This week, Lucasfilm began production on its first Star Wars live-action television series, entitled The Mandalorian, with shooting taking place in Los Angeles. The plot summary, as tweeted by series writer and director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) is as follows:

After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic….

Lucasfilm has released the first image of series protagonist, the actor behind whom is as yet unconfirmed, though rumors point to Pedro Pascal, best known as the hot-headed Oberyn Martell of Game of Thrones. 

From this image, we can ascertain that the series has a western aesthetic to it, matching its frontier setting. Favreau told The Nerdist in May that the series takes place seven years after the Battle of Yavin, placing it three years after Return of the Jedi and two years into the New Republic’s undisputed reign following the defeat and exodus of the Empire. Besides Last Shot, a Daniel José Older novel largely focused on Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, this particular part of the timeline has been largely untouched in the Star Wars canon.

Joining Favreau is an all-star lineup of creative talent, with Dave Filoni, supervising director of The Clone Wars, executive producer of Star Wars Rebels, and creator of the upcoming Star Wars Resistance joining Favreau as an executive producer as well as directing the series’ pilot episode. Also executive producing are Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson (Suicide Squad, Avatar), with Karen Gilchrist (Iron Man 2) serving as co-executive producer. 

In addition to Filoni, episodic directors include Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok). Waititi in particular has been a popular name in the fan community as a future Star Wars director, and Chow and Howard will be the long-awaited first female directors to helm a Star Wars production. 

While little else is known about the series, it is expected to premiere as a launch title on the Disney Play streaming service, due to release in 2019. 

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Ryan Miorelli
Ryan Miorelli