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Dive deep into the galaxy far, far away with these ten mind-blowing facts about the making of The Mandalorian. From revolutionary special effects to incredible casting secrets, discover the details that brought the hit show to life.
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00:00As with any Star Wars project, worth its blue milk with such a monumental feat of cinematic television obviously comes
00:07with it a whole host of intriguing facts and secrets that make the end product as satisfying to digest as
00:13a frog lady's offspring. Too soon?
00:15Either way, I'm Gareth from WhatCultureStarWars and here are 10 mind-blowing facts you didn't know about The Mandalorian.
00:2210. Tusken Sign Language Was Created For The World
00:26When it comes to Disney Plus' corner of the galaxy far, far away in general, the treatment of the once
00:31terrifying and underdeveloped Tusken Raiders made for a rather refreshing change.
00:36Instead of being simply presented as the senseless villains occupying Tatooine as they had been in the previous few decades,
00:42the likes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett highlighted how there was truly more than meets the
00:47goggle when it comes to these native sand people.
00:49One of the most compelling developments when it came to the well-known Star Wars race, however, was the introduction
00:54of Tusken sign language in the first season of The Mandalorian.
00:58In order to gain safe passage across the desert, Mando converses with the Raiders using this distinct form of sign
01:04language.
01:05This stinks because it was actually designed specifically for the show and subsequent spin-off, with Troi Kotsa, the first
01:11deaf actor to win an acting Oscar, playing a major part in developing the language.
01:159. How The Fans Influenced Ahsoka Tano's Casting
01:19The second it became clear that not only were fans finally set to be treated to a live-action iteration
01:24of the hugely popular Clone Wars and Rebels star Ahsoka Tano, but that she was also going to be brought
01:30to life by none other than Rosario Bloody Dawson, the hype was understandably quite strong with this second season of
01:36The Mandalorian.
01:37Yet little did those passionate Ahsoka adorers know. Their dreams of seeing an actor of Dawson's caliber take up the
01:43reins expertly handled by Ashley Eckstein coming into Tano's live-action debut actually caught the attention of none other than
01:49Dave Filoni himself when casting the part.
01:52In a conversation with Vanity Fair, Dawson would go on record to admit that her reaction to a fan-casting
01:57her in the role eventually found its way onto the radar of someone who had been doing press for Star
02:02Wars.
02:02Said exchange was eventually passed on to Filoni, who would later reveal,
02:06That was the first time and I looked at Rosario and I thought, huh, yeah, I think maybe she would
02:11make a good Ahsoka.
02:12Sure enough, Filoni has been proven right and then some ever since.
02:158. No Green Screens Required
02:18Never exactly shy about attempting to pull off technological feats that few have ever dared to even try,
02:24the Star Wars franchise has seen countless pieces of innovation eventually influence the wider filmmaking sphere over the years.
02:30And not to be outdone by the groundbreaking CGI and effects that thoroughly changed the game on the big screen,
02:36The Mandalorian brought with it a piece of kit that holds the potential to completely alter modern filmmaking for the
02:42better.
02:42As revealed in the fourth episode of The Mandalorian's Disney Gallery title Technology,
02:46The volume is comprised of a number of gigantic video screens and provided the likes of Jon Favreau with the
02:53tools to shoot epic otherworldly sequences from the comfort of an indoor studio.
02:58Said LED screens were able to be effectively manipulated in the moment,
03:02with the 3D background moving only within the camera's field of view,
03:05and boasts the ability to provide more realistic colours and reflect metallic surfaces more authentically.
03:10The tool has become so revolutionary, Mando episode directors Taika Waititi and Peyton Reed have also adopted it for use
03:17for their upcoming Thor Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantum Mania MCU projects, respectively.
03:237. A Plo Koon Swerve
03:25Keeping a secret under wraps in order to elicit a suitably jaw-dropping response is not exactly new for the
03:32Star Wars universe.
03:32But The Mandalorian Season 2's epic conclusion came with it perhaps even more secrecy than a certain M-Player Strikes
03:39Back reveal,
03:40completely omitting the name Luke Skywalker from the script.
