The Mandalorian Showrunner Talks About Exploring The Freaky "Mad Max Aspect of Star Wars"

The Mandalorian is one of the premium shows being offered at launch with the upcoming Disney+ streaming service. The series from producer Jon Favreau is introducing an original character within a familiar framework set by Boba Fett. Favreau explained his inspiration for the series came from his fascination with the grungy parts of the Star Wars universe that have gone less explored.

“I’m trying to evoke the aesthetics of not just the original trilogy but the first film. Not just the first film but the first act of the first film,” Favreau told THR. “What was it like on Tatooine? What was going on in that cantina? That has fascinated me since I was a child, and I love the idea of the darker, freakier side of Star Wars, the Mad Max aspect of Star Wars.”

Favreau says he actually approached Disney about the series, not the other way around.

“I wrote four of the episodes before I even had a deal, because I wanted to do this but only if they wanted to do the version that I wanted to do,” he said.

To bring his vision to life, he’s utilizing some of the same green screen techniques used in the prequels. He says George Lucas’ work serves as the foundation for everything he’s doing here, but noted that different types of storytelling demand different types of sets and effects. He’s using these digital techniques because it suits the project, but it wouldn’t be right for a larger episodic movie.

“When you see Lawrence of Arabia, how much of that is informed by really being there and not shooting it in Calabasas–I think you get a different movie,” he said. “The way I work and the stories I’m telling are geared specifically toward what this technology has to offer, so I could not make Episode IX using these tools.”

The Mandalorian recently released its first poster, showing Pedro Pascal’s armored antihero walking across a desert landscape with his ship in the background. It appears to be set on Tatooine, since the background has clearly visible Sandcrawlers and moisture vaporators. But it also shows the scale of the world and ship that Favreau mentioned. A trailer may be incoming soon as well, as part of Disney’s annual D23 convention.

The show will be one of several offerings available on day one of the Disney+ service. That streaming service will offer a host of movies from Disney’s catalog, along with original series, for $7 per month or $70 per year. It will launch on November 12.