Pedro Pascal and Jon Favreau on Crafting a Big-Screen 'Star Wars' Adventure with 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

Pedro Pascal and Jon Favreau on Crafting a Big-Screen 'Star Wars' Adventure with 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

Co-written, directed, and produced by Disney Legend Jon Favreau, Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu brings the titular duo to the big screen for the first time as they embark on their most thrilling mission yet. Filmed for IMAX^®, the movie is a standalone adventure designed to welcome new audiences while rewarding ardent fans of the award-winning Disney+ series.

"Some of the first movies I saw as a kid were Star Wars," Screen Actors Guild Award^® winner Pedro Pascal, who reprises his role as Din Djarin/The Mandalorian, said. When he was cast in the first-live action Star Wars series, he recalled, "I loved that there was going to be a new experience - a live-action, streaming experience at home - because I knew it would break the wheel of an at-home experience. But, in my heart, I was always like, 'Could it ever be a movie?' Not just because it's Star Wars, and not just because these characters are so brilliant, but because the person behind them is Jon Favreau."

Pascal continued, "Personally, whether I was involved with it or not, it's an experience I would like to have on the biggest screen possible with as big of an audience as possible."

Favreau - who created The Mandalorian, which has received 52 Emmy^® Award nominations and 15 wins - agreed that this particular story simply felt more cinematic.

"There was an opportunity there, because there hadn't been Star Wars on the big screen for almost seven years," Favreau explained. "These are characters that people are familiar with from watching the show… but there's still a lot of people who have never seen the show that are aware of Grogu, or 'Baby Yoda,' and The Mandalorian. They may know of Ludwig [Göransson's] music - the themes. These characters have permeated the zeitgeist…"

As Favreau and Dave Filoni, President and Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, were mapping out a fourth season of the series, Favreau said, "the notion of doing a film had arisen." (Filoni would go on to co-wrote and produce The Mandalorian and Grogu.)

Once the concept of bringing Din Djarin and Grogu to the big screen took flight, "We knew we couldn't just do what we were planning for Season 4, because that would assume everybody was familiar with the first three seasons." Favreau said. "For a big movie like this, we had to be open to not just the audience that was familiar with everything that happened, but also a new audience that might want to experience Star Wars in a theater for the first time."

Personally, whether I was involved with it or not, it's an experience I would like to have on the biggest screen possible with as big of an audience as possible.

A Deeper Connection

In The Mandalorian and Grogu - which also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White - the Empire has fallen, but Imperial warlords remain scattered across the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic fights to protect what the Rebellion won, Colonel Ward (Weaver) enlists the help of legendary bounty hunter Din Djarin and his apprentice, Grogu.

"There's a sort of solid parent and child relationship in place," Pascal said of the titular characters. "By the end of Season 3, he's adopted Grogu as his son, and they go on these missions together. There is a little bit of a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid vibe going on - a partnership. Mando brings Grogu with him on these missions to teach him. Mando needs to feel like he's done everything he can to keep Grogu safe in a world where Grogu will outlive him. The constant under the armor is that attachment and protection. He would sacrifice his life for Grogu, but he also needs Grogu very much for his own life to be saved."

Not only will audiences see Grogu's relationship with the Mandalorian "evolve," Favreau added, but the young character will experience his own sea change. "There are stretches of the movie where Grogu is alone, and that relies a tremendous amount on how interesting he inherently is. Thanks to the designers, the puppeteers, and Ludwig Göransson's great score, it's very compelling. It's amazing how much these craftspeople can make you feel."

Beyond the Screen

The story doesn't stop when the credits roll. As part of the Disney Blockbuster Summer campaign, fans can enjoy even more Star Wars - from experiencing an all-new mission aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort to embarking on a galactic adventure aboard Disney Cruise Line with themed kids clubs, character encounters, and immersive lounges. Fans can also bring the experience home with the entire Star Wars galaxy streaming on Disney+, as well as all-new toys and wearables, including a RSVLTS May the 4th collection and LEGO^® sets.

Favreau said, "There's an opportunity to align a lot of these experiences together."

Furthermore, Favreau said, "There's still a lot to explore. There's partnership we have with Fortnite, where our production designers helped build out [the planet] Nevarro so you can experience through Fortnite. For gamers, it's great. If you're a Star Wars fan, or a Mandalorian fan, you can explore these environments virtually, and all of it lines up. It's nice when all of those experiences are consistent - and I think we're just scratching the surface. The new era for Disney is going to open up a lot of opportunities to explore that…"

The Mandalorian and Grogu opens in theaters Friday, May 22.