03:43Those shooting the emotionally charged sequence on the day were convinced that they were actually witnessing the stunning return of
03:49none other than Master Plo Koon.
03:50Thanks to the script including his name, concept art depicting the Jedi,
03:54and even a CGI rendering of Koon's head being placed on Luke in the now iconic scene.
03:59Always one step ahead, Dave Filoni was well aware that die-hards were wise to Koon being his favourite Jedi,
04:05so assumed that any leaks surrounding the seemingly dead character arriving back on the scene would be accepted as fact,
04:11paving the way for the real zinger down the line.
04:14Even Peyton Reed was under the impression Klo was about to show,
04:17with the director sharing the sort of reaction the majority of fans would have had on the development of
04:21Are you being serious right now? Is this real? You bringing the guy back?
04:25When he learned of the news.
04:276. Some well-known guest voices
04:30It wouldn't be a slice of galaxy far, far away goodness without a few cheeky star-studded cameos now, would
04:36it?
04:36More than filling their well-known talent quota over the course of the show's first two seasons,
04:41The Mandalorian has seen the likes of comedy stars Adam Pally and Jason Sudeikis
04:45stop by as cheaply kitted out stormtroopers in the first season.
04:48But that merely scratches the starry appearance surface
04:51as Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, was drafted in to voice droid bartender EV-99,
04:57Johnny Guzamo stops by as Gorr Koresh, Richard Ayoade voices Zero,
05:02hell, even Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau themselves rock up as New Republic pilot Trapperwolf,
05:07and another hulking Mandalorian, respectively.
05:09It's not hard to see why just about anyone who is anyone is in a rush to lend their vocal
05:13or physical talents to this much-adored world.
05:15Whether or not their cooperation is announced in advance or not,
05:19the question is which famous faces or voices will be sneaking their way onto the small screen by the time
05:24Season 3 rolls around.
05:265. The Inspiration Behind Mando's Weapons
05:29An awful lot of time and effort went into finalizing some of the exquisite detail on show
05:34over the course of Disney Plus' first real resounding TV success.
05:38And among the superbly crafted sets, costumes, and spaceships
05:42are the unmistakable weapons utilized by some of the Mandalorian's major players.
05:47In particular, Din Djarin and many of the other characters on show's tools for getting the job done
05:51were said to have drew inspiration from World War II weapons.
05:55As prop master Josh Roth explained in the Practical Disney Gallery episode,
05:59for the original trilogy they rented surplus weapons from World War II and modified them.
06:04So with the Mandalorian going down after said trilogy,
06:07the decision was wisely made to follow in their weaponized footsteps.
06:10This wasn't the only time the Mandalorian drew inspiration from prior Star Wars content either,
06:15as Mando's signature pulse blaster rifle was the result of Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and the gang,
06:20seeing the undoubtedly awesome weapon used by Boba Fett in 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special,
06:26and feeling it more than fit the bill for their leading gunslinger.
06:294. The ins and outs of the Mandalorian on set
06:32It's time to focus a spotlight on precisely what went into making Din Djarin the masked space lone ranger
06:39we didn't know we needed on the set of the Mandalorian.
06:41Of course, the brilliant Pedro Pascal was tasked with being the literal face and voice of this titular Mandalorian.
06:47However, it wasn't simply a case of just suiting up the Game of Thrones and Narcos star,
06:51and strutting him out onto the volume every day.
06:53Instead, whenever the Beskar-sporting badass was required to get particularly physical,
06:59one of two stunt people was substituted into his unmistakable outfit,
07:02gun expert Brendan Wayne and hand-to-hand combat pro Lateef Crowder, depending on the sequence.
07:07In fact, Pascal's stunt doubles were so damn convincing that when the actor couldn't make it to set to shoot
07:12for episode 4 of the first season,
07:14due to King Lear Broadway rehearsals, as you do,
07:17set stunt performers took up the reins before Pascal later added his recorded lines in post.
