The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles was the perfect place for Star Wars fans on Friday night. PaleyFest Los Angeles 2023 hosted a screening of “The Mandalorian” episodes as well as a panel featuring Disney+ live-action series stars Pedro Pascal and Katee Sackhoff and executive producers Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and Rick Famuyiwa. Entertainment Tonight’s Ash Crossan moderated the discussion, which covered all of Mando.
“The Mandalorian” has been a hit with “Star Wars” fans since its premiere in 2019. The show is set after the fall of the Empire and follows Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pascal) as he protects Grogu and attempts to reunite the Mandalorians alongside Bo-Katan Kryze (Sackhoff). The series is known for its surprises, starting with the reveal of the endearing Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) in Season 1, followed by the appearance of Luke Skywalker in Season 2.
During the panel, the producers emphasized the importance of keeping plot and character details secret to maintain production integrity. Prior to the Season 1 premiere, no merchandise was created for the series to keep Baby Yoda a secret until fans saw him on screen. Favreau and Filoni also revealed that two separate shoots took place to keep Luke Skywalker’s appearance in Season 2 a secret; even Pascal and Sackhoff had no idea.
The producers also stressed the importance of ensuring all fans were on the same page to keep the collective spirit of Star Wars fandom alive. “‘Star Wars’ is about the ‘Star Wars’ community as much as the story,” Favreau said. Therefore, it was crucial that everyone working on “Mandalorian” make sacrifices for the common celebration of fandom.
The panel also touched on the surreal experience of seeing history come to life. Pascal confessed that he spaced himself out thinking about creating the show, forgetting that not everything comes from an encyclopedia. Sackhoff said she didn’t really believe Filoni the first time he pitched her a live-action Star Wars series. When she finally stepped on set for the first time, she said the experience was “surreal”. Filoni agreed and explained how strange it was to see his ideas flowing from page to page.
Although they’re doing their best to keep future episodes a secret, everyone on the panel expressed their excitement for continuing “The Mandalorian.” Sackhoff said there was still a lot to do with her character, revealing that she wanted to see a lot more development from Bo-Katan. Filoni said, “We really love doing it, so we’re going to keep doing it,” and added that people will be telling stories with a lot of these characters long after he’s gone.
Overall, the panel provided insight into the making of “The Mandalorian” and the importance of keeping fans engaged and excited about the Star Wars universe.
