle for IMAX
鈥淭he Mandalorian鈥� always felt more cinematic than your average television show thanks to its innovative virtual sets known as the Volume, but the big screen demands something spectacular. And it turns out, more time, space and money help out quite a bit in making something worthy of the theater.
鈥淲ith the bigger screen and the larger production value, we were able to dip into another one of George Lucas鈥� influences, which is the Flash Gordon-style space opera where you get big monsters and creatures and worlds,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e get to do a lot more than we had the ability to do when we had to turn the show around in a year and fit it onto a television screen. Now we鈥檙e in IMAX, we had several years to do it. We got to build sets, we got to build miniatures, we got to have stop motion set pieces 鈥� it opened up a lot of opportunities to do things that we never got to do before.鈥�
Favreau said they had a whole backlot to work with and a set of stages to build on. They could play with water and snow and environments that just weren鈥檛 possible with the show.
The future of Star Wars
The Star Wars galaxy is in a time of transition as everyone figures out what the next era of films might look like under its new leadership team of Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. Earlier this year it was announced that , who produced 鈥淪tar Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,鈥� was stepping down after 13 years.
鈥淪he鈥檚 definitely a Mount Rushmore producer,鈥� Favreau said. 鈥淚 also think she did a wonderful job preparing the next generation.鈥�
He鈥檚 still working closely with Kennedy, and Filoni, to bring the Mandalorian movie to theaters. He’s not too worried about the box office side of things.
鈥淎ll of it comes down to seeing it with an audience,鈥� Favreau said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the part I鈥檓 looking forward to.鈥�
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