07:22And as another interesting tidbit, Pascal also genuinely busted his head on a piece of plywood
07:27before dramatically revealing his mug for the first time as Djarin in Season 1.
07:31So some of the wounds seen in that moment are actually legit.
07:35Number 3, what goes into bringing Grogu to life?
07:38Sticking with the details behind what went into producing two of the most likable and engaging characters
07:43Star Wars has unleashed in recent times,
07:45and with a little green legend who quickly stole the heart of the entire galaxy,
07:49opting instead to go back to basics and rely more heavily on practical effects
07:53than the more commonly used CGI tools seen in the majority of sci-fi projects today.
07:57Producing a realistic Grogu puppet for use on the set of The Mandalorian did not come cheap by any means.
08:03Coming in at a cool $5 million,
08:05there's a reason aforementioned one-time stormtrooper Adam Pally
08:09was given a passive-aggressive dressing down by Jon Favreau,
08:12on the back of walloping Baby Yoda a little too hard in one particular take.
08:15Taking a staggering four puppeteers to operate the lifelike little guy,
08:19one designated to his eyes, another his head and body,
08:22another his mouth and ears, and the last the other parts of his body and arms.
08:26Legendary director Werner Herzog even went out of his way to advise Deborah Chow
08:30to double down on committing to the puppet instead of using CGI.
08:33Such was his connection to the entirely convincing puppet.
08:37Number 2, fan-made stormtrooper outfits were needed after they ran out.
08:40A great many of those who confess to be Star Wars diehards
08:44will likely have already stumbled upon the 501st Legion.
08:47But for those not yet in the know,
08:49this fan-based organization comprised entirely of volunteers
08:52specializes in the design and construction
08:54of entirely accurate replicas of famous Star Wars costumes.
08:58Vader's fist has lovingly been given a few nods
09:01in canon Star Wars lore over the years,
09:03most notably in the Clone Wars animated series
09:05with the appearances of the 501st Clone Battalion,
09:08a unit serving under Anakin Skywalker and led by Captain Rex.
09:12So when the Mandalorians soon realized they'd underestimated
09:15just how many stormtrooper outfits they required
09:17over the course of shooting season 1,
09:19the 501st were dramatically called upon to save the day.
09:23A number of members of the Legion soon showed up to set,
09:25fully kitted out in their own iconic white armor,
09:28and provided the necessary backup for the season's 7th and 8th episodes.
09:33Number 1, the cost of crafting.
09:34Already evidenced in Jon Favreau's willingness to drop $5 million
09:38of Disney's books on the creation of series megastar Grogu,
09:42the eventual eye-watering cost-per-episode numbers
09:44that would reveal themselves later down the road
09:46suggest the producing of The Mandalorian
09:48was no penny-pinching exercise.
09:51Each entry in the 16-chapter tale
09:53was said to have cost around $15 million to produce,
09:56meaning that each of the first two seasons
09:58would have taken around $120 million
10:00to fully commit to the screen.
10:01This is similar to the cost of each of the final Game of Thrones episodes,
10:06again in the $50 million ballpark,
10:08but utterly dwarfs that HBO show's first season numbers
10:11of just $6 million per episode.
10:14This absolutely pales in comparison
10:16to Netflix's Stranger Things Season 4 budget, though.
10:19Reportedly $30 million per episode,
10:21and Amazon Prime's upcoming reported investment
10:24of $462 million on its first
10:27The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power season of Kiosk.
10:30But the likes of Favreau and Filoni
10:32likely won't be in too much of a rush
10:33to match those jaw-dropping production cost numbers,
10:36as long as their well-received,
10:38small-screen Star Wars universe
10:39continues to leave audiences clamoring for more.
10:42And that's our list.
10:43Do you have any other mind-blowing facts
10:44people didn't know about The Mandalorian?
10:46Let us know all about them in the comments section
10:48right down below,
10:49and do not forget to like, share,
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11:00I have been Gareth from WhatCultureStarWars.
11:02May the fourth be with you.
11:03Thank you very much for watching this video today,
11:05and I'm sure I'll see you very, very soon.
11:07Bye-bye!